Today in class we read Chapter 16, “Atonement as Missional Praxis: Justice,” from Scott McKnight’s book, A Community Called Atonement. Although it was a fairly concise chapter, I found that it contained much to ponder. According to the dictionary, the concept of justice refers to that which has “the quality of being just or fair” – or, perhaps more helpfully, “the principle of moral rightness.” The latter definition helps me to understand how different conceptions of justice exist; they are simply proposing different answers to the question “What is right?” In an American mindset, personal liberty ranks at the forefront as a response to this question, for example. But McKnight and others assert that the key question is really “Whosejustice is it?” because different parties will envision the standard of justice in vastly different ways. This is a more fundamental question, I think, and therefore more illuminating. While American justice has a certain flavor, God’s justice is something distinct… not because they propose different answers to the question “What is right?” (although I think that, ultimately, they do) but because they have different authors. Certainly, at times, the American perspective and God’s view of justice will clash. American justice has nothing to do with the atoning death of Christ, which according to McKnight, is central to justice in the Christian sense. I would argue that God’s justice is the ultimately real, the justice that will one day be established over the whole earth. But in the present, Christians must take care to distinguish carefully between the two and to circumcise our hearts so that our loyalty lies with the ethic of justice defined by our Creator and Lord. On the flip side, I am wondering – Do these two visions of justice ever overlap, perhaps by calling for the same course of action in a given situation, or are they utterly distinct? If they are fundamentally different, another issue comes to light. Is it possible for Christians to collaborate with those outside the church to bring justice about? The possibility of this seems remote to me, because how can we possibly interact about the issue of justice, or work together for it when we are speaking of two different things? Is such a partnership even wise or beneficial?
– Adrienne
I agree with Diana. I think our idea of justice (as Americans and humans not as Chirstians seeking to follow God’s ways) is skewed in that it seeks for revenge and retribution. This is an interesting paradox for a human Christian who recognizes wrath as one of the seven deadly sins, therefore, I see this distinction on the grounds of justice as a call to action in our faith and a call to be not of the world. Good point!
There are definitely situations where God’s idea of justice differs from the world’s idea of justice. But these are our opportunities to shine; to show we can be different from the world and to share God’s truth and justice and love with them (as cheesy as that sounds).
Thoughts like this are really relevant when we think about why it is that we pursue justice as Christians and what that looks like. I think that despite motivation, Christians and non-Christians can and should work together against poverty and injustice. It can be a faithful witness to both the ones we’re trying to serve and those that we’re serving with.
Adrienne, I also thought that reading was very interesting! I’d never even though about that the definition of worldly justice and biblical justice could be different.. I’d never thought of them as separate. It seems to me that the world’s definition of justice is solely fair. God’s definition of justice is so much more full and positive, it not alone gets ride of suffering but it brings joy and love and togetherness. 🙂
I think, commenting on your question of if collaboration can happen, that it is possible, but requires discernment. If every person is created in God’s image (which Christians do – Imago Dei), then it makes a bit of sense that there will be some underlying commonness in our perspective of what is right and just. Discernment is needed to demarcate where we, as the church, need to embrace a more counter-cultural posture. In other words, it is important that we work hard to learn the lesson of not being “against” everything and everybody, but also be a prophet voice when it is appropriate. Does that make any sense?