Liberty and Justice for All
There is something that has been on my mind for quite some time and I wish to share some of my thoughts. It is undoubtedly driven largely by the current social and political climate but also because I am a student of Scripture. One cannot go an entire day it seems without being bombarded by a sense of uneasiness about the current state of our country. Indeed, much of this has been manufactured and foisted upon us but I believe at the heart of it there is something of real substance. The concept that I would like to explore is that of Justice. I am going to include a passage from the prophet Isaiah that magnificently captures much of the current sentiment with regards to this topic.
“So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm achieved salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak. According to what they have done, so will he repay wrath to his enemies and retribution to his foes; he will repay the islands their due. From the west, people will fear the name of the LORD, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the LORD drives along. “The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,” declares the LORD. “As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD. “My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants-from this time on and forever,” says the LORD.”
During my time in undergraduate studies I took several Philosophy classes for no other reason than simply because I enjoyed them (yes, I realize I’m a dork). One of the courses was called; “Philosophy and Justice”. In that course we focused on the works of Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau while also spending quite a bit of time with Plato’s Republic. Keep in mind that I did my undergraduate studies at Kent State University so needless to say my opinions often differed sharply from that of my peers and usually my professors as well. One of the assignments that stands out in my memory from that class was with regards to the concept of the formation of a just polity. Every student had to write a paper on what he/she believed was the best philosophical approach to establishing a “just polity”. In order to accomplish this assignment, we had to align ourselves with a philosopher who shared our views and approach. I chose to use Augustine as my formal “philosopher” but in so doing I was more heavily relying on the Apostle Paul. I couldn’t overtly use Paul because apparently he is not a “philosopher”, even though he was. After completing the written assignment, we then presented our papers in class and discussed them. What I quickly came to realize was that my perception of “justice” was vastly different than that of my peers.
What most of my fellow classmates (and my professor for that matter) meant when they used the word “justice” was actually “social justice”. Definitions therefore are indispensably important when communicating difficult topics. Scripture has a great deal to say on the concept of justice however I have yet to find the phrase “social Justice” anywhere in the Bible. Interestingly when Paul talks about justice he uses the Greek word dikiaosyne which is also rendered as “righteousness”. He often appeals to this standard when exploring the expectations God has for moral agents, aka people. Scripture makes it clear that there is only one judge who presides over the cosmos and that is God Himself. Thankfully, when God executes justice He does so from a place of omniscience. How many human judges know ALL of the facts? None, they must do the best with the information they have. That is not a problem for God however, He is in intimate possession of all of the facts as well as the “thoughts and intents of the heart”. This is crucial since justice is often much more complex than we acknowledge or even comprehend.
We are called to love our neighbor, to treat them justly and even mercifully. The problem of becoming the arbiters of “social justice” is the question of who is determining what is just? Have we invented a new sort of “court” with a new sort of justice? It is no mistake that the prophet Isaiah expresses a deep longing for He who will execute perfect Justice and mercy. One who alone is sustained by Righteousness and equitable vengeance. We must look to the cross of Christ and find the perfect Justice and Mercy of God colliding and changing everything. We also look with ever increasing intensity for the return of this Messiah so that he will once and for all put the world to rights. It is from this place that we press on and cry out; “come quickly Lord Jesus!”