Mercy or Judgment for John Edwards

Perhaps it is stretching it to say that the real life drama that John Edwards is embroiled in is of Biblical proportion – yet the tragedies of William Shakespeare and King Lear seem to pale – in this drama the story of David and Bathsheba comes to my mind. True, David was the beloved king Israel, and John Edwards was aspiring to be king, at least he was in the eyes of Bunny Mellon who said, ‘there goes the next president of the United States’. And No, there was no Uriah the Hittite that was murdered in order to claim the pregnant mistress, but in this story there is Elizabeth Edwards, in full pathos, tearing off her blouse and bra exposing her breast and crumpling on the tarmac in a broken heap while her lying, cheating arrogant husband sat there acting like a spectator – it was the front line for her – abandoned there like Joab was instructed to do with this valient cuckoled husband of Bathsheba’s, whom Joab was instructed to ‘set in the forefront of the hottest battle and retire from him, that he may be smitten and die’.

It happened to David at a time, as Samuel wrote, ‘when kings go forth to battle’ – that seasonal time that was convenient for war – sort of like – yeah, the primaries – when great (assumed great?) personages of modern politics were running for the highest office in the land. But David stayed behind when he should have been at war when ‘from [his] roof he saw a woman washing herself’, and John Edwards dallying in hotel rooms with Reiley Hunter while giving the pretense of chasing the Democratic nomination.

But both dramas played themselves out in judgment – for David, it was a visit from Nathan the prophet wielding the judgment of God by saying, “for thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun”; and now its John Edwards’ turn – we’ve seen almost everything but the soiled bedsheets – we have for several weeks heard the sordid story of John Edwards and Reile Hunter, complete with a sex tape (at least the existance of it – we were spared the details). David paid greatly for his sin – ‘the sword shall not depart from thy house – O Absolom, Absolom’ – and it remains yet what extent judgment will come to John Edwards, if he isn’t guilty of campaign contribution fraud, and he is spared a prison sentence, he should be forever humbled.

But here is why this isn’t an epic tale of biblical proportion. While David reaped judgment, he still found the mercy and forgiveness of God, because of his humility. In John Edwards, there is a smug look in a perfect suit, accepting the fact that others have affairs too- ever before the camera as he brazenly enters and exits the courthouse, little, arrogant man that he is. Could he not stop and talk once to a reporter and say, ‘the judgment of the court is one thing; I cannot speak in regards to the proceedings within the courtroom. But the judgment of Almighty God is another; I have sinned, and, (as David said) my sin is ever before me. God knows I am humbled and humiliated beyond description.’ Possibly then, regardless of the verdict of the jury that is likely this coming week, he, like David, would find mercy.