Judgment and justice

"Nothing can heal you; your wound is fatal. All who hear the news about you clap their hands at your fall, for who has not felt your endless cruelty?" Nahum 3.19

One hears of judgment without justice (think of any "kangaroo court") and justice without judgment (the courts may condemn him but will Vladimir Putin ever have to pay for his crimes against humanity?). But what God promises and what the Church proclaims is that everyone will be held to account and will pay the price for their actions. This should be daunting for perpetrators of oppression, while bringing comfort to their victims.

This is the message to which the prophet Nahum gave such eloquent and colourful expression in his utterance, whose brevity stands in inverse proportion to its eloquence and vivaciousness. His use of metaphor is especially striking, as is the way he multiplies its effect, piling one upon another. Recommended reading for all who face an uphill struggle against a seemingly unassailable tyrant!