Justice and Righteousness

"I have put my spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations....

I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,..."

From Isaiah 42

The Left seeks justice.

The Right seeks righteousness.

Both are needful. One values people as they are, accepts them, and affirms them.

But the other calls them to higher levels of personal behavior.

And we humans take our pick - one, or the other. But God calls us to seek both.

It is such a difficult balancing act. "Hate the sin, love the sinner." But the sinner certainly does not feel loved when we show them a better, a purer way. Even if we LIVE the godly life, without preaching about it, they get mad. And it's hard to pick out one sin that we NEVER commit, and advocate for it . . . while ignoring the 99 other sins that we do all the time, without thinking. Non-believers (and many believers) have a word for that: hypocrisy.

The Left calls out the Right - saying why are you judging others? You're not perfect. But in making this assertion, they are admitting that a sin has indeed been committed. Children desperately desire acceptance, even when, especially when, they do wrong. Adult sinners living publicly and defiantly in lifestyles that clearly are not pure, nor particularly loving (a word whose definition we have lost); lash out when questioned, even gently. In the dark of the night, cockroaches skitter away when a light turns on. This is us. We hate . . . HATE . . . to be called out. And we all are deserving of it.

But God wants BOTH from us: desire justice until your head aches. But live in righteousness (self-control, purity, charity), until your desire to taste the world's delicious poison bends you to the breaking point. The search for justice can break your bank. Your giving in to temptation can waste your bank. Your elevation in both areas is painful and backbreaking. 

But you HELP others by doing both. Justice helps the physical needs of others by protecting them. Righteousness helps the spiritual needs of yourself by keeping your soul pure. 

We need both. Go for broke. Go for both.