Like A Ray Of Sun Light
Restorative Justice Produces Life For All
by Eric Elkin
The coldest days produce no snow. Yes,-25 degrees below zero sounds impressive. Those temperatures are definitely a life-threatening level of cold. But, to me, the most miserable cold days are the ones where the temperatures hover around 32 degrees. The sky is cloudy. The air is humid, with an ever-present mist floating in the air. On these kinds of days, you feel like the wind is blowing with intent. It wants you to feel miserable.
In Minnesota, we are in the season of transition. These are the days where the weather cannot seem to make up its mind about what season it wants to be in. One day it is warm and sunny. The next day flurries are falling and collecting on the ground. There are some days where both of these conditions happen within minutes of each other.
The thing that makes this time of year miserable is also the reason I love it. A damp, wet, blustery day will penetrate my entire body. The chill will take hours to remove, and it does not stop there. The dreariness will impact my soul, making my mood dark and sad. The world will seem so hopeless.
Then the clouds will break. The sun will come out, and its beams will hit my face. In the briefest of moments, my sadness is transformed into joy. I will find myself sighing a breath of calm from deep within. The breath happens without my thinking about it or forcing its coming. The direct, immediate connection between hopelessness and joy is why I love these days. They remind me how unexpected and spontaneous joy can appear.
If these kinds of weather conditions resonate with you, then you already understand the reading for today. These verses are part of King David’s last words before he dies. David says, “One who rules over people justly…is like the light of morning, like the sun rising on a cloudless morning, gleaming from the rain on the grassy land.” I can feel these words in my soul.
Justice is the source of light in the reading. Yet, for me in the modern world, justice today is a cold, wet, and windy day. As a culture, we appear to be losing our bearings about how important it is for life to have boundaries and a court system. As a child, I was taught freedom was not the right to do whatever I wanted. It was ensuring all people had the right to live in safety with freedom of movement and opportunity.
The justice David declares is not about punishment. This kind of biblical justice is restorative in nature. Rulers who lift up the weak and keep the strong grounded in service produce life. While penalties create boundaries, they do not provide prosperity. Restorative justice understands whole communities will be stronger if the poor are not neglected, and the rich are not arrogant.
When I coached basketball, I taught the players our team was only as good as our weakest player. The best, most accomplished teams understood they needed everyone to win. The same is true in the work environment and in society. When restorative justice is lived and experienced, it is like a ray of sunlight chasing away the gloominess of despair.
Click to read 2 Samuel 23:1-7
Reflection Questions:
What is your coldest day like?
How does the weather shape your mood and your soul?
What kind of conditions — weather or personal —change your perspective and outlook on life?
How do we invite the change we need to experience?