$7.86. That’s the compensation LifeLabs clients ended up receiving from a class action lawsuit after their personal data was compromised and held for ransom. A few months ago the word was out that those who had their private information taken in a particular data breach could apply for a $150 payout. It was an exuberant senior citizen who told me about it and they already had plans for how they would spend that hundred and fifty bucks. I tried to caution them in counting their chickens before they hatched but they were not swayed in their assumed entitlement. I am curious how they are going to take it when they get their cheque in the mail for $5.86 after a $2 processing fee is deducted. How ironic that the more people who applied for their “fair share” the less each individual got. Attempts to settle matters of injustice on this Earth are often insufficient. Resources are limited. This example is a minor crime; the penalties for greater harms are exponentially unsatisfactory. I still advocate for trying to right wrongs. Micah 6:8 reminds us we are required by God to “do justice and love mercy” but I’m not too invested in seeking restitution for personal injury. We can be tempted to waste a lot of precious energy on fighting battles that won’t be worth the meager gains.
Similar to LifeLabs data hackers Satan attempts to rob our identity as God’s beloved children. God has paid the ransom and the resources at His disposal are never depleted. He will also be the ultimate enactor of justice. In Isaiah 30:18-19, we read “For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him. … you shall weep no more. He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you.” God will bring complete justice when He comes again “He will bring justice to the poor of the people and will break the oppressor to pieces.” Psalm 72:4. Trusting God with our vindication brings peace and ultimately a better payout than seven dollars and eighty six cents.