The Promise of Justice

"That's not fair!" 

If you've raised kids at all, especially through their teenage years, you have heard this exclamation far too many times. Classically, we respond with, "Well, life's not fair!," hoping that will settle the matter. And while life certainly is not fair, the bigger problem is with a misunderstanding of the word "fair."

When a child or teen (or even some adults) point out that an action or decision was not fair, they usually mean that it didn't go their preferred way. They didn't get their way, their personal desire was not fulfilled. Someone saw it differently or made a different decision, and usually said, "No."

But a short-sighted, self-centered perspective of "fair" really has nothing whatever to do with fairness. The larger idea of "fairness" is "justice." This idea of fairness/justice is really about equality, equity, life as a "level playing field." Justice assumes that every human being is equally a special creation of God with equal worth. Justice insists in equal opportunity and equal treatment. Think about the classic image of Lady Justice with balanced scales. 

To be fair, the more I think about the big idea of justice the more I see how it is rarely if ever seen in human history. In fact, it seems that perfect justice is uniquely an aspect of God's own character. It assumes God's perspective of God's good creation, and especially of humanity. Another Bible word that refers to fairness or justice is "righteousness." We know that God is perfectly righteous and we are not. "All have...fallen short." 

At the same time, the reality of perfect justice as a core characteristic of the Creator's holy nature presents the promise of justice. If it is a core characteristic of God, it is a core value in God's Kingdom. Wherever God is ruling and reigning, to that degree there will be justice. As citizens of God's Kingdom we are commanded to advocate for God's justice in every situation. We are spokespersons for God's justice and sensitive to evidences of injustice around us. Consider these words from Scripture:

"Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly" (Leviticus 19:15).

"The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern" (Proverbs 29:7).

"Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow" (Isaiah 1:17).

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8).

And then of course there are the words of Jesus:

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" (Matthew 5:6).

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33).

Just as sin/unrighteousness/injustice is both individual and corporate, personal and societal, so righteousness/justice is both personal and societal. We are seeking the righteous rule of King Jesus in both spheres of life. 

One of my heroes, a prophetic voice in his generation, is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. One of his famous sayings is a quote from Theodore Parker: "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." While that certainly is a beautiful dream, it doesn't match with history. My conclusion is simply this: Perfect justice will not be seen in the world; however, perfect justice is a foundational theme of God's Righteous Rule. As subjects of King Jesus, justice is not only our dream, it is our passionate desire and commitment. Kingdom disciples are constant advocates of justice, and we are committed to "speaking truth to power" when we witness injustice. Unfortunately, rather than exposing and rebuking it, all too often American Christians seem to be on the side of injustice. 

As Americans we are optimistic realists. We are not shocked when we see injustice in the world. But we are also representatives of Christ's Kingdom, an embassy of righteousness in the midst of unrighteousness, painting a picture of the justice that is to come and that is already to be modeled by Christ's Kingdom community. After all, if we will hunger and thirst after righteousness, we have been promised that we will be filled.