The prophet said, ‘Do Justice!’
Why did the prophet not say more?
There is too much justice to do.
There is so much justice lacking. The scope for my action is
vast, daunting, infinite.
I not only feel small.
I feel infinitesimally small.
A vanishing point in the endless
expanse of injustice.
The prophet said, ‘Do Justice!’
And I cried, ‘Which Justice?’
Criminal justice.
Social justice.
Economic justice.
Retributive justice.
Restorative justice.
Generational justice.
I want to do justice to the prophet’s words.
I want to do justice to justice.
Where shall I begin?
Oh where shall justice be found
and where is the place of fairness?
Let me go there. I will go there with
humility. For I am not able to travel in
any other way. My only method is plodding,
one step at a time.
one foot on the ground, one swinging forward in a
controlled fall.
Lord God Almighty!
Help me to walk humbly
and let me not walk alone.
And when I come to the crossroads,
when I need to make a decision,
when I have just open wilderness
all around me – incline me and nudge me
towards the place of justice.
Turn me from the place of ambition,
of acquisition, of avarice.
Steer me from the place
of self, of self, of self.
Take me to the place of
respect, restitution, reconciliation.
And take me there kindly,
that my footsteps might be
mercy and grace,
mercy and grace,
mercy and grace,
mercy and grace,
mercy and grace,
for ever and ever and ever.
Amen.
Mercy and grace for ever.
Amen.
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#Do1NiceThing: Take some flowers to mothers and grandmas on your street
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A response to Doing Justice:
Lord God Almighty!
Help me to walk humbly
and let me not walk alone.
And when I come to the crossroads,
when I need to make a decision,
when I have just open wilderness
all around me – incline me and nudge me
towards the place of justice.
Turn me from the place of ambition,
of acquisition, of avarice.
Steer me from the place
of self, of self, of self.
Take me to the place of
respect, restitution, reconciliation.
These words resonate through me. Justice for some is injustice for others. When I reflect on the business of Same Sex Marriage, which is now legal in the UK, but illegal in the Church I rage at the injustice of those who are afraid of risk taking, who cower behind the weasel words that they use to defend their position, while the injustice of their position does hard to so many in loving, committed same sex relationships. Denying them the freedom to celebrate the gift of that God given love in their community openly and promising punative disciplinary actions against anyone who dares to defy them. I know that this is just one example of injustice within the Church or wider world, but it’s one that diminishes the church and it’s witness. It damages mission and discredits all who seek to make disciples. It ties their hands when the teaching of the church they have to propagate goes against the way that they perceive the spirit is taking them and the Church today.
I feel like shouting to the heavens – Why, O Why God is this happening – why are people manipulating your teaching to serve narrow human ends and defying the evidence of our eyes in the lives of those who are desperate to be loved for themselves, not for just one aspect of their lives?
I pray that I will soon be able to stop shouting – but know that there’s a battle to be fought before that happens. So, in the words of Paul “let us put on the Armour of God” and go forth to do justice soon.