Act, Love and Walk

⁸ He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

So what about mercy over justice?  Today the Scottish authourities chose to release Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, the only man ever convicted of the Bombing of Pan-Am 103. But did they do the right thing?

At first glance, it seems that you either have one or the other.  You are either merciful or you wield justice.  A false dichotomy which is perfectly demonstrated by two swords, kept in the Tower of London as part of the Crown Jewels.  The Sword of Justice is large.  It moves swiftly and would leave no one under any allusions as to where it has been.  Made from the highest quality metals and incredibly sharp, the sword divides, it splits one thing from another.  Right from wrong.

The Sword of Mercy looks completely different.  In fact it looks like it is broken.  It has been blunted and shortened at its end.  According to myth and legend, its tip was broken off by an Angel in order to prevent a wrongful killing.  The sword is presented to the Monarch as a reminder that Mercy may be just as powerful as justice in the right hands, so is that what we have seen today?

The aptly named ‘Justice Secretary’ Kenny MacAskill, hinted that ultimate justice would not be handed out by a government but by a God and he questioned how allowing Megrahi to die in prison served justice any more than him dying elsewhere.  He faces an ultimate judgement which he cannot avoid.

In showing mercy to this man. Mr MacAskill may have made many enemies.  People still eager for their pound of flesh.  People who feel that  justice left on the plane for Libya with Megrahi.  I sensed a pang of remorse as I saw him leave too yet despite my otherwise indescribable feelings, I also felt that by showing mercy, the Minister may have brought a degree of closure that simply wouldn’t have been possible in a few months.  The time for Mercy was now.  To allow a dying man the dignity that was denied to two hundred and seventy individuals.  It may be difficult to spot at the moment but by wielding the Sword of Mercy, he may send out an example to some who wield their ‘Swords of Justice’ on a daily basis, killing many.

Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi released this statement, from the plane, shortly after leaving Glasgow Airport.