Okay. Okay. I confess. I’m a 24-junkie.
We got hooked by some friends a few years ago and have been watching ever since. I’m not saying it’s a perfect show. But I like the suspense and I like the moral dilemmas that it upends. It’s one of those shows where you constantly face “do the ends justify the means” type situations.
Last night’s show was an interesting one. Quick synopsis: President Taylor is close to negotiating a peace agreement in the Middle East that has eluded her predecessors and will be the crowning achievement of her presidency. Since the first hour of the show, we have watched that agreement teeter on the brink of failure. But, in typical 24 style, despite much adversity and challenge, it looks like they just might pull it off afterall. However, signing the agreement means that President Taylor must willfully ignore a lead that would implicate one of the countries in the day’s terrible events. This is the path she chooses.
At one point in the show she tells Jack Bauer that because the treaty will bring about a greater good, she is moving forward and disregarding the information she has received.
In an exchange between them, Jack disagrees and says “I don’t want revenge, I want justice.” “And, I want peace,” comes President Taylor’s response.
I’ve heard people say similar things in real-life issues over the years. We’re so tired of the conflicts and the carnage that they leave. We just want peace.
But, I wonder, can there be peace without justice? Maybe for a time. But, can true, lasting peace be built on anything but truth and justice? Sweeping things under the rug or pretending they’re not there never fixes anything. It really only prolongs the inevitable. Eventually, the bulge under the rug gets so big that you trip over it.
Whether we’re talking about two countries at war or two people who can’t seem to live together anymore. True peace comes on the back of justice.
That’s one of the things I love about the Cross. This horrible method of execution by a brutal regime became something beautiful on that day 2,000 years ago. In the Cross, we get both justice and peace. Jesus makes a way. He doesn’t sweep our junk under the rug. He doesn’t pretend it’s not there. He looks it square in the face and says “I’ll pay for that. Yep, it’s ugly and what you said/thought/did was gross, but I’ll pay for it. It deserves punished but let me stand in your place and take that punishment.” He doesn’t dress it up and make believe that it’s pretty when we all know it’s not. Whether it’s something as horrific as the Killing Fields or as ugly as a sister’s utter of “I hate you” to her brother. He calls it what it is and He pays the penalty it deserves. Justice.
And, then in the greatest exchange of all time, He gives me His pure heart and righteous standing instead. He just gives it to me. FOC. All I do is take it. Peace.
My part: to humble myself and admit that I see the bulge under the rug too. He does the rest. Both peace and justice are satisfied.
No, President Taylor. I’m pretty sure that you can’t get peace this way. It’s a noble attempt but it won’t last. Not if you ignore justice.
Funny thing, Wendy Alsup at Practical Theology for Women was also talking about justice recently. Read what she had to say here.