This morning we listened to part of the Interfaith Prayer Breakfast in Raleigh that is held every year on Martin Luther King Jr Day. David Crabtree was one of the speakers that we heard, and I appreciated some of the personal recollections that he had to share that explained some of his views and motives in his journalistic reporting. One of the King quotes he stated, and I've seen many times since on Facebook, is this:
Overall, it's a great quote. But when I started thinking about the daily things facing our society (Crabtree mentioned several, especially homelessness), I realized that the very terms justice and injustice are vague. I mentioned some of my thoughts to Bobby, and he agreed that our very views of justice and injustice are largely determined by the framework with which we view society.
For example: immigration. If I showed this saying to different friends and asked them how it applied to immigration in America, I would get the some of the following responses:
- The lottery system that we have for people to get visas to come to America, especially for those seeking asylum, are so unfair and tedious that it is an injustice. It undermines the citizenship process and the principle of America being a beacon freedom and hope to those in need.
- Ignoring our current laws, whether or not we like them, is an injustice. Choosing which laws we will obey or ignore creates loopholes for people who want to break the law and undermines our justice system as a whole.
- I had to serve in the Cuban military for 2 years because I could not get a visa to America until my service was over. I followed the law and did what American required, no matter what it cost me both as a Cuban and as a Christian. People should not be able to break the very laws that I had to suffer and follow to come just to be treated as heroes. There is no justice in that.
- It is unjust to have border laws at all, and by creating and having such laws we are creating an injustice to humanity in general. We are a rich country with abundant resources, and to ignore the plights of thousands who simply want the a better opportunity and the chance to work and support their families is unjust. None of us got to choose where we were born. Why should we punish others for not being born here?
And I'm sure there would be other variations of the above responses if I asked more people. I think every one of my friends above would agree with King's statement. But every single one would disagree with what it actually means in real life.
I fear that is one of the reasons why we will always have different opinions and cries of injustice and immorality - we see things from different viewfinders. As Christians, we are commanded to seek justice and to show mercy. (Micah 6:8) Determining how that plays out in real life can have different actions and reactions - even for Christians.
Overall, it's a great quote. But when I started thinking about the daily things facing our society (Crabtree mentioned several, especially homelessness), I realized that the very terms justice and injustice are vague. I mentioned some of my thoughts to Bobby, and he agreed that our very views of justice and injustice are largely determined by the framework with which we view society.
For example: immigration. If I showed this saying to different friends and asked them how it applied to immigration in America, I would get the some of the following responses:
- The lottery system that we have for people to get visas to come to America, especially for those seeking asylum, are so unfair and tedious that it is an injustice. It undermines the citizenship process and the principle of America being a beacon freedom and hope to those in need.
- Ignoring our current laws, whether or not we like them, is an injustice. Choosing which laws we will obey or ignore creates loopholes for people who want to break the law and undermines our justice system as a whole.
- I had to serve in the Cuban military for 2 years because I could not get a visa to America until my service was over. I followed the law and did what American required, no matter what it cost me both as a Cuban and as a Christian. People should not be able to break the very laws that I had to suffer and follow to come just to be treated as heroes. There is no justice in that.
- It is unjust to have border laws at all, and by creating and having such laws we are creating an injustice to humanity in general. We are a rich country with abundant resources, and to ignore the plights of thousands who simply want the a better opportunity and the chance to work and support their families is unjust. None of us got to choose where we were born. Why should we punish others for not being born here?
And I'm sure there would be other variations of the above responses if I asked more people. I think every one of my friends above would agree with King's statement. But every single one would disagree with what it actually means in real life.
I fear that is one of the reasons why we will always have different opinions and cries of injustice and immorality - we see things from different viewfinders. As Christians, we are commanded to seek justice and to show mercy. (Micah 6:8) Determining how that plays out in real life can have different actions and reactions - even for Christians.
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