World Unyielding

Under the Sun, Survey #3

Moreover I saw under the sun:

  In the place of judgement,
  Wickedness was there;
  And in the place of righteousness,
  Iniquity was there.

I said in my heart,

  “God shall judge the righteous and the wicked,
  For there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”

Ecclesiastes 3:16-17

From policing to the courts to the prison cells, the criminal justice system is disintegrating before our eyes. Hearts are grieved as we see our nation teetering on the brink of chaos. The system itself has become a threat. What was intended for our good has been compromised, and it is failing to provide reassurance to the general public. What was appointed by God to maintain order has now succumbed to disorder at the hands of wicked men. For governing authorities, morality and political expediency have become one and the same. The fierce chase for more and more power continues. The common man is left in the dust, forced to fend for himself. His comfort is disrupted, and his pursuit of peace frustrated.

We look to the places where we expect just rulings, and behold, injustice is there. The severity of crimes seems to be gauged by the prevailing political mood. Bathroom scales may flatter to deceive a fitness fanatic, but when the scales of justice are found to be dishonest, the implications are far greater. And we can be assured of this: God hates dishonest scales (Proverbs 11:1). It seems governing authorities in the United Kingdom have become completely desensitized to the severity of sin. Now, this nation considers the highest offense to be against the state and its ideologies, rather than against God and humanity made in His image. Amidst all the political posturing, we see a clambering for moral superiority at the expense of actually punishing crime in a coherent way.

Bias is sanctioned in policing. The statistics prove it. According to Ministry of Justice data, 147,000 people accused of offenses were handed community resolution orders. This means that people accused of violent crimes were released without a blemish on their criminal record. The refusal to lock up criminals is now supplemented by the early release of prisoners. One might rightly suspect that ideologies paraded as virtuous within police forces across the country have affected decision-making, resulting in the increased use of community resolution orders. As these orders are dispensed, what are the motivators? Acting out of fear, do they cave in to the overriding narratives of today? Perhaps ideas of institutional racism prompt them to err on the side of leniency to benefit certain demographics. I recently watched footage of a man heckling and cursing policemen who calmly stood by at the Notting Hill Carnival. The man was neither apprehended nor ushered away. Instead, he was able to follow the policemen and continue his abuse. But I suppose the ideology he holds is considered less of a threat than others out there.

More and more crimes are being treated as petty. The low priority assigned removes the deterrent for seasoned criminals. Crimes such as theft and burglary are overlooked, while priority is given to hunting people down for alleged online hate speech. If you doubt the caliber of the analysis provided, look to the published figures. Culprits of recent vehicle thefts have not been caught in more than 100 neighborhoods, alongside other unsolved neighborhood crimes. More and more people rightly doubt the priorities of policing. It seems rulers are no longer a threat to evil but rather a threat to highly esteemed principles such as freedom of expression. And that which is so highly prized on these shores is subjected to violence.

What is it that should govern rulers in punishing wrongdoers? Not just some wrongdoers, but all. Following where the evidence leads, the pursuit of justice is often thought to be impartial. Think of the symbolic Lady Justice with her eyes blindfolded—justice with no consideration for the person, no partiality shown along any social divide or so-called intersection of demographics. Nevertheless, 24-hour courts are required for certain alleged criminals, while other convicted criminals are released early to make space in overcrowded prisons.

If this does not grab your attention, then consider the trajectory. Corrupt systems start by showing favouritism among wrongdoers. We see that happening now. It is only a matter of time until the severity of so-called hate crimes will be elevated above that which plainly contradicts God’s law—swifter policing and longer sentences for alleged homophobia or sexism than for stabbing someone. What else should we expect from a country and a justice system that has departed from God’s law? Little do they realise that God is the one who has appointed them. Is there a small cost to betraying Him in the misuse of authority? Jesus plainly said, “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required.” There is a time when He Himself will serve justice without compromise.

There is a date fixed by God for us all to give an account to Him. An innocent person may be wrongly encouraged to plead guilty, doubting the integrity of a legal system and fearing its power. However, not a person on this earth can plead innocence before God. We all stand guilty. As we can see, now is the sinner’s time to do what he considers good. But God will judge him. That ought to strike fear into policeman and suspect, judge and defendant, guard and prisoner alike. God, who is just and holy, untainted by the corruption that is so common in this world, will bring about fair judgment. He will give what is deserved to each soul. If you are on the side of this God and His Son, then you ought to take courage in that truth. Those who are oppressed by evil men in this life will find rest.

What is written in the verses above is emblematic of the emptiness in this world apart from God. When knowledge of the righteous God is removed from where justice is supposedly dispensed, why are we surprised to find rulings that are not right? Knowledge of God is plucked out, righteousness drains from the courtroom, and wickedness floods in. And only by the mercy of God does this country still stand. Look at the generations that went before us. Look at the godly heritage left to us—or rather, the little that remains of it. Like the writer of Ecclesiastes, a soul may be tempted to despair when eyes are set on the corrupt dealings of this world. Then you turn to the mirror and behold—are you an exception? As a prophet said long ago, “The heart is deceitful above all things.” We need the grace of God to truly take heart in His promise to set the world right in His own timing. May He start with us.