Thinking and praying about justice

Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue, so that you may live and occupy the land that the Lord your God is giving you. (Deuteronomy 16:20) (NRSV)

One of our most basic human instincts is to recognise when something is not fair and to express our unhappiness when injustice prevails. It’s part of what makes us human, and as Christians, we would argue that to be human is to be made in the image of God. When we read our Scriptures, we discover justice to be at the very heart of God’s being and nature. The words above from Deuteronomy remind an emerging nation that their ongoing stability and security rests on seeking to build a society that is founded on justice.

Our sense of justice can be fuelled and steered by many different narratives. Some might argue that it’s unfair for someone who relies on welfare benefit to have their income suddenly cut; someone else might argue that it is unfair for hard-working tax payers to have to pay more to fund our benefits system. It all depends on how you tell the story.

During this election campaign, we will be confronted by many narratives and policies, seeking to argue that it is in our interests to embrace them. But as Christians, our concern in not “what’s in it for me?” but “what is fair for all?” How can we be convinced that our economic, social and foreign policies will have God’s justice at their heart?

Establishing of justice strikes at the very heart of our calling to be a Gospel people. Isaiah and other Old Testament prophets foresaw the coming of the Messiah as one who would "bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth"  (Isaiah 42:3-4)

This reality is echoed in the New Testament through the words of Mary, when she celebrates the news of Christ's coming:
  As we consider who to cast our votes for, we might reflect for a moment on the words of the prophet Micah – what does justice require of us?

Our Scriptures leave us in no doubt that justice for all lies at the very heart of God’s purpose for his creation. Justice for the poor, justice for the marginalised, justice for the oppressed, the downtrodden and those that others might call stranger. As we take our opportunity to vote and contribute to the political life of our nation, how might he be calling us to pursue justice?
 
Prayer: