Often times, justice is looked at as something that the “liberals” are all about. Women's liberation and the Civil Rights movements may come to mind. The word is thrown around many times without a clear understanding of what that even means. Justice involves bringing dignity and restoration by removing obstacles so that people can help themselves, living in freedom and unity. Justice is a lifestyle.
Every day we are confronted by issues of injustice whether we recognize it or not. Social, economic, racial and systematic injustices are prevalent in the communities we live in, the food we buy, the schools we send our kids to, etc. These “obstacles,” once we clearly identify and choose to look at them, can feel completely overwhelming (maybe hopeless) as we begin to think about why people are homeless and living in poverty, why 29,000 children under the age of five died in Somalia, or why illiteracy is so rampant in our communities. Equally overwhelming is the thought of how we are to respond. So, we stand immobilized, not quite sure where to begin or which issue to tackle first.
Though I believe education around issues of injustice, advocacy, and practical life changes are pertinent in the fight for justice, I wonder if the starting point is simpler than we think.
When I look at Jesus, I can’t help but notice how justice is a part of who He is. The life that He lived is one of bringing restoration and giving dignity to those without. What if our entry point wasn’t to march to end homelessness or to tutor all of the kids on our block. What if we began by living in the way of Jesus? To love as He did and make it a priority to care about what He cared about. Would our response to the injustices we stumble upon each day begin to innately flow from our being? Would our actions bring restoration and give dignity to those on the margins of society? Let’s all try it and see what happens.
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