A police officer shot and killed an unarmed teenager. Stories of who was at fault have taken over the media as both sides seek to tell their story. A city cries for justice by looting and wreaking havoc on the streets. Children are forced to stay home from school for fear of being the victims of retaliation.
This story from Ferguson, Missouri has brought attention from all over the country as people cry for justice. Some ask for justice for killing a teenager, while others ask for justice for a police officer who was defending himself and protecting the people and has already been tried and convicted in the court of public opinion.
But does anybody ask for peace?
Peace for the family of the slain teenager who are suffering a great loss. Peace for the police officer who must deal with the consequences of a split-second decision made in the line of duty.
Can you have peace and justice at the same time? Or is war the only way to achieve real justice?
The Bible talks a lot about peace. Jesus is the Prince of Peace and was seen as a nonviolent person. And yet, the Bible is also filled with stories of war and destruction being brought on those who renounced God and refused to follow His ways.
What are we as Christians supposed to do?
Remember the story of Jesus going into the synagogue and turning over the tables of the moneychangers who were buying and selling? This is an example of the peace-loving Jesus getting angry and taking action. From this example, we see that there is a time and way to take action when we see wrong-doing.
In other places of the Bible, we are called to action rather than sit by and allow suffering. We are to be the voice for those who cannot speak. It is seen throughout Scripture, a call to action:
- Isaiah 1:17 – Bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause
- Jeremiah 22:3 – Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed
- Proverbs 31:9 – Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy
And of course, the story of the good Samaritan who helped someone that had been robbed and beaten when others passed him by.
So, how do we combine the notion of being peace-loving Christians with the idea of achieving justice for those who are oppressed? It is in our response to injustice. While we do not want to seek revenge, we do want to relieve the suffering of those who cannot help themselves.
It’s a fine line between justice and revenge. One is about helping others, the other is about seeking recompense for ourselves. When you have a heart for other people, you want them to experience peace, too. This often begins with taking action. But it all starts from the heart and the reason behind the action.
We will continue to see situations like the one in Ferguson and those that occur in other nations. We must seek peace for everyone and justice for those who have no voice of their own.
