Introduction:
In society, people can suffer hurts arising from: war, violence, poverty, discrimination, hatred, climate change, pollution, and so on. Good citizens do not keep quiet in the face of these problems. They ask questions why things are how they are and also seek for solutions. The actions and positive attitudes that can solve these problems refer to social justice. Social justice promotes the view that everyone is entitled to enjoy the same political, economic and social rights irrespective of race, gender or socioeconomic standing. It provides the conditions that allow people to obtain what is fair and just in society. Therefore, the best way to teach about Social Justice is to do Social Justice by serving the homeless, feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, visiting prisoners, asking why there is poverty in a wealthy world and taking action to change things. Peace World exposes young people to these realities early on in life. We believe that the quicker they learn the better.
Bible Sayings about Justice:
- “Learn to do good, search for Justice, help the oppressed, be just to the orphan, plead for the widow” (Isaiah 1:17)
- “This is what God asks of you: only this, to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8)
- “Let Justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream” (Amos 5:24)
- “…integrity will bring peace, Justice give lasting security” (Isaiah 32:17)
- “No more mockery of Justice. Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked” (Psalm 82:2-4)
Other Sayings about Justice:
- “Action on behalf of Justice and participation in the transformation of the world fully appear to us as a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the Gospel” – World Synod of Bishops, Justice in the World, 1971, #6.
- “If you want Justice, defend life” – Pope St. John Paul II
- "The Church cannot and must not remain on the side lines in the fight for justice" – Pope Benedict XVI
- “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” - Martin Luther King, Jr.
- “Justice is truth in action” - Benjamin Disraeli
- “Suppression of progress plays into the hands of the social enemy. Every advance in social justice establishes the nation.” – Henry Ford
- “The opposite of poverty is not wealth. In too many places, the opposite of poverty is justice.” - Bryan Stevenson
On social Justice:.
- “When I give food to the poor they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor has no food, they call me a communist” – Dom Helder Camara
- “The earth has enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed” – Mahatma Gandhi
A Prayer for Justice:
Grant us Lord God, a vision of our land as your love would make it:
-a land where the weak are protected, and none go hungry or poor;
- a land where the benefits of civilized life are shared, and everyone can enjoy them;
- a land where different races and cultures live in tolerance and mutual respect;
- a land where peace is built on justice, and justice is guided by love.
And give us the inspiration and courage to build it, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!