Between Justice & Mercy with Related Essays

Author: Ron Smith, MD
Located in: Morganton, GA
Submitted: March 07, 2021

    Tell us a little about yourself.  I'm a newly retired pediatrician with 36 years of medical practice. I accepted Christ as my savior at age four. My wife, Stacy, and I have been married 43 years. Our youngest daughter, Laura, died in 2012 of fetal isotretinoin embryopathy. Stacy and I had cared for her ourselves in our home. She was never more than three months old, developmentally. Before her death, we were already strong disciples. It was after she died, that it seemed the Lord deepened our relationship further than we could ever imagine. I thought I had significant understanding of scripture already until 2012.

    What was your motivation behind this project?  Already an avid C. S. Lewis fan, I found myself reading and re-reading all of his books. I must have listened to Mere Christianity over two hundred times during the 30-minute drive to and from work. Dealing with such pain, especially being a physician, led me to understand the present predicament which mankind finds itself. We live in a society which believes that our technological, economic, etc., will fix all our ills. It won't, and it never will. Our real purpose is not to find and maintain a painless, prosperous existence. God is not our genie at our beck and call.

    What do you hope folks will gain from this project?  This book transects three important ideas. What is God's primary character, and how does he integrate us into himself? Is God a good God, and how do we know that he truly loves us? Is God responsible for all our ills? Is he faithful to his word? Jesus's prophecy that he would die and be in the grave for three days. Why then do we hallow his death on Good Friday and resurrection on Sunday morning which is not three days. If he is the Son of God, true to every word he spoke, then how could that be? For me, this is the most important prophecy in Bible, because Jesus himself stated it emphatically and on multiple occasions. This is all key to understanding how justice and mercy are linked in the person of Jesus Christ. The ancient Jewish three-part wedding ceremony is demonstrated in his life and ministry and explains exactly what happened at the Last Supper.

    How were you personally impacted by working on this project?  For me, I had to delve into every belief that I held. How do I know God is good and not evil, even a little? How to prove that? Why is the Trinity not just a theological concept, but an unbelievably essential so that we can become incorporated into his perichoretic love?

    Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists?  Like many, C. S. Lewis was a major influence. I'm a reader and am well-studied among many authors and speakers. There are so many who have had insights from which I have benefitted. There is an extensive preview of the book on psalm8510 which I recommend. The book has "Our Testimony" at the end as well.

    Anything else you'd like readers / listeners to know:  Stacy and I have done medical missions for over twenty years. Now in the "last twenty" of our lives, we are determined not to slow down. We are sprinting in these last days. We know that whatever fellow and future brothers and sisters in Christ face, they can do it if we can. The next thing to anticipate is the nissuin wedding event; the celebratory feast when Jesus takes us, his bride. Be encouraged. Be strong in our last strides of life.

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