As Christians we should know that justice is the bare minimum we owe to one another. It arises out of our natural interdependence. Justice cannot be avoided; it is the foundation of so much else, not least of all peace. Without justice there can be no peace and without peace there can be no civilising society. This is what you might call the natural imperative, but there is more, there is the divine imperative which urges us beyond justice and peace, but certainly presupposes it – namely, the Gospel. No one can take the Gospel to heart without acquiring a thirst for justice and peace. Nor can this ever be merely an academic exercise or remain in the realm of theory.

He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives,
and to the blind new sight,
to set the downtrodden free,
to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.

Jesus came to proclaim to us the good news of salvation, of freedom, of healing, of truth, of dignity, of respect. Some have wanted to interpret this good news solely in terms of the hereafter – pie in the sky when you die. However, this salvation is for all human kind and for all time. It is also for the here and now. Didn’t Jesus tell us that the Kingdom is here already, that it is overtaking us? The good news is both spiritual and material; it is both for hereafter and the here and now.
Father all-powerful, we praise you for your presence and action in the world. Your Spirit changes our hearts; enemies begin to speak to one another, those who are estranged join hands in friendship and nations seek the way of peace together.
Your Spirit is at work when understanding puts an end to strife, when hatred is quenched by mercy, and vengeance gives way to forgiveness.
For us Christians, justice and peace are fundamental, but there is much, much more. Justice and peace are only the beginning. In Christ and through his Spirit we aspire to something even greater, beyond our imagining:
In that new world where the fullness of your peace will be revealed, gather people of every race, language, and way of life to share in the one eternal banquet with Jesus Christ the Lord.
May that new world come, and may we be part of it!
+ Terry