Grace, Justice, and Mercy, Via Victor Hugo

In Hugo's Les Miserables, Bienvenu catches a calloused liberationist off guard with the thought that "perhaps mercy is but a higher form of justice." The holy Bishop of Digne caught me off guard, too. Ever since I read that line, I've wrestled with what I thought I knew about the higher economy. I intuitively sensed that Bienvenu was right, but I couldn't reconcile this with my understanding of the relationships between justice, mercy, and grace.

As a child, I was taught that:

• Justice is getting the things you deserve. 
• Mercy is not getting the bad things you deserve, and 
• Grace is getting the good things you don't deserve.

While I still think these are reasonably sufficient definitions for a 6 year-old, my understanding was skewed by the hierarchy they occupied in my mind. To me, justice was the norm, and grace and mercy were exceptions given by a benevolent God who was too nice to let consequences mess up our lives.The idea that mercy could ever be higher than justice was to me, counter-intuitive.

I'm trying out a new paradigm:

• What if grace is the standard, rather than justice? 
• What if justice is merely the structures which maintain the status quo created by grace? 
• What if mercy is that which prevents the status quo from destroying the original intent of grace's creations? 

This would therefore mean that grace is the motive, justice is a means, and mercy is a higher means, as it more closely resembles the motive. Remember as I have only just truly realized, that grace is not God's plan B response to sin's derailment of justice. Grace preceded sin, because creation itself was an act of grace: it's a good thing we didn't deserve. Grace created order out of chaos. The maintenance of order is called justice. Mercy returns order to a broken world in a way that justice sometimes cannot, for while justice is but a blind process, mercy flows from relationship, the highest of created orders.

If This was Victor Hugo's understanding of the higher economy, then his comments via Bienvenu make perfect sense. 

Thoughts? Anyone?

You Use the Weak to Lead the Strong

Jon Stewart went BUCK on Pat Buchanan yesterday, defending the Bible, of all things, against misuse.

Stewart's main point is a good one: In times of tragic catastrophe, no one gets to play all-knowing editorialist commentator. Enough said. Now, onto my editorial commentary about all the editorial commentary.

In the paradigm of traditional conservatism, Robertson is a highly exalted prince. In this same economy, Stewart, an unabashed liberal, would be viewed as a rather lowly fool. I like that a foolish man such as Mr. Stewart was used to shame the proud while unabashedly proclaiming the compassion of God to his largely unbelieving audience. If bashing Christians is what it takes to elevate God and his Word, then this was a huge win for the Kingdom. Soli Deo Gloria

Ezekiel 21:26 - This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Take off the turban, remove the crown. It will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low.

1 Cor 1:27-29 - But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.

Why Write New Worship Songs?

From Sovereign Grace's Bob Kauflin: "Because God’s saving acts in history and in our lives demand new songs. Because 1000 tongues or a 1000 songs will never be enough. Because Jesus Christ is a great Savior worthy of unending praise. Because the Word of God is eternal and life-changing. Because this is one small way we can contribute to building up the church, comforting God’s people, and advancing the gospel, all for the glory of God. And because, in the words of King David, “He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD” (Ps. 40:3)."

I'd like to think of our songs as drops in a series of waves beating in endless succession against the shores of God's glory. Each generation is a new wave, made up of a lot from the old and a bit from the new.

"Before the Throne" - New Verse

 I was noticing how "Before the Throne of God Above" doesn't have a verse that actually tells the gospel, so I thought I would attempt to write one with the imagery of baptism, since the Christian Calendar year celebrates the Lord's Baptism this upcoming Sunday.

From Heaven's throne came Christ in love
To ransom sinners such as we
His blood alone was price enough
His body bore our penalty
And as He laid below the earth
The object of wrath's recompense
So we are dead before our birth
Til we are raised alive in Him