“He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8
It was from the prolific Christian writer George Grant that I first heard the phrase Micah Mandate in his book by the same title, but the Christian goals of justice, mercy and humility are a familiar refrain for many of us.
As my attention is being turned towards the St Louis celebration of life for Pam, I have once again reflected upon our years together. As I consider the life we had, I come face to face with the woman with whom I shared this life.
As I contemplate these things, I return to the Micah Mandate. These three traits were personified in my late wife, Pam, whose life this web site is designed to memorialize.
Justice; Pam and her siblings were raised in a family of police officers. Multiple generations of police officers. Her father, whose many shortcomings were well known within the family, strove to develop a keen sense of justice within his daughters. The story goes that he gave Pam’s mom a speeding ticket one afternoon, knowing full well that he would ostensibly be paying the fine. He did so because, he believed, justice should be evenly applied to everyone.
The problem, as I see it, with justice in our current culture often boils down to whose justice and how is that justice defined? How many of us have cried, “that’s not fair” which begs the question fair in the eyes of whom and by what standard?
Pam always attempted to evaluate justice from the one transcendent standard of truth- God’s Word. She cheered for the underdog, protected fiercely the vulnerable and was loyal to the end for those she loved. Pam attempted to use a sure measure for justice and it came from the teaching that had defined the core of her being.
Mercy; I am not certain that there exists an adjective more appropriate to describe Pam than merciful. She would swoop into her arms any who were hurting. She would fall to her knees to pray for the needs of others. She would give from her storehouse, whether full or wanting herself, for those in need. Her first reaction was often based upon mercy.
For the oppressed, she would stand in the gap with imprecatory prayers. She would stand toe to toe with the abusive, one of our dear friends gave her the title of “tough old bird” or tobi following one such incident.
Humility; with the first two traits, it seems to me, there exists those who fight for justice and even work towards meeting the needs of others for a multitude of reasons; some personal, some prideful and others political or social.
The acid test for selfless Christian living is the humility with which these things are done. Pam would always prefer anonymous charity over public. Many are the occasions when she would do or give or share all the while working diligently to keep it secret.
Why secret, you may ask? Pam always preferred for God to get the glory rather than herself. In those cases where she was discovered or anonymity was impossible, she would always be quick to give God the glory and credit him as the source of all blessings.
Justice, mercy and humility, I can think of no more fitting credo to describe Pam Greer’s life. May we all strive to live up to the standard that she accepted for success in her life as she sought to glorify God and to enjoy his presence forever.
Brad