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I was deeply troubled last week when I viewed the video of George Floyd held down by police officers in downtown Minneapolis. He pleads with the cry “I can’t breathe.” Then he slowly goes silent and stops moving. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the casual attitude of the officer with his knee on George Floyd’s neck adds greatly to my disturbance.

This incident triggered protesting, rioting, looting and deaths in the United States. We have also seen protests in major Canadian cities and around the world. People watching all this unfold can quickly divide into camps – whether they be political, social or racial. Yet one word continues to resonate with everyone, it seems to me.

Justice. Here’s one definition – “The maintenance or administration of what is just especially by the impartial adjustment of conflicting claims or the assignment of merited rewards or punishments.” (Merriam-Webster) It’s synonyms include “fairness, impartiality, righteousness, honesty, integrity, reasonableness.” In my limited understanding of history, the grievance of many concerns the injustice of the “justice” system in the past and present.

This should concern us especially as Christians. God cannot stand it when a society is unjust especially towards the weak and vulnerable. To His own people, the Israelites, he said, “When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. (Isaiah 1:15).” One of the major marks of a “healthy society” in God’s eyes was it’s concern for it’s most vulnerable. “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good, seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause (Isaiah 1:16-17).”

So we Christians need to check ourselves if we think that justice is not high on God’s priority. Yet justice is not simple. If you asked your friends or neighbors, what would justice look like in this situation, you might get as many different answers as the number of people you ask. What does justice look like for George Lloyd’s family? What does it look like for other families whose loved one died under suspicious circumstances while in custody? What does it look like for current prisoners who could afford no legal counsel and were told to plead guilty to something they didn’t do just to get a lesser sentence? What does it look like for shop and business owners who have had their stores smashed and looted? What does it look like for honest people working in law enforcement who have lived and served with integrity?

We certainly need to try so seek justice and correct oppression. That’s a command from God. But I am also comforted by the fact that God is the ultimate judge without partiality. No one can successfully bribe, manipulate, threaten or pressure Him to make unjust decisions. He will resolve and bring justice to every unjustly resolved situation throughout history. In that sense, Judgement Day is good news for a people longing for justice. “For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all who wait for him.” Isaiah 30:18

“Lord God, I lift up this painful, tragic situation to you. I pray that You will bring justice to all aggrieved. I also pray that you will work in other believers and myself to live out Isaiah 1:16-17. Help us to cease to do evil; learn to do good; seek justice and correct oppression whenever such things cross our path of life.”

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