” The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed” Psalm 103:6
To understand true justice is to understand the character of God. His justice is righteous, as He is. His justice is merciful, hopeful and established in truth. His justice is not about revenge or vindication, but restoration and redemption. God’s justice, through Jesus Christ, is a perfect example for us. It has provided the full measure of redemption for a sinful world, in which he loves. Injustice would amount to everything that falls short of that. Injustice exists to oppress others and deny them the life that they were destined to live. It works through hunger and poverty, greed and abuses of power. It robs children of innocence and the elderly of dignity. It feeds on racism and anger. It crushes hope and the future. It walks a broad path and destroys community. It leaves behind despair. And it affects everyone.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” Martin Luther King Jr.
It is our purpose in the Justice Gate to be a voice of hope. For true justice requires a voice. This is the place where voices are raised to God, crying out for His justice to be established in Saskatchewan. Justice is ” the use of authority to uphold what is just”. In our authority as the Church of Saskatchewan, we stand before His Throne of Grace and ask that Saskatchewan would become a just province. We bless and pray for our established governments, courts and law enforcement agencies. That they would be protected and led by His wisdom. God has put them in their positions for a reason and we desire to see the fullness of what God wants to establish through them.
” By me kings reign and rulers make laws that are just;” Proverbs 8:15
It is by His wisdom that laws shall be made and established. And it is our prayer that all of those He has placed in positions of power would be led by His wisdom. We understand the great responsibility they carry and the greater responsibility the church has, to pray for them.
“Thou shall not be a victim. Thou shall not be a perpetrator. Above all, thou shall not be a bystander” Holocaust Museum, Washington, DC
It is also our hope that as we humbly raise our voices to God, He will hear, and cause a desire in the heart of the people to turn away from acts of injustice and abuse to raise more voices in our communities for the cause of His justice. ” ”
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8
Bonnie Johnston
