God is a God of love and mercy. Yet, He is also a God of law and justice, for without justice there can be no love. Therefore when a parent loves a child he/she will admonish it.

Without justice, love is an idealistic concept without substance or relevancy. Let us not, in our idealistic fervor for love, forget about God's laws, which are inherent in both the internal and external worlds. Of course, there is the law of gravity and other physical laws that govern the universe, and there are biological laws that regulate all living things that no one can escape or impede.

There are the moral and spiritual laws and principles that God gives us through His prophets and through His revealed scriptures and which we must obey if we are to progress as human beings and attain success. In fact, God gives us moral and spiritual laws to adhere to because He loves us and wants to direct our steps away from danger and misery and place them firmly on the path to happiness and bliss.

Without Justice, there can be no love. And without love, justice is pointless and meandering. Without love, justice is a ship without a rudder. And without justice, love is a formless entity for which no clothing can be found to adorn it.

Some say, that God has done away with the Law and, thus, we are no longer under any obligation to follow it, yet this is not so. For the universal laws, the physical laws and the moral laws still exist and they are still crucial. The planets still spin and revolve in their orbits. Matter still ages, decays and dissipates, and we know that our physical bodies will eventually surrender to the relentless inevitability of death and, spiritually, we still reap what we sow.

God gives us laws to check evil. For without the prohibiting hand of laws, evil would flourish and spread. Without the regulating structure of laws, mischief and wickedness would take root and crowd out the illuminating and sublime rays of righteousness and piety. This is why God warns the iniquitous that if they do not desist from evil, He will break their backbones and destroy them along with their shortsighted designs and desires. And if they do not repent, He will strike them down in their sins and cast them down into the fiery furnace of Hell.

Yes, God is a God of infinite love and mercy, but He is also a God of justice, atonement and retribution. This is why the servants of God must not only be tenderhearted but they need also be tough-minded. And this is why, a house that is not built on a strong foundation (although beautiful endearing) will eventually crumble and fall into dust.

Steven Malik Shelton is a writer and journalist. He is writing a book about the destructive forces of anger and violence in America. He lives in Detroit.

© June 2005 By Afromerica

Brother Steven Malik Shelton will be keeping the Black community updated on the most current Black experiences effecting our lives. Visit regularly for new information that could help you overcome and make the best of your everyday experiences.

To subscribe to Malik's column join the Afromerica email list to receive new information as it is updated. Or E-mail Shelton at: stevmalikshelton@comcast.net

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