“…for human anger does not produce God’s righteousness.”
-James 1:20

Deny, Defend, and Depose.

Those words were written on the bullets a young man used to assassinate the CEO of United Health Care.

In the span of a week, the shooter has become a folk hero, and the CEO, a vanquished villain.

There was a shooter look-alike contest in New York. Online merch with those 3 D’s has been flying off the shelves. The McDonald’s where the suspect was apprehended has been flooded with one-star reviews for turning him in.

I’m saddened to think about how some of us are drawn to celebrating the murder of this man while preparing for Christmas at the same time. Something about that doesn’t seem right.

Remember that baby in the manger? He didn’t grow up to be God’s secret assassin. Jesus didn’t try to have the pharisees killed. He didn’t put a hit out on Judas. Instead, he preached the radical act of turning the other cheek. But wasn’t justice served, here? Didn’t the CEO kind of deserve it? Here are three things to consider:

1. Justice is different than vengeance. Justice focuses on seeking the greater good. It works for dismantling broken systems, and restoring the rights of those affected. Vengeance is personal. It is guided (or misguided) by volatile emotions and can escalate conflict rather than resolve it. In Jesus’ life, he worked for justice.
   
   
2. Jesus was anything but passive in the face of injustice. Hardly! He crossed every societal boundary he could in proclamation of God’s grace. He got in the faces of the religious authorities. He prepped his disciples for a long, hard, struggle against evil. He was committed to the fight.
   
   
3. Scripture tells there IS a judgement for injustice. Those who have so blatantly delayed or denied people’s claims for health care will have to answer to God for their actions. We can hold them accountable, too, but not to fulfill a vendetta.
   

Justice in the health care system will not come about until we raise our voices, vote with integrity, and crusade for change.

As for the shooter, despite his unlikely fame, he will likely feel the full brunt of the justice system. (That, by the way, is another system rife with injustice!)

And as for the millions of Christians trying to reconcile their dark thoughts in this season of light, we are called to hope for change, heal what is broken, and herald the arrival of God’s justice through grace.

Or, to put it more simply,

Hope, Heal, Herald.

Have a great week,

Mitch

What does the UMC say about health care reform?
List of healthcare reform advocacy groups in the United States