Living in the Spirit
June 17, 2016

Scripture Reading: Galatians 3:23-29

There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise. –Galatians 3:28-29

I share in the consternation of people who are concerned that white privilege most likely resulted in a young man, found guilty of rape, receiving only a prison sentence of a few months with part of that waived. I celebrate with the family of a young white man in Oklahoma not receiving the death penalty after being found guilty of murdering, not only his father, but also a younger brother. I have always been against the death penalty. I also can assure you that if either of these young men had been black or any other person of color, Muslim or even just middle-eastern these sentences would have been markedly different for the same crimes.

I am a strong supporter of restorative justice and appreciate recent actions in Oklahoma to move toward restoring wholeness to those who have committed crimes. I think most sentences are too long and are not accompanied with nearly enough rehabilitative efforts. I am also appalled, at the same time these steps were taken, our government through increased fees and fines designed to fund criminal justice activities, essentially expanded a form of debtors’ prisons.

And so we read our scripture for today, part of which is quoted above, and ponder how it is that what we call justice is not justice at all, at least not for everyone.

Prayer: Lord, create in us clean hearts to serve you more justly. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.