Gong Dao Zheng Yi, Tian Li Bao Ying

I spent the last two weeks glued to the TV. No, there wasn't any particularly good TV program. I was watching DVD of China TV serial "Pao Qing Tian" (the legendary Justice Pao). The pace of the China production was extremely slow and some of the Pao Qing Tian stories were familiar to me. What's the attraction that the serial held for me then? My interest and enjoyment of the "literary" Chinese script in the serial.

The theme of justice and righteousness runs strong in the TV serial. In the story of Chen Shi Mei who abandoned his wife Qin Xiang Lian and their young children, and married Le Ping Princess, the plaintiff Qin made an impassioned plea to the Justice Pao for "Gong Dao Zheng Yi" (which I translate literally as "public justice and righteousness") and "Tian Li Bao Ying" ("divine judgement and retribution"). As the story goes, the good Justice Pao beheaded the less-than-human Chen who was "Qin Shuo Bu Ru", notwithstanding the Queen Mother's appeal to the Emperor for pardon.

Today's legal framework of course provides redress without fear or favour for wrongs against any one. But what if the issue does not warrant legal proceedings or if the victim does not want to bring the issue to court? Who then do we have to address the wrongs or hurts that we suffer?

By God's grace and mercy, we have God as our judge. We need not travel thousands of miles as Qin Xiang Lian did to obtain justice; we only need to send our prayers to God any time, any where. In the parable of the persistent widow who kept going to an unjust judge for justice against her adversary, the Lord Jesus taught that we should persevere in praying and not give up.

"6 And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" "

(Luke 18 : 6 - 8)

While we have God as our judge, the Apostle Paul reminds us that we ourselves should not pass judgement on any one else. In judging another, do we do the same things? If so, we condemn ourselves. (Romans 2 : 1)

So then, each one of us is accountable for what we have done. And each of us will have to give an account of ourself to God. (Romans 14 : 12) When the day of God's righteous judgement comes, God will give to each person according to what he has done. (Romans 2 : 6)