Public shaming, unyielding punishment, or grace for accidental error?
By Dean Collins
It seems we want it both ways. We want grace, mercy, and forgiveness when we make a mistake. But if anyone else makes a mistake, we want them to pay for it—publicly. We are all about justice, but we seem to have determined that justice is determined individually and declared publicly. And often with no possibilities for considering unintentional mistakes.
Cities of refuge
I started thinking about this while reading Deuteronomy 19. Deuteronomy is basically the sermon or collection of sermons and instructions Moses gave the Israelites just before they entered the Promised Land. The sermon has a lot of repeats from God’s previous messages delivered through Moses. In fact, the word Deuteronomy means “second law” or “repeated law.” We can relate to that. We usually need to hear any principle from God’s law at least twice to understand it, and that in no way means we will follow it. We are often rather stubborn.
In chapter 19 Moses gave instructions for three cities of refuge to be established. He also instructed the people that as their cities grew they would establish additional cities of refuge. These cities were for people who accidentally killed someone. Moses even gave an example. Two friends go into the woods to cut down some trees. One guy’s axe blade accidentally comes off of the handle and hits the other guy and he dies. The one left standing then goes to a city of refuge so that a family member of the deceased doesn’t come and avenge their family member’s death.
The passage suggests that the bereaved family might react in anger. Moses explained that the man who killed his friend had no hatred in his heart previously or in the moment of the tragedy. He accidentally killed a man.
Avenging an accident
“Accidents will happen,” goes the old saying. This was true thousands of years ago and is still true today. What is also true today is that humans will seek revenge, even for accidents. In today’s culture, the man who committed the accident would be publicly accused by many, first on every social media platform. This shaming would take place by many who didn’t know either the one whose axe failed him or the man who died. And thousands would line up to call the man still alive a murderer.
Of course, it wouldn’t stop there. The company (or individual in ancient times) that made the axe would also be shamed and held accountable for their inability to make perfect tools that never fail.
These places of refuge were needed for the safety of the accidental manslayer. We have all seen people, organizations, businesses, and churches convicted and shamed many times by uninformed people. Maybe we need cities of refuge for all of those who are accused, attacked, and blamed for mistakes that were neither malicious nor premeditated. Have we forgotten that humans, all of us, make mistakes? And many, maybe even most, of our mistakes were not made with any intention to harm or with hatred in our hearts.
Feeding our enemies
Today my daily Bible reading also included verses from Romans 12 where Paul tells believers to repay no evil with evil. Even in the worst situations, we are called not to retaliate but rather to live peacefully with one another. Paul goes as far as telling us to feed our enemies if they are hungry and give them something to drink if they are thirsty. That’s a long way from publicly accusing and shaming as we often are so quick to do.
According to Jesus, there is grace and mercy even for those who do wrong. And aren’t we glad to know that!
Overcoming evil
I am not arguing against justice, but it seems as though we are drifting far from justice and into judgment in many ways. Paul ended this section of Romans with this: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” We seem to be intent that our public shaming and sentencing is not evil but good. I am not sure who it is good for. I am pretty sure it is weakening our kindness and love, not strengthening our character. It actually doesn’t resemble justice, either. It looks more like arrogance because it presumes we know more than God.
In moments when we are tempted to join in public shaming and revenge, maybe we need first to turn to Jesus who is our refuge and ask him to give us wisdom and discernment. What if we prayed for the one who has been wounded in some way along with the one who caused the pain? What if we considered that not everyone who harms does so intentionally? What if we prayed for them?
Somehow I think Jesus is saddened by how far we have moved from the ways he taught us to think and act regarding others.
Your time with God’s Word
Deuteronomy 19:4-10; Romans 12:17-21 ESV
Photo by Adi Goldstein from Unsplash
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