Don’t want to have to ramble about justice, but here goes…
- Justice involves a view of right and wrong.
- To claim injustice shouts something has gone wrong, or someone has experienced wrong.
- In the past few days, Akron’s police chief has resigned. The mayor had evidence of improper contact with a city official, conduct unbecoming an officer, and potential criminal activity.
- Also in the past few days, a young man many in our community know somehow took his life with a gun in a police car following an arrest connected to a robbery that happened in close proximity to our home.
- So…kinda hard not to ramble about justice.
- So do you agree the police chief should have stepped down?
- Do you agree something may be amiss that a teen had a gun in the back of a car?
- If so, ask yourself why.
- Now, examine your emotions. Injustice upsets many. If these events upset you, ask yourself why.
- Do you have equal emotional disgust for the injustice suffered by two people allegedly robbed Friday night?
- What about babies’ lives aborted? The mess of the heroin epidemic? What about human beings trafficked on a regular basis? Not to mention global issues?
- Injustice is easy to respond to when it happens close to us.
- But I ask about emotions and engagement in justice in general in order to ask a different question:
- Why do you care about justice?
- The fact we stir about right and wrong points us to God who has ultimate authority. Where this world constantly displays its imperfections, our God has no such shortcomings.
- Due to sin, injustice happens and may last longer than we wish.
- But God shows us His love in powerful ways. Jesus died in injustice, and God used it for greater glory (Jesus rose from the dead on the third day). I do not write this lightly.
- Our relationship with God is not just the glory of eternal life guaranteed by the resurrection. It also must include dealing with sin, payment, satisfying God’s anger against our sin. Jesus did that.
- Humanly, Jesus’ death was the result of a sham of a trial. Heavenly, it was the perfect way for God to deal with the sin of man and show His love for rebellious mankind.
- In all of this recent and local stirring I find myself begging God for justice, for the patience to wait, and for those affected by these events. Ugh. It hurts and my heart breaks.
- But I also must ask God for the strength to trust and the eyes to see injustice other than what immediately affects me.
- And I invite you to commit your life to trusting and following Jesus by turning from sin, asking Him for forgiveness, and trusting that His (unjust) death was the perfect way to earn your forgiveness.
- When we believe, we inherit the guarantee of eternal life, when all the sin, struggle, and injustice in this life will matter no more as we spend forever with Jesus.