A week ago today, I turned in my Integrative paper for Biblical Foundations for Justice and Peacebuilding. In it, I wrote some about how I think Christians should respond to perpetrators of injustice, oppression, and violence.
These thoughts were prompted by 1) recently living near a registered sex offender and feeling God's compassion for that person, 2) IJM's approach that often doesn't deal with the perpetrator other than prosecution, and 3) a good friend who asked me to pray for those who commit violent crimes in a specific context.
This is what I wrote, and I'd be happy to hear your thoughts.
These thoughts were prompted by 1) recently living near a registered sex offender and feeling God's compassion for that person, 2) IJM's approach that often doesn't deal with the perpetrator other than prosecution, and 3) a good friend who asked me to pray for those who commit violent crimes in a specific context.
This is what I wrote, and I'd be happy to hear your thoughts.
Applications for Addressing Perpetrators
of Oppression and Violence
I
have put significant thought into the tension that exists for Christians to be
peacemakers and to love enemies, yet to represent God’s justice-judgment in defense of the oppressed. Hay’s article “Violence
in Defense of Justice” comes out very strongly on the side of loving enemies.
“The Christian response to violence is modeled by the martyr Stephen, who in
turn mirrors Jesus in his death by praying for the forgiveness of his enemies.”[1] We
can apply this personally by blessing our persecutors in the “context of
eschatological hope,” but how can it draw other people to Christ if they are
suffering and Christians stand by watching, waiting for final judgment?[2] Conversely,
the prophets were remorseless when it came to unveiling injustice and
oppression.[3]
Isaiah’s justice theme is unavoidable and cannot be easily dismissed. Gary
Haugen, president and CEO of International Justice Mission, calls modern-day
Christians to be witnesses primarily to the oppressed, sharing the love of
Christ in an unjust world.[4]
His definition of injustice is “when power is exercised in a way that violates
[God’s] standards.”[5]
It’s a problem to tell a woman who's being raped to turn the other cheek,
whether she is a believer or not. What does the theopolitical nature of the
gospel mean for justice work when it entails a violent offender and a
defenseless victim?
The
principles of Restorative Justice help me to answer many of these questions. “Justice
dies when dehumanized, no matter how exactly it may be exercised. Justice dies
when deified, for beyond all justice is God’s compassion. The logic of justice
may seem impersonal, yet the concern for justice is an act of love.”[6] We
must remember the suffering of victims AND “be guided by a vision of the
redemption that will one day allow us to…become friends with the perpetrators
who committed them.”[7] We
represent Christ’s shalom to all people;
therefore, we must show love to perpetrators.[8] Confronting
the wrongdoer is the loving thing to do because they will be held responsible
for their evil deeds. “The righteousness-justice of God in the OT does not
distance God from humanity. It brings the Lord closer, a frightening experience for the oppressor or the arrogant.”[9] So
we can utilize Restorative Justice philosophy to help victims, perpetrators,
and the community.
We
cannot minimize the victims and the validity of their traumas, but here I will
focus more on how to apply justice-judgment
to perpetrators of violence and injustice. The goal is not to punish or
make an example of these wrongdoers, and too often the Christian community
demonizes these real people. Perpetrator accountability is necessary; they must
be confronted because allowing them to continue in their evil ways is
condemnation. However, we do not go to war against the brothel-owners but instead
use non-violent means of opposition to make clear to them the reality of their
Sin. “Loving one’s enemy is the attempt to change the violent person into a
child of God through a confrontation with the love of God.”[10] Here,
it is crucial to pray for the offenders, that the Holy Spirit would soften
their hearts and convict them. If their hearts are changed, we praise God, accept
and re-integrate them, walk alongside of them to encourage and, on some level,
to assess the authenticity of their transformation.
Those
offenders who are not willing to change and would continue to oppress the
vulnerable cannot be permitted to do so, like a child who misbehaves must be
disciplined so as to avoid potential danger. While all Christians are to hate
injustice, some individual believers are called to directly oppose those who
perpetrate oppression. In the Body of Christ, some are called to minister to
the victims and some to the perpetrators. It is easier to have compassion on
those who have suffered violence, but those confronting criminals must also
have a right heart attitude toward them. “We are God’s hands of mercy and love”
to both victims and offenders.[11] Some
force may be necessary to bring an end to corruption. Community pressure, legal
proceedings, and even physical force (as in an arrest) may be acceptable, but
it is hard to draw a clear line, especially regarding physical opposition. It
is my opinion that physical force to prevent immediate harm to a victim is
acceptable, so long as it affects minimal harm to the criminal. I acknowledge
that to allow for any physical confrontation is a slippery slope, but it is the
conclusion I reach when I consider what Jesus would do if he were to witness an
attempted rape. He would not sit next to the victim and hold her hand but would
stand to protect her and fight on her behalf, confronting the evil, praying
“Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34).
[4] Gary A. Haugen, Good News About Injustice: A Witness of
Courage in a Hurting World, 2nd ed. (Downers Grove, IL:
InterVarsity Press, 2009), 49.
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