Judge not... even when you want to
Last Tuesday, July 5, was a tough day for America. Thousands waited and held their breath while the words, “not guilty” were read and Casey Anthony was acquitted of murder. Anthony had been tried for the murder of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, in a very public trial that captivated and horrified audiences everywhere.
Within hours of the verdict postings appeared on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter that spewed hatred and threats so intense it caused the judge to hold off on releasing the names of the jurors.
Many Americans believe Anthony to be guilty and their hearts are breaking for the small, 2 year old that left this earth under such horrible and suspicious circumstances. Yet in the wake of all this, we are taught in Matthew 7:1 to “judge not.”
What does a Christian do with Casey Anthony? What is the godly response? Who is the judge and will justice be served eventually if the jury got it wrong?
Trevor Littleton, lead minister of Millersburg Christian Church, graciously offered some advice and reason in the midst of confusion and sadness.
“The first piece of advice I would offer is to remind everyone, myself included, that we are not God, nor are we permitted to judge one another,” Littleton said. “We did not sit in court, and were not exposed to the amount of evidence that the jurors received, nor did we hear the defense. I just heard today that a Gallup Poll revealed that two-thirds of the American population believes Casey Anthony is guilty and if this is the case she will one day face judgment.”
Littleton points out that Anthony was found guilty in regard to lying to the police and added that whatever did transpire concerning little Caylee would not be forgotten by Casey Anthony.
“It must be noted that Casey will live with the truth in moments of silence for the rest of her life,” Littleton said. “And yes, it is possible that she and her defense may have lied, however, we must also remember that she will one day face judgment before God.”
Littleton shared scripture indicating his belief that judgment awaits us all regardless of what justice is played out on earth.
“I am reminded of Revelation 6:10-11, “They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood,” Littleton referenced. “Vengeance is indeed God’s job, and not ours. It is difficult for us to understand His timeline in these matters, but we must remember that we live in a broken world. Here, even those who have died for Christ long for His justice. In the end, they are promised justice, and justice is delivered. I am also reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 18:6, “If anyone causes one of these little ones – those who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”
While the world may never be 100 percent certain of what happened in this tragic case, a child is dead and no one it seems is paying the price for that crime. Littleton assures us that “God knows” exactly what happened and that as Christians, trusting in His judgment must come first.
“Whether or not Casey Anthony is guilty, her little child died an untimely death, the result of either negligence or physical harm,” he said. “God knows what happened – we do not. We must trust that justice will be served in His time and in His manner. His judgment transcends our wisdom, and we must default to His word in the matter. In the end, a little girl lost her life, and proper respect was not paid to her. Our response should not be to judge, but to look upon ourselves to keep our responsibilities in check, and assure that every child we know is loved and cherished.”
With last week’s verdict, many began stating doubts in our judicial system and wondering whether or not the burden of proof is sufficient for certain crimes. Littleton does not believe the problem lies within our justice system, but rather in a sinful world.
“The current burden of injustice is not the problem of a particular justice system, whether in America or South Africa,” he said. “The problem of injustice is the result of sin in a broken world. We will always long for justice in every particular judicial system. The apostle Paul is clear in this; ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Until the day we stand before Him in Heaven, we will long for injustice to be addressed. Genocides in Rwanda, the Holocaust, war crimes, torture, child abuse and more are travesties that need to stop. These are the results not of a broken judicial system, but of a world full of sinners, who have failed to base their faith on Christ.”
In short, as long as we reside in a sinful world we will witness atrocious and sinful events. We will be saddened, sickened, hurt and confused as we watch the news, read the papers and wonder what this world is coming to. But in all this we must maintain that God is in control and will one day bring justice to all. Until then we must recognize our place and our position in life.
“We fail to realize that we are not yet home,” Littleton added. “Our citizenship is in Heaven. Until we are home with the Lord, we live in a broken world. In this world, we will grow to know Christ and comfort one another in fellowship with Him.”
Within hours of the verdict postings appeared on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter that spewed hatred and threats so intense it caused the judge to hold off on releasing the names of the jurors.
Many Americans believe Anthony to be guilty and their hearts are breaking for the small, 2 year old that left this earth under such horrible and suspicious circumstances. Yet in the wake of all this, we are taught in Matthew 7:1 to “judge not.”
What does a Christian do with Casey Anthony? What is the godly response? Who is the judge and will justice be served eventually if the jury got it wrong?
Trevor Littleton, lead minister of Millersburg Christian Church, graciously offered some advice and reason in the midst of confusion and sadness.
“The first piece of advice I would offer is to remind everyone, myself included, that we are not God, nor are we permitted to judge one another,” Littleton said. “We did not sit in court, and were not exposed to the amount of evidence that the jurors received, nor did we hear the defense. I just heard today that a Gallup Poll revealed that two-thirds of the American population believes Casey Anthony is guilty and if this is the case she will one day face judgment.”
Littleton points out that Anthony was found guilty in regard to lying to the police and added that whatever did transpire concerning little Caylee would not be forgotten by Casey Anthony.
“It must be noted that Casey will live with the truth in moments of silence for the rest of her life,” Littleton said. “And yes, it is possible that she and her defense may have lied, however, we must also remember that she will one day face judgment before God.”
Littleton shared scripture indicating his belief that judgment awaits us all regardless of what justice is played out on earth.
“I am reminded of Revelation 6:10-11, “They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood,” Littleton referenced. “Vengeance is indeed God’s job, and not ours. It is difficult for us to understand His timeline in these matters, but we must remember that we live in a broken world. Here, even those who have died for Christ long for His justice. In the end, they are promised justice, and justice is delivered. I am also reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 18:6, “If anyone causes one of these little ones – those who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”
While the world may never be 100 percent certain of what happened in this tragic case, a child is dead and no one it seems is paying the price for that crime. Littleton assures us that “God knows” exactly what happened and that as Christians, trusting in His judgment must come first.
“Whether or not Casey Anthony is guilty, her little child died an untimely death, the result of either negligence or physical harm,” he said. “God knows what happened – we do not. We must trust that justice will be served in His time and in His manner. His judgment transcends our wisdom, and we must default to His word in the matter. In the end, a little girl lost her life, and proper respect was not paid to her. Our response should not be to judge, but to look upon ourselves to keep our responsibilities in check, and assure that every child we know is loved and cherished.”
With last week’s verdict, many began stating doubts in our judicial system and wondering whether or not the burden of proof is sufficient for certain crimes. Littleton does not believe the problem lies within our justice system, but rather in a sinful world.
“The current burden of injustice is not the problem of a particular justice system, whether in America or South Africa,” he said. “The problem of injustice is the result of sin in a broken world. We will always long for justice in every particular judicial system. The apostle Paul is clear in this; ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Until the day we stand before Him in Heaven, we will long for injustice to be addressed. Genocides in Rwanda, the Holocaust, war crimes, torture, child abuse and more are travesties that need to stop. These are the results not of a broken judicial system, but of a world full of sinners, who have failed to base their faith on Christ.”
In short, as long as we reside in a sinful world we will witness atrocious and sinful events. We will be saddened, sickened, hurt and confused as we watch the news, read the papers and wonder what this world is coming to. But in all this we must maintain that God is in control and will one day bring justice to all. Until then we must recognize our place and our position in life.
“We fail to realize that we are not yet home,” Littleton added. “Our citizenship is in Heaven. Until we are home with the Lord, we live in a broken world. In this world, we will grow to know Christ and comfort one another in fellowship with Him.”
Published: July 12, 2011
