It’s infuriating when you get lied to. Take for example, the recent story of Jussie Smollett, who allegedly staged his own attack to advance his acting career. The uproar is in the deception. Writing this, I realize that lying is common practice to get ahead in the world. But I think what gets people is if you take them along for your ride, deceiving them and in the end duping them. No one wants to be played the fool. And no one has the patience to watch you dupe others. That’s what particularly irks me - knowing someone is lying, and watching others buy into it. 

Calling out the liar is tricky. I can think of instances both in the workplace and in ministry when I’ve had to hold my tongue and wait for proper justice. And in the meantime being reminded that I need to watch my own life and conduct. It’s a delicate balance to hold these in tension - longing for the justice of the wicked, while ourselves committing to living rightly.

The shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and the grand jury's decision not to prosecute the police officer who shot him has sparked an outrage that begs the question - is it justice we prize, or satisfaction?

To have justice there must be fairness. We live in a world that is incredibly unfair since the introduction of sin in Genesis 3. Much can be said about the unfairness of the entire Ferguson situation from both sides. It's unfair that an innocent shop owner was robbed. It's unfair that we have racial prejudice. It's unfair that a police officer felt threatened for his life. It's unfair that a life is now gone.

There isn't a satisfying resolution to this situation. A young black man is dead, and an officer's life is irreversibly altered. A community is in outrage. The Ferguson incident stands as a reminder that we as humans are inevitably flawed.

We want justice, but we know that we won't ever live in an entirely just world. So we seek satisfaction - a substitute for true justice, which will only be had when sin is finally done away with.

Our restlessness needs to be channeled towards faith. Our longing for our Savior's return ought to burn ever more greatly. Come, Lord Jesus!