of Damascus in a basket. After my previous post on justice, I realized how much the definition of justice as "giving people what they are due, whether punishment or protection or care" conflicted with the ideas of Nouthetic Counseling. In the Nouthetic view we are "due" nothing, and to say differently is displaying an attitude of entitlement. But in God's repeated calls for justice, His perspective is different. He desires for us to be elevated when there is injustice -- not only does he desire it, but he commands the church make sure it happens. We don't look at fellow humans as deserving of Hell and therefore due nothing -- we look at them as image bearers of God who should be treated with love and respect. And as an image bearer of God myself, I know He wants that for me. The relationship to God is pictured as a father to his children. The idea of "no right to love" is not even remotely close to the way I frame my relationship with my son. I desire very much for him to be loved, and not just by me. Is my son in error for desiring me, as his father, to give him hugs, read him bedtime stories, and kiss all of his wounds when he falls down? Maybe his 3 year old mind sometimes feels he's entitled, and I work at correcting that, but I hope he always knows that, as a father who loves him, I want