January 8, 2023 // Restorative Justice - Part 1 // Healthy Victims: from vengeance to sorrow

WildWords: Sermons from Wildwood Mennonite Church

Justice is complicated. Humans have a variety of reactions when things go wrong--some less healthy than others. Revenge offers a shortcut to restoration: balance is achieved by subtraction, taking something away from another to compensate for what has been taken from me. But another way to reclaim balance is addition: acknowledging, feeling and understanding what has been lost and allowing hurt to be transformed into growth. How can we deal with shame, seek/offer support and walk the winding paths towards healing?

Note: We had some audio issues this week. You can find the written version of the sermon on our website: www.wildwoodmennonite.org.