"But it should also be clear what we aren't celebrating. We aren't celebrating that someone is dead. We aren't celebrating that the justice system failed to protect the public from Jordan Neely. We aren't celebrating that Alvin Bragg unjustly charged and prosecuted Penny. We aren't celebrating America's disinterest in helping the country's mental health crisis. But, as the prophet Amos wrote, justice will eventually roll down like great waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. However, perhaps, it's not best to allow heretics like Martin Luther King to apply Bible passages without careful consideration of the way those verses were intended to be taken. Let's reevaluate that passage from Amos and let it tell us if there's anything else about justice we should understand. Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light".21 I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies".23 Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. 24 But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. Amos was prophesying against the people of Israel, telling them to be careful when they ask for justice. They may not understand what they're asking for. Justice, you see, is poured out upon the guilty. And we are all, according to the Bible, guilty. The Scripture tells us that "all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God (Romans 3:23) and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). There is certainly an earthly justice that will be poured out on crime. But there is a heavenly justice that is awaiting us, and it will be poured out on sin. And all of us, in that respect, are criminals." - JD Hall
But this is celebrating the death. By the way, I agree that the system failed to protect people from Mr. Neely. Just as much as they failed to help Mr. Neely. I also agree that Alvin Bragg overreached with the manslaughter charges. Negligent homicide might have garnered a conviction. What sneaks by JD's analysis is that prosecutors overreach every single day. They overcharge people every single day and disproportionately, this affects people of color. It is laughable that JD refers to MLK as a heretic while butchering Amos 5:24. The issue for the prophet Amos was not that the people were asking for justice while not understanding what that meant. That is not supported in the text. The issue was with the hypocrisy of the people who routinely oppressed the poor yet made solemn appeals in worship as if they were righteous. Why hold feast days if you are going to unfairly tax the poor? Your worship is but noise in the ears of God if your judges are unjust and your witnesses accept bribes. So, heretic or not, MLK was much closer to the truth about these verses than JD Hall is. King quoted this in his famous I have a dream speech, where he was lamenting the injustice in society, as Amos was. The stark difference is that Amos was railing against the religiosity of people who pretended to be righteous but carried out acts of injustice against people every day.
"If you're unfamiliar with the Biblical categories, they work like this: Justice is getting what you deserve. Mercy is not getting what you deserve, if you deserve punishment. And grace is getting what you do not deserve, if what you get is a reward. Liberation Theology, the type that has so ravaged the Black church in America, teaches that the gospel is about demanding justice. But the gospel is precisely the opposite; the gospel is about us avoiding justice poured out on our sins, because it was poured out on Christ instead, so that we might be shown grace and mercy. If you exulted in joy when you heard of Penny's acquittal, you're not alone. All Christians and all reasonable people should be happy that a man will not be punished for preventing a criminal from carrying out his promises to harm innocent bystanders around him. Penny provides for us, in that incident, a picture of Christlikeness, who put himself on the line to save people who didn't even know him. There is something, down in your heart, that is resonating with that. I'd submit to you, God put that joy in your heart. Don't feel guilty about it, but rather, embrace it.
Daniel Penny's civil rights were maintained yesterday. He had a right not to be punished for doing good deeds. And for that reason, it's a victory worth celebrating." - JD Hall
What JD Hall is doing here is mixing the judgment of God, for our sins, with the judgment of a single man, in Daniel Penny. That is not to Monday morning quarterback what Penny did and if I was in that same subway car, I would probably be thankful that he tried to help. There is no hiding the fact that his help however took the life of another human being, just as Derek Chauvin snuffed out George Floyd's life for the crime of being black. Look, I can say that when I heard of Penny's acquittal, I was relieved. It seemed the system worked, and a jury of his peers agreed that this prosecution was an overreach. I think that is a perfectly understandable reaction, as would be outrage that the system did not provide any help to Jordan Neely, even in death. The problem is that it is not enough for the theology of JD Hall to be relieved. He had to be exulted in joy! Consider that for a moment! Exult means triumphant jubilation! There is a vast difference between being happy that Penny would not be punished for trying to help people and rejoicing in triumphant jubilation. What is absolutely despicable is in comparing Daniel Penny's killing of Jordan Neely to Jesus! That is beyond horrific theology. Jesus laid down His life for us, He did not take someone else's life! A murderous chokehold is not a picture of Christlikeness beloved. I agree that Penny should not be held criminally negligent but that is a far cry from making him a type of Christ. This is why JD Hall should not be writing Christian material anymore. He had many valid political points and some that were pretty standard right wing racist fare. None of it however had anything to do with the prophet Amos, our faith or the cause of Jesus Christ.
Reverend Anthony Wade - December 12, 2024
