Blog entry for:

Tue, Oct 5, 2004 04:58:29 AM


justice vs mercy
posted: Tue, Oct 5, 2004 04:58:29 AM

 

when i got to the program i was sure that i was a victim of a cruel joke. after all i did not have any problems and certainly not the disease of addiction. i was angry and all i wanted was retribution for all the pain everyone and everything in this world had inflicted on me since i was born. i was certain that i had absolutely no part in my problems and could easily cast blame elsewhere. i viewed recovery as some cruel and unusual punishment for things beyond my power.
well after some time clean i came to the realization that not only did i suffer from the disease of addiction, most of the living problems were the direct result of BAD behaviors arising from my disease. slowly my anger faded to regret and remorse and i became afraid of getting justice. what i got was the mercy of the program and the unconditional love of those who were here before me. i got the MERCY of RECOVERY.
today i try and practice the same compassion and love that was present for me when i got here. i no longer seek justice and have come to see that in reality there really is very little justice in the world. this lack of justice is replaced by my HIGHER POWER'S loving mercy as demonstrated daily throughout my life. it is my task to embrace and extend the gift of mercy through being present and empathetic to those i happen to encounter in the course of living each day. am i some sort of saint? of course not, but i do strive to be more godlike by doing the next right thing, the best i can today.
-- DT --

 

djtConsulting Brand
The views expressed on this page are solely the opinion of the author.
While the author is a member of a 12 Step recovery fellowship, these writings are not intended to endorse or express the published wisdom of any fellowship.
These writings are not meant to be socially or politically correct, and if you take issue with any opinions expressed, please seek the guidance of someone wiser than me.

Another Look!

α mercy -- my take! α 364 words ➥ Wednesday, October 5, 2005 by: donnot
∞ i realize i would not really want justice -- ∞ 510 words ➥ Thursday, October 5, 2006 by: donnot
δ then, something happens. right away, i feel victimized. Δ 593 words ➥ Friday, October 5, 2007 by: donnot
α i thank a loving God for the compassion i have been shown ω 552 words ➥ Sunday, October 5, 2008 by: donnot
→ if i take a look back on my own behavior ← 462 words ➥ Monday, October 5, 2009 by: donnot
⁄ i have had difficulty admitting that i caused harm for others ⁄ 633 words ➥ Tuesday, October 5, 2010 by: donnot
€ when i can cut away my justifications and my ideas of being a victim € 551 words ➥ Wednesday, October 5, 2011 by: donnot
“ where is the justice? i wail ” 877 words ➥ Friday, October 5, 2012 by: donnot
℘ i realize i do not really want justice ℘ 402 words ➥ Saturday, October 5, 2013 by: donnot
℘ i am grateful for the compassion i have been shown, ℘ 433 words ➥ Sunday, October 5, 2014 by: donnot
↔ ask for ↔ 443 words ➥ Monday, October 5, 2015 by: donnot
❂ willingly offer mercy  ❂ 624 words ➥ Wednesday, October 5, 2016 by: donnot
🏛 when i 🏛 460 words ➥ Thursday, October 5, 2017 by: donnot
🌶 cutting away 🌶 473 words ➥ Friday, October 5, 2018 by: donnot
⤥ then, something happens ⤦ 536 words ➥ Saturday, October 5, 2019 by: donnot
🌫 mercy, not justice 🌫 603 words ➥ Monday, October 5, 2020 by: donnot
😭 my ideas 🤔 495 words ➥ Tuesday, October 5, 2021 by: donnot
😇 offering mercy 😉 421 words ➥ Wednesday, October 5, 2022 by: donnot
😬 powerlessness, 🥴 605 words ➥ Thursday, October 5, 2023 by: donnot
🤯 knowing i am 🤯 699 words ➥ Saturday, October 5, 2024 by: donnot
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☯ The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao ☯

THE TAO TEH KING, OR THE TAO AND ITS CHARACTERISTICS
by Lao-Tse
Translated by James Legge

Book 2

2) There is always One who presides over the infliction death. He
who would inflict death in the room of him who so presides over it
may be described as hewing wood instead of a great carpenter. Seldom
is it that he who undertakes the hewing, instead of the great carpenter,
does not cut his own hands!