Justice.

FUZZ AND CAROLYN KITTO

Because of my bad back I have a massage therapist. She is really good at finding the knots and the tension and relaxing the muscles around the back and neck. She is Chinese. Carolyn and I both go to her and think she is one of the best we have experienced. I asked her last year how she came to be so good. Was it because of what she was taught or did she intuitively find where the tension spots were or was it due to her training and head knowledge?

After I had to explain “intuition” to her she thought and said “Yes I massage with the heart and sense what is wrong and what is needed to be worked on. Then I massage with my head to know what to do with what I had found with my heart (intuition). Then I use my hands to do what my heart has found and what my head (training) has taught me to do!

Heart, head, hands!

It is so much like justice. We spiritually and intuitively respond with our heart. Justice is at the heart of God. The closer we get to the heart of God the more we find justice is simply – what God wants for the world.

Then once we find the heart and compassion of God we use our heads in searching what the bible has to say about these things. Not just what did Jesus say – but how and when Jesus did it! We see how many times doing justice is connected to healing (woman with the issue of blood), to evangelism (Zacchaeus), to worship and prayer (Jesus clearing the temple), and to redemption (rich young ruler).

Then we use our hands and put it into action. Sometimes this means using our hands to cup our mouths to shout out – to inform people about the injustices. Sometimes it is using our hands to send messages and show pictures and tell stories on social media. Sometimes it is giving a hand to those who are close to us and need to be helped, accepted and lifted up from being “downtrodden”. Sometimes it is putting our “hands in our pocket” to give money and raise money to help those who we cannot help ourselves.

This sort of justice process comes about when we know who we are - and whose we are! And what do we choose to invest in and do with our lives. We can live for pleasure and easily give in to the dominant culture around us. As John Mellencamp once sang if you don’t stand for something you’ll fall for anything![1] Eugene Peterson reflects in his thinking on discipleship, that:

Jesus’ metaphor, kingdom of God, defines the world in which we live. We live in a world where Christ is king. If Christ is king, everything, quite literally, everything and everyone, has to be re-imagined, re-configured, re-oriented to a way of life that consists in an obedient following of Jesus. A total renovation of our imagination, our way of looking at things—what Jesus commanded in his no-nonsense imperative, “Repent!”—is required.[2]

Justice is giving in, to the wonderful deep fun of an intimate relationship with God and the life of meaning, hope and deep spiritual satisfaction of living the reality of the Kingdom of God (what God wants, with God, the reference points and the best friend in our lives) – with heart, head and hand.◼︎