Seek Justice

God loves justice, and he longs to see a world where there is justice for all. Where the rich and powerful do not exploit the poor and powerless. Where the vulnerable, widows, orphans, disabled and mentally challenged receive fair treatment from the rest of humanity.

Of course, God could force us to be just to everybody. But if God forces to act in a particular way he would have to remove our free will; our ability to choose between good and evil, our ability to act for the common good rather than seeking our own selfish aims.

God loves justice, but because we have free wills, he chooses to use the likes of you and me. Through us he continues to create a world where justice rules in the affairs of men.

Seek justice

The prophet Isaiah was called by God to speak out against the wrongs and the injustices of the people of Israel. The consequence of the disobedience was that their country was invaded, their temple was destroyed, many were killed and many taken into captivity to serve their conquerors. This verse is just one of the many where the prophet Isaiah, speaking for God, demanded a rightness and justice in the affairs of the people.

• Stop doing wrong,
• 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 NIV)

Notice how this verse contains many active verbs, “Stop, learn, seek, defend, take up and plead”. The people were called to stop doing wrong and turnaround and do the opposite. The opposite to doing wrong is not easy. We have to learn to do right. Justice doesn’t come naturally, we have to seek justice.

The Oppressed and the vulnerable

• Defend the oppressed.
• Take up the cause of the fatherless,
• Plead the case of the widow.

We should not just feel sorry for the oppressed and the vulnerable. We are not just to be ‘on their side’. We need to take action. We must defend them and act on their behalf. We want to make sure that our politicians pass the right laws and ensure that our police forces and courts are not skewed against them.

Who are the oppressed and the vulnerable that we are encouraged to defend, take up their cause and plead their case?

• The orphan, or children with only one parent supporting them. One or both parents may be dead, or are not actively supporting the child for whatever reason.
• The widow or widower. In many societies today, widows are particularly vulnerable and can fall prey to exploitation.
• The immigrant or foreigner living as a part of our society.
• The physically or mentally disabled who find it difficult or impossible to find a job and support themselves.
• The poorest members of society who are often exploited and are vulnerable to violence.
• Minorities. People of a minority race, tribe, colour, culture or religion. Prejudice so often turns to discrimination, exploitation, persecution, violence and even ‘ethnic cleansing’ or mass murder.

How can I seek justice?

• Be careful what we say, who we listen to or what we ‘like” on Facebook. It is so easy to hear somebody speak against immigrants, or Muslims (for example) or “benefit scroungers’ and imply agreement by our silence.
• Be aware that what you say can have a positive effect on public opinion. Society will only say ‘enough is enough’ when sufficient people are influenced by our passion for justice.
• If you live in a democracy, make sure your vote goes to whoever is most likely to look after the rights of the poor, the exploited and the vulnerable.
• Write to your member of parliament or congress, on matters of justice.
• Sign suitable petitions.
• Write to newspapers,
• Write a blog(!), a book or magazine articles.
• Use Social Media such as Facebook or Twitter to share your passion for justice.
• Volunteer your time to organisations or charities which fight for justice for the vulnerable.
• Give financially to support such organisations.
• If you belong to the police or legal professions you are in unique position to pursue justice for all.

Justice needs seeking after. We can go on seeking justice all of our lives. It is a process not just a single action. I have sought after justice all of my life and am still finding new ways to pursue it.

Seeking justice does not come easy. We have so much to unlearn. But God loves justice and we are made, the Bible says, ‘in the image of God’. So to seek justice is in our D.N.A.! In the end, most people want to live in a world which is just. A world where every person can flourish and prosper in peace and security.