I was thinking this morning... Last week, a friend of mine who is a magistrate reached out to me sounding unusually low. "What's the matter?" I asked. "I had a case today that got me emotional."
He went on to tell me about a barman whose young daughter suddenly fell ill and needed urgent medical attention. At the same time, his rent had become due and he was on the verge of being evicted. Desperate, he begged his employer for a loan of ₦650,000 to save his daughter and keep a roof over their heads. His boss refused.
With nowhere else to turn and time running out, the young man took the money from the day's sales without his employer's permission. He was later arrested and brought before the court.
In court, he admitted taking the money. He did not deny his actions. He simply pleaded for mercy, saying he could not watch his child die while waiting for help that never came.
My friend then asked me a question that has refused to leave my mind: "What do you do to such a man? Send him to prison because he broke the law, or allow him to return the money and care for his family?"
As he spoke, I remembered Matthew 12:3-4, where Jesus reminded the Pharisees that David and his companions ate the consecrated bread because they were hungry. Human need did not suddenly make the law irrelevant, but it reminded us that justice without compassion can sometimes miss the heart of God.
In the end, my magistrate friend had little room for personal emotions. The law was clear. He sentenced the young man to one year imprisonment with an option of a ₦20,000 fine, while still requiring him to repay his employer. That conversation left me thinking.
Poverty is not a licence to steal, and stealing does not suddenly become right because life is hard. Yet, before we rush to condemn people, perhaps we should thank God for the temptations we have never had to face. Sometimes the difference between the "good man" and the "criminal" is simply the battles life has allowed each of them to encounter.
As Nigerians often say, "Na hungry fit make person forget say pepper hot." Desperation can push people to places they never imagined. So, let us pray not only for justice, but also for mercy. And above all, let us pray that God never allows us to face the kind of temptation that exposes the worst version of ourselves. 1 Corinthians10:12 says "Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall."
Stay hopeful. God's got our back.
Happy New Month!
......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey