JUSTICE AND COMPASSION: The challenge is in the balance

One of my previous leaders at Open Doors always reminded us that “in life, the challenge is in the balance”.  This is perhaps the one single lesson that Christians need to apply in the Gaza conflict more than anything else.  “The challenge is in the balance”

The Gaza conflict is currently viewed from two angles.  Many believers observe from the angle of compassion while others are looking from the angle of justice.  It often seems that these two viewpoints are in conflict with one another.

Both are needed – but in equal measures.  E’Jéi Osborne once said that “Justice without mercy is tyranny” and this would probably best describe what lives in the hearts of both the Hamas terrorists –  who seek justice for their occupied territory, as well as the Israel Government – who seek justice for the October 7 attack.

In both instances, mercy is completely non-existent and the brutal and ugly face of tyranny is exposed to the fullest – both on 7 October and the aftermath that has now resulted in the death of more than 22,000 people of which 9,000 are children.

For Christians this poses a tension – and rightly so.  The following arguments are often expressed

• Hamas is a terrorist movement; how can we feel compassion towards a group that killed babies, abducted women, destroyed the lives of innocent people in Israel and then use children as human shields in their own country?
• Doesn’t Israel have the right to defend themselves against a group that wants to see their demise?
• How do we maintain a spiritual balance between seeking justice for what happened on 7 October and still feel the pain of compassion for the innocent victims who are now suffering the consequences simply because they belong to the same cultural group?
• Or, as one of my friends wrote on Facebook: “The entire blame lands in the lap of Hamas, who the majority of Palestinians in Gaza continue to support. Death of innocent people on either side is tragic. Hamas needs to surrender and end this, but they continue to fire rockets at Israel. I want it to end as much as you do. But as I said, it won’t end until Hamas surrenders.  As a follower of God’s Word, you can see why I can’t just tell Israel to continue to allow terrorists to attack them.

There is no doubt that a genuine pursuit for justice exists but it is accompanied by a complete lack of compassion

So, is it even possible to seek justice and still have a heart of compassion for the aggressors, the victims, and the perpetrators?

The answer is only discovered when we find the ability to balance justice and compassion.  This will turn Retributive Justice into Redemptive Justice and ultimately into Restorative Justice^[1].

RETRIBUTIVE JUSTICE

Retributive justice, which can also be called criminal justice, focuses on how to punish crime. It’s based on the idea that when wrongdoing is committed, the wrongdoer should get a proportionate punishment. That doesn’t mean the wrongdoer should be subjected to exactly the same ordeal (i.e. if someone hits someone in the face, they don’t need to be hit back as their formal punishment), but it needs to be proportionate. Those who study retributive justice also tend to emphasize the need for indifference, meaning that justice shouldn’t be personal or based on revenge. While many justice systems include some kind of retributive justice, its effectiveness is debatable. Considering the flaws in many criminal justice systems, retributive justice can also end up harming innocent people or unfairly punishing certain groups over others.

The current conflict in Gaza is a classical case of retributive justice.  This was evident when Mr. Benjamin Nethanyahu, the Prime Minister Of Israel, addressed the media soon after the 7 October attacks.  His references to violent biblical passages raised alarm.  He compared Hamas to the nation of Amalek from the Book of Samuel. That passage says to smite the Amalekites – killing each and every one of them – including babies, including their property, including the animals.

REDEMPTIVE JUSTICE

Redemptive Justice is when the purpose of justice seeks to redeem and not punish.  Thomas Aquinas, Italian Dominican theologian and a foremost medieval scholar, celebrated compassion this way: “Among all the things that cause enjoyment concerning the Lord, there are two—namely, compassion and justice. “ If you “take justice away, no one will be secure and happy.  Likewise, without compassion all are fearful and do not love.”  He cited the psalmist who says, “The lord loves compassion and justice.’”

Aquinas also often referred in his teachings to the prophet Micah: “I will show you, O people, what is good and what the Lord requires of you.  Especially to do justice, to cherish compassion, and to walk humbly with your God.”  Aquinas recognized that “we find these two things, compassion, and justice, in all the works of God.  Compassion comes first, and after it follow justice.  Therefore the psalmist says, ‘all the ways of the Lord are compassion and truth.”

Once again the current conflict in Gaza reveals how retributive justice causes fear and hate – for all involved.  The church alone has the solution of calling people to compassion, not because they do not acknowledge justice but because they seek redemption.

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE

Only redemptive justice can lead to Restorative Justice.  Retributive justice leads to death, redemptive justice leads to life.  Restorative justice focuses on helping victims of crimes, but it also wants to help offenders understand the harm they’ve caused. The goal is repair, not punishment. Engagement, accountability, cooperation, and community are all essential principles. Restorative justice practices have been used in many criminal justice cases, but they’ve also been adopted during conflicts involving families, schools, and workplaces. Unlike retributive justice, restorative justice doesn’t focus on what criminals deserve, but rather on what victims need to heal and what communities can do to prevent re-offending.

So, how do we respond?  Do we seek justice with punishment or justice with redemption?  Only one will lead restoration.

 

[1] Adapted from Human Rights Careers:  https://www.humanrightscareers.com/issues/what-is-justice/