photo credit: OWN
It’s difficult for me to watch the interview Lance Armstrong held with Oprah Winfrey. Here is a man who cheated by using performance-enhancing drugs. And finally, he admits the truth.
Apparently he never learned the mantra, “Cheaters never prosper.”
Perhaps cheating could be forgiven, but this is not an ordinary cheater. This is a man who, in order to protect his own lies, destroyed the livelihoods of those who spoke the truth. That demands justice.
But what is justice, really?
Today as I type this, my kids are home to celebrate Martin Luther King Day.
Here we celebrate a man, who had his own demons, but who died defending his truth, his dream. We celebrate a man who stirred a movement.
MLK had a belief about justice. In his words, “Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.”
If justice is love, than I see my own heart does not always stand for justice.
Instead I see my own flesh, aching for vengeance.
But when we ache for vengeance we destroy ourselves with bitterness. Vengeance is not our job – not when the perpetrator is a stranger on a platform nor when he is a relative under our own roof.
God says, “Vengeance is mine. I will repay.”
So instead of vengeance this week, I’ll look for justice – a Martin Luther King, Jr. kind of justice. Imagine that – Love at work, correcting all that stands against love. What a revolution.
I don’t really know what justice means for Lance Armstrong, or for anyone else who cheats to win his game.
All I know is I’m called to run my own race, and to run in such a way as to win the prize.
Ultimately Love is the truest performance enhancer.
What do you think? What is justice in this case?
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks Gina – I needed that!
Hey Russell, thanks for stopping by!
If the line is drawn at seeking justice personally, I agree with letting God deal with it. When the cheater/liar/bully/thief is and will continue to prey on others, then exposing them and restraining them is the right thing to do. Is it appreciated? No. Will they target you personally and create damage to your reputation? Often. Would I rather be someone who says “it didn’t hurt me”, “they seem sorry”, “it’s not worth the risk” – not so far.
That’s good, Kathryn. I think sometimes we do stand for truth and that means opening our mouths and taking action. Perhaps we do so motivated by love and a release from the need to control the outcome.
Beautiful sharing of your journey from thinking you were passionately pursuing justice…and realizing a thirst for vengeance was silently raging. Wise Gina.
There are natural consequences to Lance’s choices and actions. There are natural consequences when we or our children make bad choices. This quote is not eschewing accountability and consequences.
What I take from Martin Luther King Jr.’s quote – and from my mentor in “Walking with Justice” who started this conversation – is that we must always challenge ourselves to ask the question that you asked about your truest motivation. Am I coming from love?
We must look inside and readjust until we can truly and completely say that we are coming from love. Then and only then will the process of correcting others’ actions that stand against love hold a possibility of rendering justice.
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