And Justice for All

What is it that elicits and casts some people into seemingly catatonic fits? I am referring to how Americans and Christians react to a protest march or a kneeling stance in response to a death or during the playing of America’s national anthem. Both, Americans and Christians in America have documents which assert the right to justice, the call to justice and the obligation to uphold justice. (I use the term American separately from Christians only to denote that not all Americans are Christians. There is nothing implied either in subtle questions or suggestions as to their moral character.)

There is an important distinction to note between Americans and Christians in this sense. It is that our Founding Fathers’ beliefs as preserved in our nation’s documents declare “that all men are created equal.” Nevermind for now, the greater implications of those words beyond America’s borders. Here at home those words purport to uphold that same dignity for, again, -all- men, or mankind. I will refrain from enumerating the list of all and the various Americans and aliens (not a disparaging term) in America to whom these words apply.

There is a similar call for precisely the same thing in the body of scriptures revered by Christians as the Bible. The difference is that justice is presented first and foremost for the individual believer and for them to respond to that need and hunger for justice _ or mercy, in the presence of God. No, there is nothing in the body of scripture (although I can anticipate and welcome words to the contrary) which incites the Christian to violence on another human being in the name of justice. The fact that violence can and does happen is because of that individual’s own misguided decision and not because there is any standing on the authority of scripture.

So, to revert to the opening question as to why some people seem to find (although it is not as though they did not know it) themselves in catatonic fit. My observations of both Americans and Christians lead me to conclude is that neither one has been or is being true to what they profess. Here, more specifically, is what I mean. The documented, stated and unstated banner message in America is that noble one which Lady Liberty and our pledge of allegiance proclaim and cry out of, “justice for all.”

Recently I heard a perspective from a man and a woman. They feigned dumbfoundedness (they made it clear that they were not dumbfounded and it was merely to drive their point) at the crossfire talk in America that charges President Obama with having divided America and making America a fomenting hotbed of racism. Then, they state, the same charge is heard from others about President Trump as having divided America and making it a fomenting hotbed of racism. Their observation was that racism is nothing new. It has been here all along for a very long time. They, their families, friends, neighbors and relatives have lived in it and experienced it for many years.

The reality is that racism and its poisonous fruit which rots the hearts and souls of men has only recently come to be widely exposed. It is now no longer limited to the very quaint few seconds long vignette on mainstream, primetime national television news. One would think that this exposure could be denied as false. Yes, like many things this is certainly possible until the evidence is compiled and piled high that racism is not limited to the local thug, or hooded club, but it is exposed as being deeply rooted in the legal, law enforcement and judicial system such as Ferguson, Missouri. Americans were informed of this in the aftermath of a thorough investigation. This is the same legal, law enforcement and judicial system which purports to uphold JUSTICE FOR ALL MEN!

The indictment and judgment of nations, whether you wish to say it is by nature or God, is beside the point. The reality is that a people will not stand and will not endure as a nation if injustice is shrugged off with flip, glib retorts for the oppressed to, “get over it.” The indictments and judgments hurled by different people on both President Obama and President Trump is the stuff of what I call comparative morality. It is that standard of personal morality whereby an individual might readily parrot the standard “none of us is perfect” while comparing themselves to another person. They might even readily admit that they are pretty bad, (that is, evil) but “not that bad _ especially not in THIS particular instance.” Hence, they emerge, in their own mind, above and more righteous than all others.

As a final word to my brothers and sisters in Christ I refer you to the familiar text in the book of Acts, chapter six. This first ever problem which the church faced was archived by the Holy Spirit for posterity. The problem involved justice, ethnicity, economics and a simple matter of logistics. The ethnic group of the Hellenistic widows complained that the food distribution was somehow not getting to them and perhaps favoring the Hebrew widows. The response from the church and the apostles was not: “We are all Christians, here. God will provide. Get over it.” No, they resolved  the issue substantively.

This is what was said of Jesus, the one in whom the saints in Christ had believed:

19 A division occurred again among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, "He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him?" 21 Others were saying, "These are not the sayings of one demon-possessed. A demon cannot * open the eyes of the blind, can he?" (John10:19-21)

This was not a street march chant. It was told to his face:

48 The Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?" 49 Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. 50 "But I do not seek My glory; there is One who seeks and judges. 51 "Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never * see death." 52 The Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets also; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word, he will never * taste of death.' (John 8:48-52)

So, I am neither incensed nor am I cast into a catatonic fit at the name-calling and accusations. The cries about dishonoring America or the flag, both of which I respect, are not in the same category as to dishonor a man or the life of a man. Please. I know the one about those men and women who gave their lives for America. There is an indicting testimony in the attempt to cite the sacrifice of those men and women as their sacrifice for our freedom while Americans and Christians simultaneously are incensed at the substantive and substantiated cry and protest of Americans against injustice.

I believe America is capable of rising to this present challenge. The only thing worse than injustice is to deny, ignore or suppressed it. Desire and love justice, kindness and mercy.