Help and Shield

I was watching a television show the other night and there was a protest going on.  On one side people were yelling at the police for not doing enough.  The other group of people were yelling because the police were interfering. In the middle stood the police standing to protect those who are fighting against them and acting as a shield to those who the mob was trying to get access.

As I watched, I realized it was a realistic picture of what is going on in America and around the world for law enforcement.  The innocent are upset that law enforcement can’t do more to enforce justice.  They often take things into their own hands and make matters worse because they have no faith in the judicial process.

The guilty are on the other side of the barricade claiming police brutality.  They scream of the injustice that is being done to them.  They are still wanting protection from the mob who is screaming for their punishment.

I know it is not all clear-cut, these are good and bad in every group.  Sometimes innocent people are wrongly punished.  Good officers are killed.  And often “innocent” bystanders are causing the chaos.

I couldn’t help but see the similarities in what I was watching and what Christ does for us.  We can put our trust in Him, and wait through the process because He is our help and our protection.  We have access to God through Him.   He intercedes and protect us from the justice we deserve.    He tries to help us when we have done wrong, to get us to repent.

We also want Him to bring justice to those who wrong us personally. We want Him to enforce His vengeance on those who hurt us.  Yet when we sin,  we want His mercy.

He was the innocent that was punished for our sin.  The perfect son of God was killed so that we could escape eternal separation from God.  He took on the punishment for our chaos.  He, like the police officers, is out help and our shield.