The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern. (Proverbs 29:7)
A quick perusal of the use of the word “justice” in the Bible reveals something that is key to the nature of God. “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing” (Isaiah 61:8). Numerous times He is called a God of justice. Now about half the time this is tied to championing what is right and the judgment of wrongdoing, but half the time it is tied to the innocent, the poor and to foreigners — in other words, people who are not likely to receive fair treatment. “Do not pervert justice or show partiality” (Deuteronomy 16:19).
It is a truth that those who question the existence of a loving God based on the poverty and oppression that is in the world (how could He allow such a thing?) would find, if they took to the word of God, a God who is just as concerned, if not, more concerned than they are about treating everyone fairly. And if God is concerned about this, how can we not be? Or as my friend Tony Campolo says, “Our hearts should be broken by the things that break the heart of God.” It definitely breaks the heart of God when the poor, the innocent and the foreigner are treated as less that those who are more privileged, or when someone is deprived of food, clothing and shelter for the crime of being born where they were born.
Or as Marti defines justice: “Is it just if where you live determines whether you live?” Who can control where they live — what family they were born into, what privileges they have or don’t have? This is an injustice because this is not a just world. We need to care about this and do what we can to right it through our support of those who are seeking to change these situations by providing food, shelter, small business loans and jobs that would not exist otherwise.
What does this mean for you and me today?
It means to seek, however we are able, to support those whose lives are being threatened by where they live, to see everyone we meet as equally deserving of the rights and privileges we would afford ourselves, and to treat every human being, regardless of race, religion or citizenship, with the dignity that behooves a creation of God in the image of God.
That would be good for starters.
John Fischer The Catch 
The prayer of Bob Pierce, founder of World Vision: “May my heart be broken by what breaks the heart of God.” Probably where Tony C. got it. Whatever the origin, outstanding sentiment.
Thanks for the correct information.
Amen, John.
I think you hit at least one nail on the head, John: we should think differently about the people around us. I don’t believe we need to travel around the world, or even across town, to find injustice being done. God has put people in our own back yards – in our own lives, even – that need our help. All we have to do is pay attention. All we have to do is get our minds off ourselves. That is the curse of America today: we think far, far too much about our own selves. What would happen if Americans thought 25% less about themselves and used that time to think about, pray for and help others? There would be a revolution! Christ would probably return by the end of the week! Here’s a quote, if you want one: “What can I do today for someone else?” Or, better still: “What can I do right now for someone else?”
Very good point.
Thanks John … so many in His image struggle alone … always a good question to keep before me … what is my part towards the hurting? Ultimately that is the question God will ask (Matthew 25).
Sometimes we don’t get a clear understanding of justice until we’re on the wronged side (yes, I meant “wronged”.) To be discarded by a spouse who made vows, to be cheated in business by a guy with a Bible on his desk, and by another guy who used to go to my same church, helps to clarify for me that I need to treat others in the same way that I would like to be treated. I imagine that both of those guys think that they are being good stewards of the funds that God has provided (to pay for their status symbol foreign cars), but it helps me to learn and practice forgiveness daily. To be wronged makes me consider my wrongs.
Some interesting quotes from CS Lewis help me see what I need to learn.
“If they are wrong they need your prayers all the more; and if they are your enemies, then you are under orders to pray for them.”
“Being nice doesn’t make you stupid. It makes you feel good because you know you are gracious enough to forgive and smart enough to realize how distasteful some people can be.”
“Everyone thinks forgiveness is a lovely idea until he has something to forgive.”
“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”
“God allows us to experience the low points of life in order to teach us lessons that we could learn in no other way.”
And another quote that I can’t find right now goes to the effect that forgiving someone seventy times seven includes forgiving 490 times for the same or repeated offense.
Now a caution here which unfortunately opens another, although related, can of worms: forgiveness is a personal process; legal justice requires that if a crime has been committed then the appropriate punishment must still be carried out. For instance, in the case of any kind of abuse, the abuser needs to be disciplined and the victim should be cared for and protected and recompensed.
The curious thing about justice is that it is not something that I can do for myself. I can provide justice for someone else. And God, or someone else, can provide justice for me, but when I attempt to achieve justice for myself, I am treading on what God says is His responsibility.
The Lord’s Prayer states,”………and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us…”
This statement implies a lot. Right now it says to me, if you value your sins to be forgiven, forgive others. Love comes back if you give it away.
Forgiveness does not mean no consequences. God forgave Moses for striking the rock instead of speaking to it, but he still could not enter the promised land.
This issue comes and goes in cycles for mandkind. Survival of the fitess,crusaides and wars. Who comes out on top, what race, religion, culture, social status and etc…. It comes back to the ones who are wanting and willing to pick up the peices, and sadly those waiting in the shadows to leap and corupt it all over again. Coming together in like mind, heart and will. Thats what fuels the motor of action. I prefer better yet a Godly motivated mind, heart and will. It”s not so very funny that it might start out that way, but then WAM, here we go again. I wish to covay in the most hummble manner one way God has stop me from worring about the big picture.
My wife and I concider ourselves very bless to have chosen to take on the support and care of a now almost three year old girl, who’s mother being a ‘Meth” abuser, taking that and other things throughout the pregnacy. Mom gave up her parental rights of her baby. So through the Courts we requested and got Guardianship of her at the of age eight months. A very simular situation happened three months ago. We are now Guardians of two little ones and are dumbfounded on how we go here. We are in our late 50s a little old fashion. But we are involved in the Big Picture of these two little angles and it meaniful to us. I CHALLENGE anyone to take up the cause of the most needy. We strongly resisted public assistance. So that we were free to raise them without interfearance (I meant to spell it that way). Our income is not great(my military retirement and my wife’s part time income in assistant long term care). Now if we are able, well.
Gary – you and your wife are gold. You are making a difference daily with a daily form of sacrifice, I’m sure. Bless you.