Jury Duty Essential

Date Published: 08/14/2009

On August 11 our son Erik received his first jury duty summons since graduating from college. My wife Candy and I have both been summoned several times but have never served on a jury. Almost every one considers a call to jury duty an annoying interruption to what they had planned. The prevailing mood in the jury pool room is “how soon can I get out of here?”

This same week Aung San Suu Kyi, 1991 Nobel Peace Prize recipient and leader of the Burma Democracy Movement was convicted of violating the terms of her house arrest and has her sentence extended by 18 more months. In 1990 she led the National League for Democracy to a decisive electoral victory. Her detention is basically for threatening the military dictatorship of Burma (Myanmar). That prearranged trial, verdict and sentence emphasized the importance of independent courts and citizen participation on juries that we enjoy.

The hassle of jury duty and the disruption it brings to our routines is a small price to pay to protect from the politically manipulated miscarriages of justice such as we saw in Burma. I’m not suggesting that courts and juries always get it right or that there are not some systemic injustices in the U. S. judicial system. Rather, I am suggesting that rather than look at civic participation, such as jury duty, ought not to be viewed as a nuisance or disruption but as a welcome protection.

I you have been reading my posts to “Living in Tents,” you know that my concern is with Jesus Christ, not with promoting western democracy. You also know that I think that the secular drift of the western democracies, including the United States, might actually be healthy for the faith of serious disciples of Jesus. In an increasingly secular society where committed Christians are a shrinking and even maligned minority, democratic institutions, such as and independent judiciary and jury trials, are ever more valuable protections for unpopular expressions of faith.

Besides the atmosphere of annoyance that seems to pervade jury pool rooms, I hear a lot of cynicism about the courts today: too easy on criminals, too activist, too much under the influence of power and wealth, too slow to respond. My point, however, is not to defend the courts or deny the reality of problems. Rather, I want to suggest that where those who truly want to follow Jesus are involved – as jurors, judges, lawyers, plaintiffs, defendants – they bring to bear some values and principles essential to the court that have nothing to do with promoting our particular “religion.”

Justice and truth are at the top of the list. The concern for those who have been wounded (“Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king’s son. May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice.” Psalm 71:1-2) and integrity (Jesus said, “Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:37; James 5:12).

There was much discussion about empathy and compassion around the confirmation of Sonya Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. While a Bible verse cannot be a proof text for a particular judicial philosophy, and I am not commenting on that debate, those who have received the grace of Jesus will also bring mercy into the legal arena. This is mercy for both victims and perpetrators, recognizing the image of God and the brokenness of humanity in all people. (“What does the LORD require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8 NIV) Throughout Scripture, justice and mercy are intrinsically inseparable.

As disciples of Jesus, we cannot effectively bring justice, truth and mercy into the judicial system if we view our participation as a nuisance or routine or even a duty. Instead, we need to recognize that we are there by divine appointment. We are these as agents of Jesus Christ, though not at that point to preach and certainly not to impose personal morality, but to radiate light in darkness.