Jerry and I planned our 2024 ride, likely our last long ride together, after more than 50 years of riding together. After meeting in Ogden, we’d head for Idaho’s mountains. My tires needed replacing, so I visited the local Honda shop, ordered tires and new 90 degree valve stems that point to the right. Sadly, when they brought it out, the stems pointed to the left side. That should have sounded a warning. But they quickly fixed it, I took it on our local freeway, up to maybe 72, and it felt smooth.
Until I passed St. George on I-15. The speed limit became 80, so I accelerated. At 75, I felt a slight shimmy. Not bad, but not right. Hitting 80 the shimmer turned into a minor wobble, and if I exceeded that the wobble got big. Scary big. So I slowly cruised to Ogden to meet Jerry. A local Honda dealer fit me in, and they checked the balance. Their estimate: $562. I questioned that, but they wouldn’t budge. Stuck on the road, I had to agree. They found way too many balancing weights and fixed it, so I said thanks, but I remained unhappy about my local dealer for not doing an easy job, and at this dealer for dishonesty. That Ogden dealer was neither Newgate nor Monarch.
Upon my return, my local manager agreed to “make it right.” I then filed a fraud claim with the credit card company, waited until they got notice and called the Ogden shop who surprisingly more than cut the bill in half. My local guy covered the rest. If you’re in southwest Riverside County, CA, I heartily recommend the folks at Temecula Powersports. They make mistakes, but make it right.
And I learned a lesson: justice is good. Accountability is good. Sometimes justice requires effort. Paul warned Christians to avoid the court system, but that only referred to suing fellow believers. I made a working title of “Stand Up for Yourself,” but the issue goes deeper. If we ignore bad behavior, then the perpetrator learns they can get away with it, and cheat more people. We increase the evil in the world. The legal system is our instrument of justice, of fair treatment for all, on telling bad actors that’s not acceptable.
Paul used the legal system to his advantage. In Acts he journeyed to Jerusalem, and annoyed the Jewish leaders enough to have him arrested, and when a riot broke out a Roman commander ordered he be flogged. Paul turned to a centurion and asked, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?” (Acts 22:25). They quickly changed their tune, then a trial began with the Romans and Jews, and knowing legal rights, Paul appealed to Caesar, the right of all Roman citizens (25:11-12).
The Old Testament law reveals God’s great concern for equal rights, for justice. Wade through Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy. The meaning for us: God cares about justice. For us, for all. Maybe we can incorporate that into our lives,
Kick Starting the Application
Have you had dealings with the justice system? How did it go? Do you take a stand for justice for all people, knowing it’s God’s heart?