TOW: Mercy Vs. Justice

So, this week has been a week of being ill, learning new things, and finding out my personality has changed from a kind and loving inspiring kind of person into a cold, ruthless leader.  My friend Kevin put it best when he said, "You're still loving, and kind, and caring, but now you're out for blood as well. (insert winky smiley face)" Yeah, thanks, Kevin.  *rolls eyes*

The one thing I did want to talk about in reference to this personality test, however, is one question that stumped me for a really long time, and still kind of hurts to think about, because it's oh-so-relevant in my life currently.  The question read:

"Do you prefer justice or mercy?"

And I had to think about this for a long time--do I care about people, their circumstances, and their faults, and show mercy?  Or be resolute, and punish and demand restitution?  Which should you choose, when you have a choice to make between forgiving someone, and demanding reconciliation with law, truth, justice, etc.? 

On a wider ethical scale, I think justice is the answer.  After 9/11, I sort of snapped, when a Middle-Eastern woman was discovered with nitro-glycerin in her beauty products, which was supposed to blow up, along with her, in a giant jet over the ocean--which brought about a sweeping change in airport policies.  All I could think, is what could a bunch of middle class and lower middle-class families have to do with some absurd jihad that they didn't even understand?    And these people honestly believe they are doing good in the world by blowing up people's friends, families, and their neighbours?  It just made me feel sick.

As I grow a bit older, I find that I am deeply, deeply saddened by events like this where masses of people are killed, often out of a very selfish act of one individual, or a group of individuals. 

When it comes to my own life, however, I have often been accused, perhaps of being too mericful at times.  And too forgiving.  I think that's true.  I guess I just don't hold actions against me, for the most part, as bad as most people do.  Maybe it's the type of family life I had, maybe it's just that I'm extremely patient with people at times, or maybe I'm just nuts.  (I haven't completely ruled out the third option just yet.)

In life, we all prefer to be either just or merciful.  Some of us don't see the value in mercy, and others are bleeding hearts.  I find my problem to be that I often sit on the fence, thinking about it for a very long time before I can decide...justice or mercy in my life.

On that survey, I clicked on justice.  But in my personal life, I feel that what people need more than anything is mercy.  Somewhere in the Bible it says, "You don't need to hand out justice--God does that." 

And I suppose, that's sort of how I feel about being the judge of other people in my life. 

But it's hard not to want to demand justice.