Tag Archives: Growing justice

Preventive Justice

Epiphany
January 27, 2017

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’ –1 Corinthians 1:26-31

When are humans ever going to figure out that God is not just a crisis intervener? I am a strong advocate for real-time justice and restorative justice and know there is much work needed in both. Where we followers of Christ often fall short is recognizing and investing in preventive justice. Chinua Achebe illustrates the idea of preventive justice well when he writes, While we do our good works let us not forget that the real solution lies in a world in which charity will have become unnecessary.

A living wage addresses much of the response to feeding the hungry and clothing the naked. Destroying the Pipeline to Prison* markedly reduces the number of prisoners we are called to visit. Universal health care prevents simple health problems from becoming disabilities. Creating stability and equality around the world allows people to remain in their lands or travel to another by choice, not necessity.

Communities of faith can and do practice preventive justice already in many ways:

  • Providing quality child care takes a chunk out of the pipeline to prison as do before and after school programs
  • Tutoring children in school helps to prepare them for earning better wages
  • Teaching good parenting and healthy eating enhances mental and psychical health outcomes
  • Providing pure water for our neighbors in other lands sustains life and opens doors for greater development

Celebrate such work and grow some more.

Prayer: Lord, energize us to work for preventive justice making life better for all your children. Amen.

*http://www.pbs.org/wnet/tavissmiley/tsr/education-under-arrest/school-to-prison-pipeline-fact-sheet/

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.