Justice and Love
Injustice is a consequence of a failure to love our neighbour, and thus to obey Jesus’ commandment. And when there is injustice and therefore no love, we offend against God, Fr Ralph de Hahn writes in his reflection.
The Bible speaks loudly on the theme of love — loving God and loving one’s neighbour — but not many people recognise its equally powerful cry for justice. The Psalms and wisdom books of the Old Testament overflow with this theme: “In his day, justice shall flourish, and he will rule the world with his justice.”
Why is that? Because justice is rooted in love of neighbour. Thus, if there is little respect and justice towards one’s fellow human, then there is a lack of love — and this offends against the primary commandment, making it impossible to live the Christian way of life fully. It is a grave matter that erodes the foundations of our social, economic, and spiritual lives, putting our faith itself on trial.
Justice means so much more than merely punishment for wrongdoing. It defends the rights of all God’s children in every sphere of human activity, ensuring that they receive their due, both the good and bad. One need only turn to the Bible readings on this subject to understand that there may be no mockery of God’s justice. The book of Proverbs states: “Where justice reigns, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to the evildoers” ( Proverbs 21:15).
Voices from the Prophets
The ancient Jewish prophets speak vehemently against the abuse of love and the injustice that follows. They declare that religious rituals and sacrifices on holy altars are of little worth in the light of injustice inflicted on millions. The prophet Amos warns that “unless your justice flows like a river, yes, a never-failing stream, unless it is so, I will reject your offerings and sacrifices, and I will scorn your festivals and your chanting.” Hosea, also acting as God’s prophet, accuses the priests: “You are charged to repent and care for justice, but you have betrayed me.”
Jeremiah is even more bitter: “Why is it that the wicked ones prosper? Why is it that the treacherous ones thrive? Drag those who practise injustice off like sheep to the slaughter.”
Isaiah counsels: “Break the chains of injustice, set the oppressed free, share your goods with the downtrodden, the homeless, the hungry, the victims of injustice. Then shall your light shine in the darkness.” And that light will transform our living as believing Christians.
These truths resonate deeply even today, in our supposedly civilised society. Many hardworking labourers receive far less than they deserve. So many dedicated domestic workers, cleaners, and nurses are horribly underpaid and undervalued. Even in Church circles, a history of injustice towards faithful workers, and in some cases clergy, persists. It’s not a stretch to conclude that most of the world’s problems stem from this pervasive injustice.
Only God is the final judge
Yet only God is the final judge. We are reminded in Scriptures of God’s merciful nature, offering compassion to the repentant sinner. While a just God cannot act against his own sense of justice, including due punishment, we experience God’s mercy — undeserved, surprising, and often incomprehensible to our human understanding.
St Paul reflects on this mystery, highlighting the depths of God’s wisdom and the impossibility of fully understanding his motives: “How rich are the depths of God’s wisdom; how impossible to penetrate his motives. Who could ever know the mind of the Lord?” (Romans 11:33).
Because God is perfect, we can trust in the perfect balance of justice and mercy within him. On a deeper level, we understand that God is love and accept that he is mercy. The harmonious operation of justice and mercy brings a peace for which our world yearns.
Published in the July 2024 issue of The Southern Cross magazine
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