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...And Justice For All

Posted by: SuperUser Account on 10/15/2012
Last year I took this photo while at a shopping mall in Fort Worth, Texas. It features a popular clothing store, Justice, which sells clothes for young girls. For me, it is a simple reminder that we don’t always talk about justice in very sophisticated ways; and that too often we give lip service to the word. 

In these musings, I often write about poverty and inequality, and the policy and advocacy solutions that build toward economic and political fairness. But we also need to examine our understanding of justice to fully address some of the problems we face as a society.  Many of us think of justice as synonymous with either righteousness or retribution.  But justice can also be about restoring relationships or, in the case of distributive justice, making sure that fairness prevails. The concept of social justice calls us to correct systemic inequality that affects whole groups of people, especially low-income and vulnerable communities.  Our mission the Center is to empower you to help create social justice in your community by advocating for systemic change.

Our mission to create social justice calls us to focus on policy change that helps under-represented or vulnerable people, often low-income people.  In the year ahead, we will work for a state budget that is fair and accounts for the common good.  We will work to address predatory lending, especially illegal internet payday loans.  We will push to expand Medicaid to provide health care to those who need it most, and we will press for policies that protect and preserve God’s creation. 

Why should people of faith care about justice in the Commonwealth?  I can only answer from my own experience as a Christian.  My faith teaches me that God wants us to be as sisters and brothers to one another, if not for our sake, then for God’s sake.  Hebrew Scriptures teach us to care for widows, orphans and foreigners and Christian scripture reminds us that when we care for the most vulnerable or unwanted, we are in effect caring for God in our midst. In religious terms, justice is an imperative and often the best way to show our love for God is through our care for one another. What does your faith teach you about justice?

There is a common saying when encountering misfortune, “there but for the grace of God go I.”  It is a way of admitting that we all fall short of the grace of God and as a consequence we all have equal responsibility to care for one another and for all of creation.  Perhaps the next time you see someone asking for spare change at the street corner or for a sandwich from the corner shop, you will not only respond with mercy or charity, but also with justice.  Consider what larger forces and challenges put both of you where you are and then think if there is a way that is more fair or equitable. We should each do our part to build a more just, peaceful, equitable and sustainable Commonwealth.
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