Pre-Writings (n.)

The commandment states that we should have no other gods before the one true God. Anything that has greater value than God is an idol. What of the idolatry of justice?

This may seem odd, as much of the OT idolatry led to a lack of justice and oppression of the poor. But since anything that is takes higher value in one’s life can be an idol, then it follows that even a passion for justice can be idolatry. (Indeed all these also become idols when valued more than God: ministry, evangelism, worship of God, etc.)

So, perhaps it would be wise to learn to evaluate oneself before the Lord. Do I pursue justice more or less passionately than I pursue God? Do I pursue God because the Christian view of God firstly fits my passion for justice? Or, does my passion for justice flow from and inform my view of God– the God of justice?

Again, the same goes for other enterprises. One could ask a worship leader, “What do you love more: Worshiping God or God Himself?”

I do not want to split hairs. I agree that it’s not so simple as saying “I love God therefore I cultivate His love for justice.” As N.T. Wright argues in his book Simply Christian, the hunger for justice in the world is an echo that we were meant for a different world, one under the loving rule of a just God. But at the same time, Christians must be clear about the priority of justice.

Justice implies the proper administration of the law, rewards, and punishments. Justice means all sinners should be punished, including this writer. Let us be humble as we cry out for justice and denounce the injustice we see around us. Let us first humbly absorb the notion that we justly deserve punishment.

But beyond that, God is a god of justice and mercy. Those two ideals are not at odds or in competition in the mind of God. God is not agonizing over which of those two are more important. In God justice and mercy are in perfect harmony. No tension. I readily admit I cannot understand that. But God has given finite minds an embodiment of justice and mercy in Jesus and the cross…..

Practically, I would ask this of myself: do I love doing justice more than I love God? If so, then let me not diminish my passion for justice. Rather, let my pursuit of justice be ever more tempered, informed, and humbled by my pursuit of God.