Justice. I want justice. A flood of it. A heap, a mess, a mass of it. For the world to look the way it’s supposed to. For everyone to treat everyone else like they’re made and loved by God. For every human to treat this planet like it was made by and belongs to God.
But then I look at myself and realize I’m part of the reason things are not right. I treat people, at times, like God didn’t make them in His image. I treat the planet, at times, like God didn’t call it “good.” I need justice to break out in me first. Right now. Right here. Then in my neighbor. Then in my nation.
To be clear - God is concerned about a crooked nation.
But He’s also concerned about a crooked town in that crooked nation.
And a crooked house in that crooked town.
And a crooked man in that crooked house.
And a crooked heart in that crooked man.
And that crooked heart is mine.
And my crooked heart needs justice - though I am often too prideful to admit it.
This heart needs to be pressed, pruned, scrubbed, scoured, worked and washed by God until it begins to produce the fruit of justice.
My log-eye needs justice so that I can help my neighbor’s speck-eye.
So that I can align what’s misaligned in my crooked house.
So that I can sweep oppression from the streets in my crooked town.
So that I can cure injustice in my crooked nation.
And when my nation fills with people who have hearts that crave justice within, then we’ll humbly pursue justice without. When I look at my lying neighbor I’ll admit, “I could have lied too.” When I look at my thieving neighbor I’ll admit “I could have stolen too.” When I look at my killing neighbor I’ll admit, “I could have killed too.” Then justice will flow like frigging rivers.
I want justice for every man, woman, child, beast, and bug. Everyone’s crookedness straightened. Everyone‘s wrongs made right. Criminals punished. Victims restored in full. Retribution for the bad guy. Restoration for the little guy. I want justice. But now I know that the justice that breaks the curse is the justice that breaks out in me first. The justice that rolls over the heart that beats in my chest.
