Active Justice - Day 79 Month 3-20 Week 12-2
Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year)
Leviticus 19 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus%2019&version=NASB1995
Psalm 67 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2067&version=NASB1995
Isaiah 56 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2056&version=NASB1995
Luke 2:1-20 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%202%3A1-20&version=NASB1995
Active Justice
Psalm 67:4 says God “will judge the peoples with uprightness.” In Isaiah 56:1 we are told to “Preserve justice and do righteousness (meaning actively living in accordance with God’s moral standards, character, and commandments: love God and love your neighbour as yourself.)” In Luke when the angels announce Jesus' birth to the shepherds, they say “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
I quickly verified, from those who have studied original manuscripts, of the last line the angels said to the shepherds, “peace among men with whom He is pleased,” and that is an accurate translation. It’s important because that limits the “peace” God offers.
When the angels arrived to announce Jesus’ birth, obviously Jesus had not stated the 2 most important commandments, but we have already read from the Old Testament, to “preserve justice and do righteousness.” It’s interesting that it’s saying preserve justice, it is not saying judge and do righteousness. This tells me that in fact we are to preserve it. Preserve is a verb which means we are to be active. Since in Matthew and Mark we have read that Jesus fulfills the law, we can conclude from this that God is telling us to love Jesus (I AM) and to care for our neighbour. This is where we find God’s peace!
I’m sure that as you read this, you’re thinking, Oh, here he goes again talking about that “loving God” and “loving your neighbour” stuff again. It’s important because I am speaking this to myself and you are all just reading my personal processing. I like to claim I love my neighbour but I’ve been the one to drive by the person in trouble on the highway or to minimize hurtful things that I witness between people and not stand up to those who bully others.
Injustice happens all around us in this world. The other day, Jake, our dog, and I, were waiting in the car while Sylvia was shopping in Dollarama. Sylvia is a master at finding good prices and it’s one of the many ways she helps us keep our cost of living down. So, it’s not unusual for us to be shopping at Dollarama. While she was in line to pay, an older woman was just about to leave and she was short the money for purchasing a pen. Sylvia, without pause, immediately said to the cashier to put it on our bill. Sylvia sees a need and fills it. She’s also very aware that many other people in this world need to nickel and dime everything because at the end of the month, there may be nothing left and that’s an unfortunate reality in our world. It is an injustice. When we can fix the injustice, we need to do that.
I unfortunately lean towards passivity. When my daily time is structured I accomplish much more because that forces a reversal of passivity. Unfortunately, it also means, it doesn’t take much to be thrown off my schedule. I have devised a morning routine that effectively manages my time between waking up and sitting down to write this blog. I get up, start the coffee pot, visit the “throne room” to prepare myself for the day, go to the kitchen, take my vitamins, put the coffee in the carafe, prepare for the next morning coffee, prepare Syls coffee and lemon water, walk Jake, feed Jake, fill up Syl’s coffee, fill up Syl’s water glass with the warm lemon water, take her the coffee and water, come back to the kitchen, make my breakfast, eat my breakfast, wash the dishes and sit in the blogwriting massage chair. One hour and one half on the button!!!!
The problem with such a good structure?: Let’s say Syl gets up early, or I need to work, or I need to take the truck to a shop for mechanical and body work at 8:00AM next Wednesday. What does that do? I panic! The math starts! You see, I need to be at work for 8AM so that means I need to leave for work at 7:30 so back tracking, it takes 1-½ hours to work on reading and blog writing, 1-½ hours for my other morning process, so that means 4:30 AM wake up. I sure hope Syl doesn’t wake up during that time because then I may not get everything done.
In the end, I haven’t allowed time for the unexpected. For example, I think it is a great injustice that I can sleep but Syl struggles. If she’s up because she can’t sleep, I haven’t allowed for her needs or time to encourage her. So that means, I need to allow for healthy distraction and bend the schedule. My wife is more important!
So what’s all this got to do with passivity. If I’m not structured I go to the other extreme. The provincial budget has been reduced, dramatically, in arts, culture and heritage because of, what appears to be, poor financial management at the provincial level. It sounds like it’s “just arts and culture” but it’s much much more. It’s peoples’ livelihood. I live in an arts community that is near the oldest settlement in Canada. That means all the people who work in the provincial museums have lost their jobs, the theatre in town that relies heavily on government support will lose much of its capability to draw people in, meaning jobs may be at stake and as an aside, my wife is an artist. Her ability to support the arts in the community will take a hit because of funding cuts. When there was a demonstration in town, Syl was one of the loudest sign carriers and I passively showed up after the demonstration was finished and the speeches had started at the theatre. I did need to look after the dog, but I haven’t written letters or anything. So now, after I have completed today’s reading and blogging, I need to write letters to our MLA (who hasn’t responded to anyone as yet), and to our provincial premier, who is digging in his heels with, what appears to be, his own personal agenda, despite thousands of protesters daily at his doorstep in Halifax.
I want to be aware and be prepared to respond to injustices I see. These take precedence above everything, apart from God and Sylvia. That means accepting that my morning schedule, may be thrown off. I need to schedule my easy days to be active yet willfully adjust when needed.
Back to Psalm 67:4, God judges “with uprightness” or you could say impartial Justice. The world will be judged with uprightness. For those of us, who have seen injustice yet have not responded to fight that injustice, we are as guilty as those who do the injustice. We will be judged. I’m thankful for Jesus’ forgiveness that has already justified my injustices, but out of gratitude, I need to be at the forefront of fighting injustice!
Like I said, I’m talking to me but maybe some of you who read this, may see a need to adjust too. I’ll see you all at the front line of the war on injustice. I’m thinking that’s the only real “just war!”
Have a great day!
Steve
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