Casey Anthony & Our Universal Search for Justice

Regardless of your opinion regarding the verdict in the Casey Anthony trial, the massive popularity of this case shows how we are interested and passionate about justice being served.  While no judicial system is perfect, it's important to at least have a system in place where arguments can be made on both sides of case and a verdict and an appropriate sentencing can be determined.  Most people, religious and non-religious alike would agree with this need for justice.

Justice is one of the key components that we find throughout scripture and is the bedrock of the Judeo/Christian faith.  From the Book of Genesis to the Book of Revelation, the bible tells the story of a God who created the world and called it good and is actively working to restore creation from sin and death. The story of the Bible is a story of restorative justice.

When Paul wrote his magnificent letter to the Christians in Rome, he was writing to a small number of people who were living just underneath the shadow of the mighty Roman empire which prided itself in being an empire of justice and righteousness.  While the empire did execute justice to some degree, there was still a lot to be desired (understatement of the year!)  Remember, this was an empire of tremendous brutality and tyranny.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul proclaims a different kind of judicial system, one that is rooted in Jesus Christ.  It's this sense of justice and the Christian hope for the world to be set right again that Paul is speaking about when he writes, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, 'The one who is righteous will live by faith.'" - Romans 1:16-17

The reason the letter of Romans is considered one of the masterpieces of Christian writing is because Paul brilliantly lays out the Judeo/Christian framework for true justice for the world by placing it in the context of the life, death, resurrection, ascension, and eventual second coming of Jesus Christ.  This was a very brave thing for Paul to undertake especially since authorities within the Roman Empire wouldn't have been very tolerant of competing judicial systems.

This biblical view of God's justice and righteousness can serve as a bridge between our universal search for justice and the biblical understanding of justice.  The problem is that the bible is often perceived by people inside and outside the church as primarily a book about how can I get into heaven.  When the bible is seen in this narrow of a way, we end up screening out the most foundational and key component that it offers us - that God cares about injustice and is in the business of restoring creation as a place of beauty, peace, joy, and true justice. When we read the bible with this perspective in mind, we can still celebrate the gift of personal salvation through Jesus Christ but within this larger context of God's justice for the world.

High profile court cases like the one involving Casey Anthony provide an opportunity for the church to say to the world, "If you're looking for true justice, read Paul's letter to the Romans."
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