Justice

Interesting reading over the weekend in regard to "Justice".  Check out the link at Prison Fellowship Ministries.

In that article, Chuck Colson declares that conservative folk view justice through the lens of retribution and punishment. 

On the other hand, liberal folk view justice through the lens of "fairness" and declare that poverty causes crime, so the real enemy is poverty. Therefore liberal crusaders for "justice" seek to end poverty as a means to an end.

What's interesting is the Biblical viewpoint embraces both concepts. God punishes the wicked, yet the early church shared everything equally as much as each could contribute.  Even the early books of the law declare that we should share with those less able by leaving the gleanings in the field.

What's even more interesting is the divergent attitudes among Christians on this issue that don't embrace both points of view.

Liberal Christians in the style of "Sojourners" proclaim war on poverty. Conservative Christians on the right want more prisons built.

Jesus said that "the poor you will have always".  I've always viewed that as a simple statement of fact.  However in light of this article, it now seems to me that it's more of a challenge and call to action.

In light of Jesus' statement that it's harder for a rich man to enter heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, it appears that heaven is going to be made up of a great deal of the "poor".

I don't know about you, but I'd like to spend an eternity with my brothers and sisters who have fond memories of me helping them while we journeyed on earth together.

The question for me is what is "help"?  But that's a topic for another day....