The Justice of God's Mercy applied to Victims and Offenders.
You likely know both crime victims and offenders. They might be part of your family and community. Here at Tending The Peace, we do not judge people, we encourage people. Jesus did not come to judge, but to call all sinners to peace. What is God’s Justice and Mercy and how is it applied to both victims of crime and offenders who commit the crimes?
The news media likes to report on crimes that involve the most traumatized victims and the most violent offenders. When we here victim or felon, that is what we think about. Yes, it is true many victims and their families are traumatized by violent felons. What is God’s Justice and Mercy in all of this?
We can read the Beatitudes in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 5:3-12) and see that when people are unjustly persecuted or they are oppressed God’s Justice and Mercy provide a place in the Beatific vision of God in eternal life. Obviously, many victims of crime would be included in this, especially murder victims. Let’s say a victim of murder lived a troubled life before they were killed. The murderer prevented them from having the future opportunity to repent and cleanse their heart. Do you not think God makes up for this? Do you not think that an unnatural death is payment for ones sins? Let’s say for example someone is a against Christianity and wages a war by killing many Christians and later repents and converts to loving God and neighbor. Can they receive God’s Mercy even though they waged a war against Christianity? What about St. Paul? (Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 9).
Tending The Peace encourages peace for both victim and offender. We hope for the healing of the victim and the conversion of the offender. The Old Testament preached an eye for eye, however the Gospel preaches the forgiveness of sins and the moral conversion of the sinner (Matt 4:17, 5:21-26). The highest example is the conversion of St. Paul (Acts Chapter 9).
The best outcome for the victim is the healing of their trauma, restoration of their life and the dignity and honor due for their heroic suffering. The best outcome for the offender is their moral and spiritual conversion along with their confession, contrition and satisfaction to their victims. What is owed to the offender is the opportunity for their conversion and restoration of their dignity through a commitment to living a safe, productive and crime free life.
The Preamble of the Constitution of the United States shares a very similar goal by using terms like: justice, domestic tranquility, welfare, liberty and prosperity. The Declaration of Independence states that unalienable rights are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The goal of justice is to effect the safety and pursuit of happiness of the people.
For the victim this requires immediate services to bring about their safety and healing. For the offender it is to reform them to desire living a safe and prosperous life. It is for the benefit of the crime victim and the offender resolve offenses as soon as possible.
Tending The Peace supports immediate assistance to crime victims. We do not support the continuation of a life of crime for any offender. However, we do realize in some circumstances the victim’s healing may take a long time. Likewise, some offenders may be slow to make progress as their lives have been embedded with criminal acts and thinking for long periods of time.
Jesus was empathetic and compassionate. We see this in John 8:2-11 when Jesus intervenes to save the adulterous women. Jesus knew they were all sinners, when He said: “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” What might Jesus have written in the sand the second time? Perhaps “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgement you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get” (Matt 7:1-2). One of the criminals hanged with Jesus said “Jesus remember me when you come in your kingly power.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:42-43).
Jesus mercy extends to both victims of crime and offenders alike. His response to this question would be: “Offenders have compassion on your victims, Victims have compassion on offenders.” Jesus wants us to live a safe, peaceful and prosperous life. Let us walk through life promoting the peace of the Gospel and help both victims and offenders walk in the footsteps of peace!