Daily Lesson for July 11, 2018

Today’s Daily Lesson comes from Deuteronomy chapter 1 verses 9 through 18:

9 At that time I said to you, ‘I am unable by myself to bear you. 10The Lord your God has multiplied you, so that today you are as numerous as the stars of heaven. 11May the Lord, the God of your ancestors, increase you a thousand times more and bless you, as he has promised you!12But how can I bear the heavy burden of your disputes all by myself? 13Choose for each of your tribes individuals who are wise, discerning, and reputable to be your leaders.’ 14You answered me, ‘The plan you have proposed is a good one.’ 15So I took the leaders of your tribes, wise and reputable individuals, and installed them as leaders over you, commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, commanders of tens, and officials, throughout your tribes. 16I charged your judges at that time: ‘Give the members of your community a fair hearing, and judge rightly between one person and another, whether citizen or resident alien. 17You must not be partial in judging: hear out the small and the great alike; you shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgement is God’s. Any case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.’ 18So I charged you at that time with all the things that you should do.

Our nation will soon be transfixed by the drama of the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh as a Supreme Court Justice. 

This post does not aim to consider Kavanaugh’s individual merits. Instead, I simply want to underscore the import of a fair and impartial judiciary and justices who consider cases on their own merits and are not swayed by public opinion or the bullying and badgering of politicians.

This goes all the way back to Moses — who sits among the law givers in the frieze atop the Supreme Court Building. Before the Israelites even made their way into the Promised Land, Moses instructed the people to choose from among themselves judges who would hear and judge disputes with fairness. This was seminal to the nation that was to be.  Without a fair judiciary, the whole nation would be comprised. For justice depends on the scales of justice being read by the just minded.

When Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his plans for retirement I watched a brief piece on his career. I did not know that he had been confirmed by the Senate in a 97 to 0 vote. It is highly unlikely that Brett Kavanaugh or whoever else will replace Justice Kennedy will garner such unanimity.  The push and pull of our political polarization now makes unanimity on almost any matter now something of the past — especially the most important  of matters. 

So, in this much more polarized political theatre, it is imperative that the judges chosen be persons of keen intellect, fair-mindedness, and strong character. Pressure upon judges and justices is tremendous in a 24-hour news cycle.  The political winds blow mightily — in both directions. What is necessary is someone who can stand up strong in the face of the tumultuous winds, disregard their din, hear both sides to the case, and then cast a vote of conscience.

Only the nation’s very survival depends on it.