Are all victims innocent?

Well...I have at least one right-wing "friend" who believes that there is no such thnng as an innocent victim. At least that seems to his postion most days.

And I certainly know that the position of the Calvinist is that God has created the vast majority of human beings to suffer in this word and the next.

Me?

I believe that while we are all "sinners" - that is we fail to live up to the standards God has set for "us" - there are more of "us" who are innocent than "we'd" be able to comprehend.

Are All Victims Innocent?

Excerpt from Isaiah 42:3
"A bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench: he will faithfully bring forth justice."

Reflection by Donna Schaper

An email came in announcing that a sheriff in Tennessee had raided a puppy mill and saved 250 "innocent" puppies from being sold or killed if they were not sold. I was to write the sheriff and congratulate him about his salvation of innocence. All I could think of was to wonder what a guilty puppy might look like. Is there such a thing?

Going back to Isaiah, is there a way for a human being to be responsible for being broken? Are all victims innocent or are some also guilty?

Bad habits surely steer some toward bruises and breaks. Spiritual laziness can result in our brighter lights going dim. Silence in the face of malicious gossip, or racial slurs, or hate speech on the radio, can result in serious damage to real people, especially those already poor. There is such a thing as responsibility. Sins of commission as well as sins of omission come to mind.

Thank God, therefore, that no matter the sources of our bruises and our breaks, we will not be quenched. God intends justice, no matter what, anyway, anyhow.

Prayer
We give you thanks, O God, for your fidelity to justice and pray that you will change us from those who burn dimly to those who are on fire with our own fidelities. Amen.

About the Author
Donna Schaper is Senior Minister, Judson Memorial Church, New York, New York, and the author of Living Well While Doing Good.

Blog written by Pastor Ninure