What Say the Jury?

This whole jury duty experience has been very interesting. Not exactly enjoyable, but interesting. We reached a verdict today, which means that I can talk about the case now. But to be honest, I'm not exactly sure how much detail to go into.

Basically, when I first heard the accusation, I was kind of sick to my stomach and immediately wanted to send the man in front of us to prison. Before I'd even heard any evidence.

I mean someone who would be accused of something like this has to be bad, right? Well, yes and no. Fortunately we have a great justice system which tries to give every person a fair trial. Unfortunately, sometimes the evidence just doesn't match the charges, and especially not beyond a "reasonable doubt."

That was the case today. Testimonies were in conflict. Reports didn't match. Witnesses contradicted each other. I felt like almost every person on the witness stand was telling some sort of lie. We didn't have forensic specialists like on CSI to gather DNA. It was just his word against hers, along with a muddled police report. Doubt was present, and under our system, people are innocent until proven guilty. The proof just wasn't there today, and so our verdict was "not guilty."

My fellow jurors kept saying that it wasn't just about her life, it was about his life, too. The 12 of us had the power to sentence from 5 years with probation up to 99 years/life with no parole. That's a big span of time! When our foreman read the "not guilty" verdict, the defendant literally broke down in tears. He didn't seem like the type to cry, and for the first time, his actions and words seemed unrehearsed.

The evidence presented today wasn't fun to listen to. So tonight at church, my mind was often back in that courtroom. But it also started me thinking about the Lord's judgment. As a jury, the law orders that if there was proof of his actions beyond a reasonable doubt, then we were compelled to find him guilty. When we stand guilty before the Lord, he is also compelled to render judgment on us. That's what makes him just. We are guilty, we all have committed sins. But the beauty is, when we call on the name of Christ, he takes our place. It's not that we're any less guilty, but we immediately become covered with his blood, which has paid our price.

Today, I witnessed firsthand a reaction of gratitude, of pardon, of release. It served as a vivid reminder that through sin, we have all broken the law and are subject to judgment. It reminded me again of how precious Christ's gift is to us.