Justice: Personal Responsibility

The word “justice” is a loaded word. In America, it can refer to our judicial system or a victim’s quest for justice for the crime committed against her. People use the term to demand holding someone accountable for an offense, whether against them personally or against their broader community.  In our culture wars, what is “my justice” is sometimes at odds with someone else’s “justice.” Unfortunately, the news is full of people at odds over justice, and those in the news seem to take an all or nothing approach. If your idea of justice doesn’t align with mine, you should be “cancelled.” You’re either with me or against me. If you’re against me on one issue, you against everything about me and you thus hate me and all I stand for.

For a Christian, though, what is justice? What does the Bible say about justice? The Bible has a lot to say about justice and what it means for those of us who follow Christ.

We Are In This Together 

That’s the narrative pushed in media. A lot of people I know are accepting of different opinions on issues and understand that an opinion on one issue does not define the character of that person. We don’t have to live in those extremes. We don’t have to be left or right, donkey or elephant. We have to be humans. We have to coexist. Aside from the narrow issues on which we disagree with someone, we have to root for one another, support one another, and help each other grow as we continue in this American experiment. If we believe in the right of free religious expression for ourselves, we have to believe in that right for others. If we believe in the right of free speech for ourselves, we have to believe in that right for others. Our country is constantly changing and who is in the majority shifts with every election cycle. If we stifle someone’s speech now, when the tide changes, our speech could be stifled. As we look around for someone to defend us in our right to free speech, there will be no one because we weren’t there to support their free speech.

Personal Responsibility

This idea was captured best by World War II era German Pastor Martin Niemoller. He was originally an antisemitic Nazi supporter. However, after Hitler’s rise to power in Germany and then his insistence on control over the churches, Niemoller began speaking out against Hitler. He was eventually imprisoned in a concentration camp but freed by the Allies in 1945. He became a leading figure in post-war Germany dealing with the issues of guilt, repentance, and personal responsibility. He said these famous words:

            First they came for the Communists

                        And I did not speak out because I was not a Communist

            Then they came for the Socialists

                        And I did not speak out because I was not a Socialist

            Then they came for the trade unionists

                        And I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist  

            Then they came for the Jews

                        And I did not speak out because I was not a Jew

            Then they came for me

                        And there was no one left to speak out for me.

We have personal responsibility to support each other’s freedoms. Our own freedoms may depend on it. Likewise, we have personal responsibility to ensure justice in our society.  This is a difficult concept because it is difficult for us to see from another’s point of view. Our different cultures, political ideologies, life experiences, and upbringing effect our point of view. What someone raised in Chicago may perceive as injustice, someone raised in Mobile may not perceive as an injustice. What a person of color may perceive as an injustice may not be perceived as an injustice by a white person. I haven’t walked a mile in a black woman’s shoes, I don’t know what her life experiences may have taught her about police officers, judges, politicians, the law, religion, family life, prejudices, biases, the news, or even watching television that – at least when I was growing up – was predominantly white actors and white shows.

 Justice is an Action

In my last blog on justice, “Why is Justice Important to a Christian?”, I wrote about the connection of justice and righteousness. Christians are called to “do” justice, that is, justice is an action. Christians are to do what is just and right. We are to treat people equally, not show favoritism, or look the other way when we see a wrong. Remember the story of the Good Samaritan?

That story, found in Luke 10:25-37, teaches us to help others in need - to not look the other way, walking to the other side of the street or trying to act like we didn’t see the need. The hero of Jesus’ story was a Samaritan, that is, a person of a people group unliked by Jews, some say they were “excommunicated” by the Jews. In today’s society, if you’re a Republican, swap out “Samaritan” for “Democrat”, if you’re a Christian, swap out “Samaritan” for “Atheist” and you might get the same sort of idea. For the person who asked Jesus the question in Luke 10 that sparked the parable, the hero was someone not of his own tribe and thus not someone who was expected to do the right thing. He would have expected the hero to be the priest of Levite - people of his own tribe. Unfortunately, they did the exact opposite of what is required of us. The “just” person, the person who acted righteously, was the person of a different religious and political party affiliation.

A Call to Justice

What does God require of us? According to the prophet Micah, “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God”. (Micah 6:8 ESV). This was part two of the Justice series. There is much more to come as I explore justice, American society, and the Christian response to justice.

What is your idea of justice? Connect with me to share your thoughts and ideas on justice.