There are a parade of names for God: Savior, Redeemer, Counselor, Christ, Father of Eternity, Lamb of God, Prince of Peace are a few of them. But there is one that I never liked. 

 

Judge. 

 

 

It felt, well judgey. 

 

I have never addressed anyone as "Your Honor", nor been accused of a crime. My knowledge of the judiciary has been limited to pretenders on television. Though sometimes they set people free, like Santa Claus on Miracle on 34th Street. 

 

But recently their pivotal place in a functioning democracy has come into evidence. It is becoming more clear to me how deeply I am indebted to those who both know the law and protect it. The closest I ever came to wielding such powers was between sparring siblings, and banishment only meant going to their room for twenty minutes. 

 

Watching the unraveling braid of our legislative and judicial systems is a civics lesson I never wanted to learn, much less experience. When the mandates that should be enough to restore order and protect the people of this country are dismissed like clothes no longer in style, we all crumble like a body with no bones.

 

It turns out that I do long for God to protect me, in a way I had become complacent about. Thankfully, He is even more Omnipresent than Santa.