My friend @heyrobkelly was recently sharing his own journey of being adopted as a kid, the power of being intentionally chosen and how it helped him from a young age experience God's love as a beloved chosen. Rob talked about going before a judge to be legally adopted...
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...And how he saw the judge as a positive person because the judge 'could do what I could not do for myself: use legal power and authority to place me in a family.'
Rob then went on to talk about the image in the Bible of God as judge.
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Rob then went on to talk about the image in the Bible of God as judge.
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We focus on 'judgement' and giving an account etc, but Rob was reminding us that God as judge also means 'God can do for us what we cannot do: use God's authority to place us into a family.'
I was struck dumb by this and have been pondering it since.
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I was struck dumb by this and have been pondering it since.
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I have been to court a handful of times as a pastor. Most times it has been to sit with a domestic violence survivor, hoping the judge will protect her from the perpetrator.
Once I sat on the side of a murderer. The public defender had asked me to be there for support.
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Once I sat on the side of a murderer. The public defender had asked me to be there for support.
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It was incredibly uncomfortable to be associated with him. He was guilty, no doubt about it, and deserved to be judged for what he had done.
Regardless of what side I was on, I was placing a LOT of hope in that judge.
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Regardless of what side I was on, I was placing a LOT of hope in that judge.
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I would pray, 'Please Lord, let the judge do what is right. Let there be justice here.'
But I would also often pray, 'please use the judge to protect the survivor from this DV perpetrator.'
Judges can protect and keep people free from perpetrators.
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But I would also often pray, 'please use the judge to protect the survivor from this DV perpetrator.'
Judges can protect and keep people free from perpetrators.
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As I have been reflecting on Rob's invitation to see 'God as judge' as a good thing, I keep bringing to mind all that a judge can do to keep us free and protected.
A judge can do for a DV survivor what she cannot do for herself and a judge can keep her free from abuse.
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A judge can do for a DV survivor what she cannot do for herself and a judge can keep her free from abuse.
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People are sometimes shocked when I use a domestic violence metaphor to talk about chronic anxiety. It is an abuser with a message of doom and fear, it claims we must depend on it for wellbeing, we can never be free etc.
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It is why I am so passionate about the Gospel of Jesus. In stark contrast to chronic anxiety, The Gospel actually can set us free. God as judge can protect us from its message and threat.
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In Romans, Paul talks about sin A LOT. But 90% of the time for Paul, sin is a noun, not a verb. It is a condition we are in, not things we do.
And we desperately need a judge to free us from sin's abuse.
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And we desperately need a judge to free us from sin's abuse.
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When I teach this people think I am suggesting we aren't responsible. We are absolutely responsible. The journey of freedom for a DV survivor is the recognition of responsibility and then action.
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But still, a DV survivor, and us too, need a judge to legally protect us, keep us free from harm.
I am grateful to @heyrobkelly for opening this up for me. I will never see 'God as Judge' the same way.
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I am grateful to @heyrobkelly for opening this up for me. I will never see 'God as Judge' the same way.
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