One symptom with which I struggle a lot as someone with ADHD is justice sensitivity. It’s a real phenomenon, especially among the neurodivergent. ADDitude Magazine explains it this way:

“Several studies have found that ADHD brains (particularly inattentive type) are significantly more justice-sensitive than are neurotypical brains… [They] feel such a strong need to restore justice that they will take action to do so even if they hurt themselves in the long run.”

That last line hits me in the gut. I feel that. Because when you see injustice (cruelty, manipulation, hypocrisy) and you care deeply, it feels impossible to stay quiet. It feels incomprehensible not to shake the bystanders and ask, “Why aren’t you DOING anything? Don’t you see this?!”

A Modern Parable of Betrayal

I have two friends. We’ll call them John and Jane. John was married to Jennifer; Jane was married to Jeremy. Jeremy and Jane chose to betray their vows, their families, and their church community by engaging in adultery with each other while still married. They weren’t even separated, either.

There are innocent, traumatized children involved, and there was even an Emergency Protective Order because Jeremy, in his obsession for control, could not respect Jane’s boundaries and leave her alone. (Side note: no one is entitled to your time but God. You do not have to talk to people who hurt you. Setting boundaries is not bitterness; it’s biblical wisdom.)

Our church, wisely and lovingly, has tried to make the sanctuary a safe space for everyone. The doors are open to all because Jesus welcomed even those who betrayed Him. But it has become painfully clear that Jeremy and Jane’s attendance is not an act of repentance. It’s a performance – a strange PR campaign to normalize sin and force others to accept what God has called destructive.

Worse, it’s a form of revenge to make Jane and John uncomfortable, though they did nothing to justify the adultery, the stalking, or the unrelenting harassment. They walk in as if nothing is wrong but are aggrieved when others keep their distance or aren’t DJ Jazzy Jeff about the whole situation. Their behavior reminds me of Proverbs 6:32–33:

“He who commits adultery lacks sense;
he who does it destroys himself.
He will get wounds and dishonor,
and his disgrace will not be wiped away.”

Adultery isn’t just “an affair.” It’s not “the heart wants what the heart wants.” It’s spiritual arson. It’s also a form of spousal abuse. It burns down everything around it: trust, community, and the hearts of the innocent. If you’re considering stepping out on your partner? Just leave.

Jeremy, in particular, exhibits what Scripture calls a “seared conscience” (1 Timothy 4:2). His lies twist truth until he plays the victim, even claiming to fear the woman who once needed legal protection from him. That is not remorse…it’s control cloaked in self-pity. It’s psychological warfare, not repentance.

Does typing all that out make me feel better? Honestly? A little. But does it change anything? Not one iota. I don’t have, nor do I want, the power to make them repent. Only God does.

The Theology of Loving Enemies

What Jeremy and Jane did was wrong by every possible measure. The grass is green, the sky is blue, and their behavior is appalling. But anyone can see that; it’s simple enough for a child to understand. And while we are called to be childlike in our faith, we are not called to be childish in our reactions. The real test of faith comes not in recognizing evil, but in how we choose to respond to it once we see it. Jesus is crystal clear in Matthew 5:44:

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

He didn’t say, “Ignore evil.” He said, “Don’t let it deform you.” In John 8:1-11, Jesus did not condone the woman’s adultery but He didn’t condemn it, either. Love here isn’t sentimental hearts and flowers: it’s spiritual discipline. It’s the act of looking at the most corrupt soul and still believing Christ’s blood could redeem them, even while setting holy boundaries.

Forgiveness, likewise, does not mean excusing or forgetting. It means refusing to let hatred become our master. It’s not weakness or capitulation – it’s warfare of a higher order.

Paul, in Romans 12:19, drives it home:

“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God,
for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’”

When our justice sensitivity consumes us, we stop trusting the Judge who sees everything. I found myself there…furious, anxious, losing sleep, mentally replaying every scene like a prosecutor in an endless trial. My anger wasn’t baseless, but it was beginning to rule me.

Fighting Injustice Without Losing Your Soul

In ministry and counseling, I’ve learned the hard truth: fighting injustice doesn’t always mean charging into battle. Sometimes it means walking away to preserve your peace.

Boundaries are not unloving; they’re biblical. Even Jesus withdrew from the crowds to pray (Luke 5:16). Sometimes the most faithful thing you can do is step back, pray, and let the Holy Spirit do the convicting.

That’s what I had to do. I told my friends I needed distance…not because I didn’t care, but because I cared too much. Because they never once expected that of me, they did not mind that I needed some time to process everything; because they are not absolute psychopaths, they encouraged me to take care of myself. And in that prayerful surrender, God began healing the anger that I had allowed to hijack my peace.

Accountability and Grace

Notice I said “that I had allowed to hijack my peace.” If I’m going to write a faith blog, I can’t just share tidy lessons or what Brant Hansen calls “half stories.” I have to show exactly how the sausage is made, even when it’s embarrassing to admit.

And here’s the embarrassing truth: I let Satan bait me into bitterness. I forgot that justice belongs to God alone. I stopped trusting Him and leaned on my own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to do the opposite:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will make straight your paths.”

Before I ever point to Proverbs 6 and what it says about the destruction that comes from adultery, I have to look inward at Proverbs 3 and acknowledge that I failed to trust God with my own sense of justice. I can’t hold others accountable to Scripture and not submit myself to it first.

One of our pastors said in his sermon this morning, “No one follows Satan by accident – it’s always a choice.” That landed hard. It’s easy to aim that truth outward, but harder to hold the mirror up. My rage, no matter how justified it felt, was edging me toward the same darkness I condemned in others.

So I choose differently now. I choose prayer over rage and boundaries over bitterness. Will I mess this up again? Almost certainly. But thankfully, God’s goodness and mercy don’t follow us only when it’s convenient but rather they pursue us “all the days of our lives” (Psalm 23:6).

And yes, I choose to love…even toward the ones whose deceit makes me nauseous. Because Christ loved me when I was unlovable and will continue to love me when I am unlovable. Winston Churchill once said, “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” Jesus adds, “Take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

The Final Word

Sometimes people do vile things and appear to get away with it. But no one escapes divine justice.

Psalm 37 reminds us:

“Do not fret because of evildoers…
For they will soon fade like the grass…
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.”

So that’s what I’m doing. I’m choosing to keep trusting, to keep loving, and to keep being a good friend to the hurting. And yes, even to love those who make me want to scream. Because love is not approval. It’s faith in action. And justice, when placed in God’s hands, never fails.