Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.
These psalms speak passionately and consistently about justice, and asks God to grant justice. Before this morning, I would have equally passionately agreed with this sentiment – asking God to be just, or acknowledging that justice commands God’s presence, action or intervention. The accompanying reflection has thrown a monkey wrench into my thinking.
A. W. Tozer refutes the idea that there are situations where God’s presence is commanded to provide justice. He points out that if that were the case, there would be a condition of justice that is separate from God. Hmm. He also notes that if God’s presence is requested, then there is something greater than God doing the requesting. Hmm. Hmm.
He writes, “The truth is that there is not and can never be anything outside of the nature of God which can move Him in the least degree.” God is uncreated, before all things, and above all things.
The question is then, what is the relationship between an unjust situation, God, me, and the others in the situation? I would suspect that we are the cause of the unjust situation, not God, and not a power greater than God. If that’s the case, then we are the key to the resolution of the justice. So where’s God in that equation? I certainly need God in my heart and awareness to take actions against injustice, and I can imagine others do too.
I assume that God is present and ready to act in and through all of us at any time. If that’s the case, it’s up to me to allow God to act, and for me to be aware. I have a part in consenting to God’s work in and through me. Each of us do. I don’t need to ask for God to show up, but rather for the hearts of the others involved to know and sense God’s presence and desire for goodness, light and love. God has already shown up. God’s waiting to help us fix whatever mess we created.
And the only way I’ve discovered to get other people to change their minds or outlooks is through love. We cannot shame or legislate our way to justice. Being coerced or shamed does not change hearts or minds. It’s through us showing and being God’s love to others in the world that we can change them. This is especially important and equally hard to do when we need to show love to those who’ve created or perpetuated the injustice.
Today, I’m thinking about how to love my way into the hearts of the oppressors, to get them to the point where they say, “Hey, I want what she’s having.”
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