A FOREST SHOULD NEVER BURN FOR A SPARROW
The measure of justice is not only whether it can correct a wrong, but whether it preserves the greater good while doing so.
Every society entrusts its institutions with immense power to protect truth, liberty, and the common good. Yet that power must always be exercised with restraint. When the response to a single grievance endangers the institutions that safeguard everyone, justice risks becoming disproportionate to its purpose.
A forest should never burn for a sparrow.
The loss of one bird is regrettable, but the destruction of the forest leaves countless lives without shelter. Likewise, the pursuit of a single dispute should never weaken the freedoms, institutions, or public trust upon which an entire democracy depends.
The strongest governments, courts, and institutions are those that distinguish between defending justice and expanding power. They understand that restraint is not surrender but wisdom, and that proportionality is one of the highest expressions of justice.
Every precedent becomes part of the inheritance of future generations. Therefore, every exercise of authority should be measured not only by what it accomplishes today but by what it permits tomorrow.
A healthy republic protects both the individual and the institutions that serve the public. It resists the temptation to sacrifice enduring liberties for temporary victories, knowing that the greatest strength of power is found not in its ability to prevail, but in its willingness to preserve the common good.
For when the forest remains, the sparrows—and all who seek refuge beneath its branches—may continue to live in freedom.
Pastor Steven G. Lee
St. GMC Corps
June 23, 2026
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