Wednesday, December 06, 2006
The Last Judgement: Good News for Don Cheadle?
“I am the judge of my own acts!” Have you ever heard that statement? Individuals make it when they are confronted with people who seem to disapprove of their actions; nations say something similar when they are berated by fellow countries, or when an international tribunal seeks to pass judgement on their human rights record or other such thing. The basic assumption is that it is indecent to judge others (does not even the Bible say “Do not judge”?) and that every action, every moral choice has two sides. Your truth is not necessarily my truth, especially given the background I grew up in, the particular traumas I experienced, so “don’t you come and impose your white, Anglo-Saxon, middle-class views on me!” And besides, don’t we all know that those who seem to speak from the high moral ground are often as bigotted as the rest of them. The recent Oscar-winning film “Crash” (2004) made that point very eloquently.
But is it really that simple and enlightened to hold that we are ultimately the judge of our moral acts? All the Abrahamic religions would consider such a view profoundly disturbing, because it gives man the place of God. The Quran speaks of the Quiamat, the day of Judgement, when all men will have to give account for their acts. Jews similarly expect that the day will come when the “Shofar” will be blown and we will all have to appear before the judgement seat of God. This is why every year, just before their New Year, devout Jews observe the “Days of Awe”, days of self-examination and repentance, as a preparation for that final day. And of course
So it seems that 3000 years of tradition has held a diametrically opposed view to what is today common currency. Does that necessarily make it true? Of course not! But it might be worth considering the logical consequences of man being the judge of his own action: moral discourse becomes no longer possible since there is no common standard to refer ourselves to. The only law we can possibly appeal to is that which we have democratically agreed to. But this view, often called “legal positivism”, led to the
So what is the alternative? Going back to Victorian rules of how long one’s skirt can be? Laws of the inquisition forcing Galilei to recant his scientific findings? The Bible is clear “The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge!” says Psalm 50,6. This means that ultimately no one, no human being, can make a final moral judgement. Even those of us who are entrusted with responsibility for family or parts of society where we have to make moral judgements, have to do so with a great deal of humility, knowing that our judgements can be overturned on the Final Day. Further on the same Psalm says "Mark this, then, you who forget God, lest I rend, and there be none to deliver!“ (verse 22). In other words the knowledge of a final judgement should also keep human beings from acting carelessly: they might get away with murder, fraud or lies now, but not forever. This is also why pious Jews, Muslims and Christians alike have always believed that it is possible and laudable to deal with injustice peacefully and patiently, for a time will come when every injustice will be redressed.
The weeks before Christmas are the traditional season when Christians consider the reality of God coming again, judging the living and the dead. We remind ourselves of the fact that our acts will ultimately have to stand the test, not of ourselves, not of our friends or our enemies, but of a just and merciful judge. Far from morbid or depressing, this season is one of hope and sobriety: we are reminded that to see truth as it really is, we need to look outside ourselves. That is deeply freeing. As the prophet Isaiah says in his second chapter:
“He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD.”
