We get very upset when we hear stories of injustice and the
unrighteous acts that create this pain and hardship. Almost nobody likes to hear about bullies
picking on the weak. In my life the predatory lending practices of payday loans
and title loans have been where I have heard many stories of abuse. I sat with a store manager of a payday loan
office and heard him tell stories of how they were told to violate the
harassment laws in order to intimidate people to pay their 400% loans. They would threaten clients by saying if they
did not pay they were going to prison, which was a lie. The one who borrowed usually did not know the
law and was threatened. I even heard stories of how the borrower embezzled
money from their employer so they would not go to jail. However they got caught embezzling and went
to jail anyway. Harassment laws were not
enforced against these lenders and the predatory lending was perpetuating great
injustices with the vulnerable. The bullies were hurting the little guys!
Everyone was caught in a web of evil.
These stores target the desperate and illiterate and find a market that
is profitable but exploitive.
In the discussion of justice some will say that those taking
the loans are responsible for their own lives and should know better. In a relationship each person has a part to
play and the borrower does have responsibility for their part. However in justice issues those with the most
power are usually seen from an ethical point of view as having the greater
responsibility. So abusive power is unjust
and the violation of human rights comes into play in these discussions. God grants each person certain rights and
these need protection from tyrants who exploit others for personal gain. In third world countries political tyrants
rule unjustly and property rights are denied and so economies often fail to
develop because of this exploitation by rulers, more bullying. The rule of law, that no ruler, whether king,
bishop, business leader or military leader is above the law, protects the
rights of the vulnerable. This is one of
the main views of justice. It also sets
boundaries on human depravity and the systems tyrants rule. America set up its government based on a
constitution, a government structure and the covenant of its people to respect
and implement this rule of law. So our
rights and freedoms would flourish.
However when people are selfish and abuse their power injustice reigns
rather than a just and righteous society.
Each person in a relationship is required to be responsible and virtuous
for a healthy and just society. Proverbs 11:10 says “... that the city rejoices
when the righteous prosper…” Why? Because the righteous are those who value
justice and righteousness more than personal gain, so everyone benefits when
they prosper. We all need to grow in our
value of justice and righteousness. The second half of the verse is also
important, “They shout for joy when the wicked die.” Why? Injustice, evil, and
wickedness is oppressive! Boundaries have to be set against evil. Madison when
framing the constitution said, “There is a degree of depravity in mankind which
requires a certain degree of circumspection and distrust.” (Godly Republic pg
36) So the godly need to face their own sin as well as not be naïve about the
wickedness of others or the systems that perpetuate evil and oppression. God
has paid a big price to restore us to healthy relationships. Therefore the
victim needs to learn the snares externally as well as internally, so they make
right choices and the predator has to not set them, both have a righteous part
to play and evil to shun.
Justice also has to do with the way we are rewarded or
punished in life. What we deserve is not
only about entitlements or rights but about what we have earned. What is rightly coming to us because of the
effort, competencies and risk we have taken.
Most social systems have a reward system and a punitive system that is
implemented according to our behaviors. A
just reward is to be granted for our work and accomplishments. A just punishment is given when we violate
others, like in taking a life, abusing or stealing from others. In the story of Branch Richey and Jackie
Robison the issue of injustice is based on racism. Jackie Robison is excluded from white baseball
because of the color of his skin, however he is given the chance to prove that
he deserves to be in professional white baseball if he can demonstrate
competency. He does not trade evil for
evil when he crosses the color line but focuses on his performance and is
supported by a white Branch Richey a man of power and position. He gains a position in white baseball by
performing well and earns himself, rookie of the year. However, the resistance to inclusion, because
of the injustices of racism, were pronounced and costly to both Jackie and
Branch. The racist system is confronted through this alliance between Branch
and Jackie. If Jackie had acted out with vengeance he probably would have been
punished and excluded from white baseball.
Jackie turned the other cheek as Branch told him to do and outperformed
many white baseball players earning himself a hard fought for position of
dignity and reward in white baseball.
Evil and abuse whether in a family or a social system, like baseball,
can become a vicious cycle of people hurting people and it does not matter
whether it is perpetrated by a system or individual.
The justice argument can quickly polarize into justice that
is about rights or justice that is about a person’s responsibility. If the emphasis goes too far towards rights
and entitlements a perspective may develop where human effort and personal
responsibility gets over looked. If the
emphasis goes too far towards personal responsibility, the person abusing power
or the systemic evils may be ignored.
Justice almost always has a relational context that is circular in
nature and everyone is called by God to be just, humble and merciful, as well
as face their own sin. Micah 6:8
A closing story just happened. This morning a 78 year old woman was to bring
in her last interest free payment on a micro-loan that we had given her. She lives in government housing and was in debt. When she came in she informed us that she had
gone to a new car dealer and leased a new car. The sales man tells her,
according to her version of the story that they are going to make her a deal
that will work for her. The salesman’s job is to get her a car. She has about
$30 to $50 dollars extra a month in her budget.
We have been working with her for a year to get her debts paid off. The car dealer leased her a new car and
required her to pay car insurance and a lease, which put her way beyond her
budget. She signed a contract so she
felt personally responsible for the monthly payments, which she cannot
afford. The car dealer never looked at
her budget to see if she could afford this lease. It was not his responsibility or was it? He as a sales person was to lease her a car,
which he did. Was he abusing his power
and trapping her in a contract that exploited this 78 year old woman? When we went and talked with him about his
part ethically he said, “We did nothing wrong.” Was he one of the wicked that
she should have been distrustful of? Was she guilty of stepping into this trap?
He said, “It is all her responsibility.” Was he guilty of setting a trap? She believed it was all her fault. Isn’t
there the issue of each person doing what is right and just in this relational
transaction? How could they treat each
other with respect?
Ezekiel says, “Today even common people oppress the poor and
rob the needy…” (Ezekiel 22:29)
Injustice may come from evil social systems and the irresponsibility of
people at the same time.
We really do affect each other and need to know and care how
we affect others to break the cycles of injustice.
