Justice is a charged word. I find myself now more than ever bombarded with calls to justice; in class, in chapel, and, subtly, in the news. The images of lost faces and bloodied bodies haunt the small recesses of my psyche as I see article after article on the refugee crisis that is currently occurring in much of Europe.
I used to find it easy to simply put down the paper (or more accurately, close the browser) and continue on with daily life; theorizing about ethics and justice in class, talking about the need for prayer and good works in chapel, and even postulating solutions to many of the world’s crises. These are all helpful and challenging activities with which to stimulate the mind and I recommend them.
Upon reflection, this question wells up from the small, quiet places of my soul: What are you going to do about it? In all reality, we, as a Christian body are called to bring justice to the poor and needy, are we not? What a hefty statement. Before one can begin reacting to a situation of crisis with “justice”, should they not have a strong, clear conviction of what justice really means?
Now, obviously there are innumerable perceptions of justice (hence the perpetual international war and conflict), but what do we really believe justice is, as a Christian body? Do we claim, like the Crusaders, that in the name of Jesus we will conquer other nations, imposing our belief system as a rule of law? Do we define justice as proportional reaction based off of human ability to work with or without merit? Or do we simply throw our hands up in the name of pacifism because politics are “too messy” or “too worldly” to trifle with?
Please do not misunderstand, I have no answer to this question myself, but I would posit perhaps a deeper question that has led to a drop of clarity in this ocean of confusion. Why do we, as the human race, feel so strongly that justice needs to be exacted? Is it simply to seek revenge and make someone else feel the same pain they have inflicted upon us? Or is it to fulfill the biological human need for recognition? The latter question, more than any others I have thought through, strikes a chord with my discomfort in discussing and contemplating justice in a world full of pain. Recognizing and affirming the humanity of those suffering in all situations is the entire motive behind the need for justice.
This seems like an easy and obvious reaction to suffering and pain, as we think of C.L.E.W. speaker Dr. Richard Mouw’s call to be full of care in our thoughts and actions, but is it really as simple as that? It can be, but I would argue that in many situations, especially looking at the news of suffering refugees, we can become desensitized to the loss and pain that exists in the everyday lives of these people.
Having worked closely with refugees this summer in Athens, Greece, I can testify that their lives, their journeys, are anything but easy. One of the students I had the pleasure of befriending told me his story of losing his family to the Taliban in Afghanistan, brutally shooting his entire family in front of him at age 8. These are the types of stories we hear in the news, but detach ourselves from because they simply sound like stories, not someone’s most painful, vulnerable, and intimate memories. These people, these sharers in our humanity, are suffering and lost. We cannot sit idly by, twiddling our thumbs, wholly focused on anything but our voiceless fellow humans.
This does not have to mean going across the world to serve those who are in need, but what it certainly should mean is having a sensitivity to the crying out of the voiceless, and wrestling through the difficulty of navigating politics to work within a broken system. We cannot passively observe the depravity of humanity without looking at our actions, thoughts, and opinions carefully and intentionally to bring the love of Christ to all. Che Guevara says it so pointedly, “Above all, always be capable of feeling deeply any injustice committed against anyone anywhere in the world.”
