The Long Reach of Justice

On Sunday, our church returned to a theme of justice.  Our church is a member of BOLD Justice, a network of religious groups that works on 1-3 justice issues throughout the year.  On Sunday, one of our members reminded us of all we had accomplished in the past 15 years.  Year by year, it often feels like so little.  The evil in the world that oppresses so many remains so powerful.

And yet, we have helped so many people that we can't even count them all.  From more affordable housing to more dental care to jobs that go to Broward residents first to making it possible for minors who commit non-serious offences to avoid having a criminal record, we've made life better for so many.  

But what's more important for me to remember is that we've helped in ways we don't even know.  Later in the day on Sunday, we met some friends to strategize selling our house.  Then we talked about other things.  We've included these friends in BOLD Justice events.  We have lots of friends who approve of a justice agenda, even if they are not members of a faith group.

Our friend told us about a client of hers who is struggling with an issue that BOLD Justice addressed, and our friend printed off the sheaf of paperwork provided by BOLD Justice to give her client as a resource.  I've thought of the BOLD Justice documents as being educational, so I'm not sure why I was surprised to see them used this way.  But I was--surprised and pleased.

It's important to remember that when we do the work of justice, we open up all sorts of possibilities.  It's transformative work, and the reach of that work is long.

It's easy to feel despair in a world where so much remains to be done if we are ever to see a more just world.  It's important to remind ourselves that we are having an impact, and it's likely a larger impact than we perceive at any given moment.