Let Justice flow like a river

“Justice”     “Divine Justice”.    I hear so much about this.    The prophets talked about this – we talk about this.    But what is it?      “Justice”     Just-ness… rightness.    

All week long, “Justice” has been there – pulling at the edges of my consciousness.    Why?      “Justice”… what are you trying to say to me?     

A noise over there…   I turn, and I see just the edges of a cloak disappearing around the corner.     A glimpse of something over there… too quick for my vision to catch it all.    

Amos was called to speak God’s Justice… but was it “Just” what happened to him?     John the Baptist was doing God’s work, too.    But as a result of jealously – and whim – on the part of Herod’s wife, his head was brought to the king on a plate.     Where’s the Justice in that?    God, where is your “Justice” in that?

At first blush, I think I know what it means…    Doing the right thing?    Having the right thing done to someone?      It means “Rightness”… the rightness of what should be…   the rightness of what God should be about!      Righteousness!   

Ignore it, look away… it remains a simple puzzle.    “Divine Justice” – do what God wants you to do… or else!     Un-nuanced, un-examined… it remains an undeveloped, half-idea… a blob taking up precious space in your consciousness –  consciousness we struggle to keep above water.  

I’ve put it on the shelf – left there unexamined for… don’t remember how long…. years I think… Divine Justice… I know what it means.    “Be good!”   “Do the right thing!    Or you’ll pay!”     Everyone pays in the end.   “Always have to pay the piper…”   “Give it enough time… the other shoe will drop.”    “Don’t enjoy life too much… it’ only tempting fate!”   

Justice… the Justice of God!    “Smite them, Lord!  Make them pay!”    The house of Herod – the one that killed John the Baptist… unjustly killed him – his house… fell.   There are no more Herods!       That’s part of Justice!   “Lord, make it fair!”   “Make them pay until the balance of Justice is equal!”       Fairness...    Justice!     The scales balance now…

What is your Justice?    The “right” will prevail?    The “evil” will be punished?    Then why doesn’t that always happen?   The “Right” don’t always prevail!      And the “evil” aren’t always punished! 

     “Just give it time… the right thing will happen”, they say.     Well, wait long enough, and none of it will matter anyway.    Is that it?   Wait long enough and it won’t matter?

What is God’s Justice to us?   Prophets spoke in the olden days… prophets calling people back to the right ways of living.    Ways of Righteousness….  

Prophets of God… speakers of Divine Justice….  How could the people of Israel not have listened to you?   How could they have challenged your words?    How could they have not seen?   Or understood your meanings?      You called them to care for the “orphans and widows”… symbols of the un-cared for!     Symbols that were real.   Symbols that really were what they represented… those who had no-one and nothing… those on the edges of life….

You called then to welcome the foreigner, the stranger!      Another symbol, another reality visible!      But these forgetful people… they forgot to care for those falling through the cracks.   It was so obvious!     Even I could understand what you meant…. and who you meant!      Over and over again we have read the stories of you – O prophets – lifting a mirror to these cold-hearted people.    Your words brought warnings of Divine Justice!   “O People of Israel…  turn from your selfish ways!   Change your hearts – O people – and you change the eyes of your soul!    Let your worship be led by compassion!  Let compassion lead your hearts…  for those who are hurt, cold, tired, hungry… broken.    

The Lord does not want a perfect voice…   or a perfectly-worded prayer….   or perfect clothing…    if the heart is empty of the Lord’s love!       Change your heart… and you change your worship.  Let your altar be acts of compassion and mercy!   Let your temple be a pure heart.   Let Righteousness be your Counselor!   Let Divine Justice be your guide!” 

Justice.     Divine Justice.      Words meant to light the path… not threaten retribution!    The prophetic words of Justice – not that evil would befall the chosen, so much as God’s will would eventually prevail…   the Will of a changed world…   the Will of a world of peace… and Justice!    The hungry would be fed!   The broken would be healed!    The right actions of hope and mercy would be done in the world!    

“But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”  Amos… chapter 5, verse 24….

When Martin Luther King spoke so many decade ago… in that “sweltering Heat of oppression” as he called it… he presented a whole different view of Justice.    Words that Martin Luther King used about the Divine Justice of God…  present in the world of human beings… “Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never failing stream.”

His speech on April 3^rd of 1968… spoke of the call of Justice:  – “That's the question before you tonight.”, He said.     “Not, ‘If I stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to my job?’   Not, ‘If I stop to help the sanitation workers what will happen to all of the hours that I usually spend in my office every day and every week as a pastor?’   The question is not, ‘If I stop to help this man in need, what will happen to me?’    The question is, "If I do not stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to them?’  That's the question.”

Divine Justice…   Divine Righteousness….   Breaking into our world!                    

The next day, April 4^th…    1968… he was shot and killed.     O Divine Justice, where are you?     

“Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never failing stream.”

 Words calling us to change our minds.    Divine Justice.   What are you – Divine Justice?    An invitation…  to change our minds?      

If I change my mind… what will happen to me?         If I change my heart…. What will happen to me?   

Amos – you’re one of the prophets… what will happen to me?   “Let Justice roll on like a river… righteousness like a never ending stream.”   

Malala Yousufsai proclaims the Divine Justice of equality in our day… She calls for the education of girls in Afghanistan and around the world.   She speaks with the words of a modern prophet.   Divine Justice….    not divine retribution, but an invitation to work for a better world.      An invitation to work for a better world… often in the face of evil, of darkness.      

You fight for justice in a country that’s 7 thousand miles from here… and a world away!   I agree with you Malala, girls should be educated!    That doesn’t threaten me… so I can’t see how it should threaten others in Afghanistan!    

But what do my Malala’s tell me here in my home?    What do my prophets tell me –  my very own prophets – here where I live?   

“Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never failing stream.”

Where must Justice flow in my world?   Where must justice flow in my heart?    Where am I stopping justice from flowing?  

Now I’m opening this box… why?     Lift the corners of the wrapping – “Divine Justice” Look a little deeper.   Why am I looking at this thing on the shelf?  Leave it alone…. Just leave it alone.

Justice.     Divine Justice.     

I can see it more easily in the past.     Ruby Bridges, that brave little girl of 6… that brave little girl, 6 years old… so many years ago.      She will be 61 years old this Fall.     Ruby, what a brave little girl you were!      A six year old walking bravely…    scared to death…    confused…   walking up those steps – those iconic steps – with a deputy US marshal on each side of you – tall white Giants next to this little black child… brave little girl.   Did you even know what was going on, I wonder?    You were the face of integrated schools in the South… in the world!   

I can see Justice flowing like a river…    behind me.    How easy that is!    

And I can see it more easily somewhere else!      When Aung San Soo Kyi speaks against the oppression of her people of Burma…  against the destructive government power killing and subjugating… yeah… I get it…   Let Justice roll there!     Let Justice roll like a never ending stream.

Why can’t I put this package down?     Lifting the corners, opening it up… peeking inside… Looking, examining… examining… what does “Justice” mean?   What does Justice really mean- Lord?      What does it mean…  not far away… not yesterday…   but here – where I live!      

I can see it far away,    I can see it behind me…    But here – now – in my world – where I live…. 

How hard it is to see.   How hard… because I don’t want to see.   Because if I did see what Justice looked like in my world, then I would be drawn to do something… and that’s very hard!   

Justice…    Divine Justice…    what are you saying…   I can barely hear!      What are you saying?   

“Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never failing stream.”