07.17.07
defining justice
From an article at Next-Wave…
“As Judah probed more, it finally came to me. One of those a-ha moments that only a child, who was still five at the time, can inspire.
“Justice,” I told him, “is about righting wrongs.”
It’s why Jesus came – to right the wrongs of sin in our lives in order to restore relationship with Him — and He expects no less from us.
While Judah and I spoke that afternoon, I remembered that this wasn’t the first time he helped me make sense of justice.
_________
“Why didn’t we help that man?”
As Judah’s confused yet compassionate eyes gazed at mine, his words cut deep. We had just passed a panhandler in Chinatown on the way to introduce mom to soupy dumplings. I had taken him the night before, just the two of us, on a father-son outing. He enjoyed the dumplings so much, and the practice chopsticks the waiter taught him how to use, that he wanted to bring mom the next night.
What do you mean, “Why didn’t we help?” I thought. We’re on family time. The rationalization didn’t cut it for me, however, so I figured it would mean even less to him. So I promised Judah that if the man was still there after we ate then we could give him some money.
On the way back to the car, we passed the man a second time. No longer panhandling, he sat on a stoop with his head between his legs. I gave Judah a handful of coins and took him to the man. “Excuse me,” I said. “My son has something he wants to give you.”
