---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We think of justice sometimes as getting…"
description: "\"We think of justice sometimes as getting what you deserve, you know - what crime was committed and what is the punishment for that crime. That's how ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b24/shane-claiborne-960_blind_we-think-of-justice-sometimes-as-getting_81467.jpg"
---

#  We think of justice sometimes as getting what you deserve…

![“We think of justice sometimes as getting what you deserve, you know - what crime was committed and what is the punishment for that crime. That's how a lot of the criminal justice works. But God's justice is restorative, so it's not as interested in those same questions of &quot;What did they do wrong?&quot;…” quote by Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b24/shane-claiborne-960_blind_we-think-of-justice-sometimes-as-getting_81467.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b24/shane-claiborne-960_blind_we-think-of-justice-sometimes-as-getting_81467.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b24/shane-claiborne-960_blind_we-think-of-justice-sometimes-as-getting_81467.jpg)

> “We think of justice sometimes as getting what you deserve, you know - what crime was committed and what is the punishment for that crime. That's how a lot of the criminal justice works. But God's justice is restorative, so it's not as interested in those same questions of "What did they do wrong?" and "What is the punishment for that?" It's more about what harm was done and how do we heal that harm, and that's a much more redemptive version. So, it definitely doesn't turn a blind eye to harm, but it does say we want to heal the wounds of that.”

[Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

God's justice prioritizes restoration over retribution, focusing on repairing harm rather than merely assigning punishment.

**In simple terms:** Restorative justice heals rather than punishes.

Key Takeaway

Healing harm supersedes retributive focus.

Themes

Restorative justice Healing Redemption Moral philosophy Compassion

Mood

Reflective Hopeful Compassionate

Type

Philosophical Theological Social

When to use this quote

- Criminal sentencing
- Victim-offender mediation
- Community conflict resolution
- Restorative circles
- Faith-based counseling

Key Concepts

Justice Punishment Harm Redemption

Practical Applications

- Designing restorative justice programs
- Guiding pastoral counseling

Questions to Reflect On

- How does restorative justice change the victim's experience?
- What challenges arise when shifting from punitive to healing approaches?

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## Related quotes

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Jubin Jomon

> [In this life, you end up getting what you deserve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kasper-schmeichel/in-this-life-you-end-up-getting-what-you-deserve/)

[Kasper Schmeichel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kasper-schmeichel/)

> [Justice is getting what you deserve. Mercy is not getting what you deserve. And grace is getting what you absolutely don't deserve. … benign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathleen-falsani/justice-is-getting-what-you-deserve-mercy-is-not-getting-what-you/)

[Cathleen Falsani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathleen-falsani/)

> [“But as the Greeks teach us, there is only one remedy for that sort of hubris. They called it nemesis. We call it getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amor-towles/but-as-the-greeks-teach-us-there-is-only-one-remedy-for-that-sort-of/)

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> [I don't like talking about not getting what you deserve, because that has no part to play in football. You get what you get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-hodgson/i-don-t-like-talking-about-not-getting-what-you-deserve-because-that/)

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> [Is Fate getting what you deserve, or deserving what you get?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/is-fate-getting-what-you-deserve-or-deserving-what-you-get/)

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> [You've strung me along for far to long cause I never gave the fight until now! It's gonna hit you hard till you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ve-strung-me-along-for-far-to-long-cause-i-never-gave-the-fight/)

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> [I think justice is important because there are many injustices in the world and I hate injustice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/i-think-justice-is-important-because-there-are-many-injustices-in-the/)

[Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/)

> [Consider what you think justice requires, and decide accordingly. But never give your reasons; for your judgment will probably be right, but your reasons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-murray-1st-earl-of-mansfield/consider-what-you-think-justice-requires-and-decide-accordingly-but/)

[William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-murray-1st-earl-of-mansfield/)

## More by Shane Claiborne

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