November 7 – “Shades of gray”

Well, the trial is over.  Chris has been set free.  Justice has been done.  Sort of.  Oh, if you haven’t been watching the latest episodes of Vaughans and the Judicial System, Chris was not ON trial herself.  She was picked to be on a jury for the first time in her life.  And a criminal trial, no less.  She could have ended up sending a man to jail, and that thought tends to leave a frightening feeling in the pit of one’s stomach. 

The trial could have lasted well into next week.  That’s what the jury was warned about, anyway, what with a possible sentencing phase to the whole thing.  That wasn’t sitting well with Chris either.  We are supposed to go to Waco next week to help out with the kids while Josh and Christi are at a conference.  Separating a Nani from her grandkids?  Not a good recipe for happiness, by any means.

Thankfully, the trial didn’t involve murder or bodily harm in any way.  That would have brought a third level of stress to those jurors.  This one was a “his word against mine” kind of thing regarding theft.  But there was a twist to the whole situation.  Both parties did some things that were clearly wrong.  This was not an open-and-shut, "he’s the liar so send him to jail" kind of decision.  Under extenuating circumstances too detailed to put forth here, the theft did take place, but the guy did everything he could to make things right.  The one stolen from kind of deserved it because he hadn’t paid the other guy (an employee) in weeks.  Sounded like it then developed into a convoluted mess that resulted in the trial. 

The problem was, the jury wasn’t asked to simply determine if theft had occurred.  Chris would have been OK operating in that black and white arena.  But no.  They had to decide if the defendant intended to rob the other guy of his means to support his family.  There were two other gray areas they were charged to make a decision regarding as well.  And anyone who knows Chris well, knows that she is not a “gray area” kind of person.  She is the consummate prophet.  Either it is right or it is wrong.  Period.  Here there was no question that a theft had taken place.  But that wasn’t the issue.  Intent was the issue.  All different shades of gray. 

And to add yet another twist to the situation, there was a puppy involved.  Who was taking care of the puppy?  Who fed the dog?  Who freed it from its chain each night to let it run around and play?  You know, all those way-more significant questions than who stole stuff and why.  Except the dog had nothing to do with the case.  Just a little extra attraction to add some color to all the gray. 

So what happened with the trial?  The only possible result once all the facts were in and the allowable decision options were explained.  Not guilty.  And give that guy the puppy as well. 

James 1:19-20 says, “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.”

Father, thank you for the system of justice we have.  I know it gets broken every now and then, but those twelve people gave almost a week of their time to clear up that mess.  Bless them for it.  Amen.