Justice vs. Love” – suggests two prior questions. What are justice and love? Where do justice and love originate? Very often justice and love are understood as distinct and even opposing values and
aims. On the one hand, justice is commonly depicted as harsh judgment, as punishment
without mercy. On the other hand, love is perceived as sentimentality where wrong-doing is simply overlooked without consequence.
The Bible offers a different view of justice and love. Both are integral parts of God’s
character. God is a righteous judge. At the same time, God is love. What do justice and love mean for us? Where do they meet in our world?
What do we mean when we talk of justice? The everyday use of justice usually reflects a couple of important ideas. One has to do with fairness – justice consists of fair treatment for people. People should be treated basically the same. When we respond to discrimination with “it’s not fair,” we are speaking of unjust treatment. The other idea has to do with consequences – justice means that people get what they deserve for their actions, whether good or bad. So we say “he got what was coming to him,” or “she got away with murder,” to sum up whether or not justice was achieved.
Fairness and equal treatment are Biblical principles. Leviticus 19:15 warns, for example,“Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.” But the Biblical concept of justice goes beyond fairness and equal treatment. It teaches that justice begins and ends in God. It is not something humans created or can fully achieve. When God – who is just in himself – brought the universe into being, he made it to be a place of justice. Human beings were made to live justly in relation to God, to each other, and to creation.
What do we mean we speak of love? What does it mean to love? Our modern notion of love tends to equate it with physical attraction and intimacy, with sentiment and emotion. We use the word love to mean affectionate feelings toward something or someone. The Bible teachers that all forms of love, when they are true and right, are grounded in God himself. God is love. Psalm 103:8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,slow to anger, abounding in love. I John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
For this discussion, address the following…
In your own words, how would you define or describe justice? How would you define love?
How do you think justice and love are understood or defined in your own culture or society?
How are justice and love understood or defined in the criminal justice system? Does love have any role in the system?
What do you believe Biblical justice would look like in our world? Would it include love? Explain your answer.
Finally, do you believe Biblical love and justice would improve our system or get in the way of its functionality?