Last Thursday, the Federal Court of Australia handed down a much-anticipated judgement. In the defamation case brought by Ben Roberts-Smith, it found that allegations levelled against Roberts-Smith — as a murderer, a war criminal and a disgrace to Australia—were substantially true. The blow would not have been so great had Roberts-Smith not been one of Australia’s most celebrated and decorated war veterans: his portrait and uniform still hang in the Australian War Memorial; he is the recipient of some of the nation’s highest honours for his gallantry, service and courage, particularly when deployed to Afghanistan—the site of most of his alleged crimes.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
Reading voraciously about this fiasco, and then reflecting on it, I noticed two potentially conflicting feelings in myself: profound gratefulness that the truth of the matter had been revealed, and lament at the incompleteness of justice this side of heaven.
The Desire for Truth
Our innate desire for truth is shown most clearly when we feel like we have been cheated of it. Looking at Roberts-Smith’s decorated display of medals, one cannot help feeling robbed—of truth and virtue. We feel deeply uncomfortable as we are forced to reconsider the sincerity behind what was once touted as genuine acts of service towards the less fortunate, of efforts done in the name of international peace and comity.
All this frustration has made me realise that, whilst sin has profoundly distorted the accuracy of our moral compass—our hearts are described as “deceitful above all things, and desperately sick” (Jer 17:9)—we still bear some resemblance to the good God who created us (Gen 1:27). We still desire righteousness and truth, to see justice enacted and oppression cease. We still want to call out wrong and do good in the world. This is right and good.
Our pursuit of truth should be all the more fervent amongst Christians, where we are called to serve a God of truth, one who does no wrong, who is upright and just (Deut 32:4). The pursuit of truth often leads to achieving some degree of justice and remedy for the oppressed and the needy, which is the express will of God (Isa 1:17; Mic 6:8). Our pursuit of truth should also be marked by grace and humility, since Scripture also reminds us that only God knows the full truth of a matter and judges each person impartially.
With the findings against Roberts-Smith, I am reminded that whilst sometimes the truth is hard to swallow, as Christians, we ought to pursue it. Whilst it is heart-breaking and world-shattering, we need to be interested in it, if not for our sake, then for the sake of those who suffer without it.
The Incompleteness of Human Justice
All over the media, this case has been celebrated as a win for justice: for the unarmed Afghani farmer who was kicked off a cliff; for the poor and oppressed stuck in a war not of their own choosing; for courageous Australian soldiers who defied a silencing culture to stand up for what was right. And so it should be.
And yet, for all of that, we still feel the gnawing of the incompleteness of justice in this world. Roberts-Smith’s crimes were proven true in the context of a civil proceeding—as a legitimate defence in a defamation case. We are still yet to see even the beginning of a criminal prosecution that could condemn or vindicate him of these crimes.
There’s a tricky balance here: of recognising that Roberts-Smith is technically innocent in the eyes of the criminal justice system; while giving heed to the well-documented nature of the crimes as exposed by investigative journalists and ruled to be substantially true by the Federal Court.
Let us say he is found guilty in the criminal sense, and justice—in the best sense of the word—is served. Afghani civilians will still have lost brothers, sons and friends; all the suffering and upheaval brought about the war and its aftermath mean that people are still suffering today. Even in the face of the best executed form of human justice, in the most sophisticated legal system, the enduring impact of injustice lingers on far into the future, this side of eternity.
Our Desire for Truth; Our Need for Justice
All this new-found appreciation for truth and justice has led me to think more deeply about Jesus and his plans.
Firstly, what do we do about Jesus’ claim to be the Truth (Jn 14:6)? How does this shape the ways we pursue justice and care for the oppressed, and our motivations for doing so? Surely it must, for we cannot ignore the Truth, in our pursuit of the truth of events and wrongdoings.
Secondly, the Roberts-Smith case has developed a hunger in me for full and fair justice, where everything hidden one day will be revealed (Heb 4:13), and a deeper hope for it to come soon.
Whilst on this side of God’s eternal and perfect kingdom, we witness the good but imperfect hands of human justice at work, we take heart in knowing that the exercise of justice by human institutions will not be the only form of justice we will witness. One day, God will judge the world in righteousness, fully and fairly through Jesus (Acts 17:31). He has not forgotten the oppressed; he will act on their behalf and one day rid the world of (unrepentant) evildoers (Mat 25:46).
Our Future
Roberts-Smith attended every day of his 100-day trial… except for last Thursday, when judgement was handed down. When Jesus returns to judge, no one will be exempted. All will be called to give an account of our lives. Will we be ready to stand before him when he does?
