tears

an epitaph for justice

pain now? pain later?

A wise younger cousin once said to me: “Do you want to have pain now, or pain later?”

How is it that we are so caught up as a nation with avoiding maintenance? Our decision making systems seem to be focused on avoiding short term pain at the cost of long term system health, and I am as guilty of this as the next. Proactive healthcare is better than reactive but we’d all rather have the quick fix option. It’s easier to pay for something new then fix it. A lottery win is easier than working hard. 

And this extends into how we care for one another as a society. Do we see that people are inherently, unequivocally humans made in the image of God deserving of mercy and care? Proactive social welfare. Preventive healthcare. These things are not simply a free handout, but mitigating future cost. Economics should convince us that it is less expensive to spend money helping someone thrive outside of prison then to keep them locked up. It is an investment in people.

Movements like Advance Peace give me a sense of hope. It sounds crazy to give weapon offenders (convicted or not) money. Are we willing to see people as worthy investments? We may all have the stain of brokenness, but do we believe that all were designed and intended for good?