And Justice For All

It is in justice that the ordering of society is centered. 

Aristotle

It's hard to argue with someone who has the articulate staying power of Aristotle.  I get that. But when I am compelled to be part of the justice system, I'll be the first to confess that I drag my heals.  I'd much prefer to leave karma to take care of said justice.

For the past few years, as a student of Unity, I've worked very hard to control the ego-based urge to judge--other people, events, relationships. It's not easy, but I'm learning. This past week the Universe delivered a practical exam on the subject. 

First an incident ocurred where I was required to file a report with Animal Control over an attack by a neighbor's dog. I was torn about it. The dog certainly couldn't be blamed because the owners hadn't trained her well or assured that the gate was locked. But it was the second time the same dog had charged us as we walked down the street.  If I didn't take the initiative the dog might hurt a child.  No sooner had I made that call when the dog attacked a meter reader. Still...it was a curiously sick feeling that accompanied my interview with the AC officer.

Then, on Tuesday I was summoned for jury duty in district court. I'd never before been called to be a juror. I would be quite content to go the rest of my life without repeating the experience. It was...shall we say...a revealing exposure to some of the seedier elements of humanity and the flawed judicial process. Long story short, we, the jury were lead to convict a mother whose son threw her under the bus, even though he was as complicit in the crime as she. And his girlfriend also testified against her (although she was a worthless, whacked-out witness.) There were no innocents here. Deliberation took less than a half hour.

 Sounds pretty judgemental, doesn't it? That's what bothers me. It took one week of immersion in "judgedom" to awaken my inner Judge Judy. Errrrgghhhh. I felt...well...icky. Out of curiosity I polled the rest of the jury. "How did everyone sleep last night," I asked.

"I slept fine," stated several.

"I didn't sleep at all," related a few.

And I found myself appraising--judging each jury member by how they coped with their assignment, and how many of them felt sick like me. I had worked for two years at suppressing what some would say is a natural instinct--that ego based need to weigh, evaluate, appraise, and assess according to my own perceptions. In one short week, all my positive control had come unravelled like an old sweater. It will take weeks of prayer and meditation to repair it. Cue heavy sighing here.

Perhaps I'm being too hard on myself with these two incidents. Life is, after all, an on-the-job training course. I'm sure this won't be the last time I'm tested. Maybe that's why the Universe placed me on this path this past week--advanced life lesson learned. Check.