A Royal Prerogative of Mercy

 Last year a terrorist attacked people on a bridge in London, Great Britain, killing two. The death toll could have been much higher but for the courageous response of bystanders. One of those people, Steven Gallant. is a convicted murderer himself,  out of prison that day to attend a prisoner rehabilitation program. On a break he saw what was unfolding, ran into a bar where he grabbed a narwhal tusk off the wall, and used it as a battering ram against the knife-wielding killer. 

Gallant was commended for his bravery at the time and now he is being considered for  a royal pardon which would commute the final ten months of his mandatory sentence. It will likely happen, in part because the son of the man whom Gallant killed in 2005 supports the initiative. The now 21-year-old son figures that if someone has genuinely changed they deserve another chance. Impressive from a young man who lost his father at an early age. 

In Britain this early release is called Royal Perogative of Mercy, a rather high-falutin' term, yet one with a certain gravitas about what is transpiring. We probably agree about the importance of a system of justice which takes into consideration the seriousness of crimes for punishment and sentencing. At the same time we may reluctantly concede "that an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind." 

 As Christians we often wrestle with the challenging concept of God's mercy. Forgiveness may be central to our faith, but it doesn't always come easily. Surveys have shown that while we may agree that we are forgiven in Christ, we are more reluctant to agree that God extends forgiveness to those we feel have wronged us. Ultimately though, forgiveness if the Royal Prerogative of Mercy God extends to us rather than something we can pick of choose.  

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