God has told you, O mortal, what is good;
   and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
   and to walk humbly with your God? 

Micah 6:8 (NRSV)

So, what exactly IS Justice? 

I’m going to quote a book that was VERY useful to me in seminary for this definition.  

justice Classically, the concept of each person receiving what is due. Biblically, the emphasis is on right relationships and persons receiving a share of the resources of the society. Concern is expressed for the oppressed and their right treatment. Justice is related to love and grace. 

Kim, Donald K., Westminister Dictionary of Theological Terms, 152.

It’s been a hard week already and we’re not nearly through it all. Two shootings in California to coincide with Lunar New Year celebrations, and now another in Washington State. Gun violence mars all our holidays in the United States these days. And it usually the case that someone is not receiving what is due. Relationships are broken. Lives are not only “oppressed:” they are taken. And love and grace are in short supply. 

It’s not fair!

People deserve to live in freedom to celebrate what they wish. I pray today for the victims of these shootings and for a deeper understanding of how God’s justice should apply to everyone, and not just a few. 

I invite you to pray for peace and seek to support organizations that live out a witness of peace in our world. Let’s pray for an end to gun violence here and abroad. This week, my sermon will focus on how we take the lesson of Micah 6:8 and apply it to our lives and to our church. I hope to see you in worship Sunday at 10 am!