Journey of Justice

What is justice? A word? A concept? An ideal? A pursuit? Much easier to demand than define. Very complicated yet essential. Incredibly difficult yet important. A journey not taken alone but with people of all races, genders, socioeconomic classes, etc.

The word in the New Testament for righteousness & justice is the same word. The "rightness" and perfection of God flows directly from His very essence. God is defined by justice - a justice far beyond our comprehension yet with very clear parameters. God hates the oppression of the poor. Though he does not favor the poor, he is favorably disposed toward them because he knows that it is the poor who are often exploited, oppressed, and trampled on by those in places of power and prestige. The poor are not to be exploited. The orphans and widows are not the be ignored. God always hears the cry of the oppressed...always! 'Let there be justice' is the rallying cry of prophetic voices through the ages from Amos to Martin Luther King, Jr., Isaiah to Ghandi, & embodied perfectly in the life, death, & resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. God's story in Scripture explodes with God's concern for justice and his response when it is ignored.

I am relatively new to this journey. Justice has not been my passion. For whatever reason, a disconnect has existed between my faith and the impetus to engage in social issues such as poverty, oppression, international human rights causes, etc. For that I am truly sorry. Though i am certainly not where I need to be, I freely admit that I believe I am now cognizant of God's intentions for justice moreso than I have ever been before. My eyes and ears are continually being opened to the work that is before us. From this day forward, I commit to seeking justice and pray for the courage to go wherever God may take me.