Hastings: Longing for justice
“Your throne is built on righteousness and justice, love and fidelity stand in your presence.” — Psalm 89:14 The Inclusive Bible
The longing for justice is a basic human longing. But the teaching-psalmist’s view goes far beyond human longing.
In the moral truth of the universe, the firmament and the Holy One’s throne are upheld by two pillars: the pillar of right living and the pillar of justice. When right living and justice are compromised, the universe implodes and affects all Creation, all people, communities and countries. Leaders’ task is to call people to right living and justice, to call out wrong living and injustice — and thus uphold the moral pillars of the universe upon which all life depends.
If the ancient teaching-psalmists viewed our country today, I wonder what they might say about the ways our country does or does not uphold the pillars of the moral universe … Would they see the Supreme Court’s “Citizens United” decision as a supreme injustice? This decision opened the floodgates of endless corporate cash into political campaigns, endless campaigning, political posturing and congressional inertia — more typical of an oligarchy than a democratic republic. Meanwhile, the gap between the rich and the poor increases and more people are homeless, hungry and burdened by education and health care debt. Overturning “Citizens United” and limiting political campaign length and funding would be a huge step in upholding the moral pillars of the universe.
The ancient teaching-psalmists might also question Article V, the corporate-funded quest in state houses calling for a constitutional convention under the guise of “limiting government.” But the real purpose of Article V is to keep the government out of education, energy and health care, thus giving corporations free rein to trample the constitutional rights of the majority and withhold the needs of many — an assault to the moral pillars of the universe.
The teaching-psalmists might also call for an infusion of justice into our “justice system.” An estimated 30 percent of our country’s 2 million imprisoned people have mental health issues which are not adequately addressed in prisons. The cost of a comprehensive psychological evaluation with SPECT imaging at Amen Clinics is $4,500. The annual per-person cost of incarceration is $40,000. Also, the Innocence Project estimates at least 10 percent of the 2 million incarcerated people are innocent. Plea bargains and forced confessions to avoid the cost of trial contribute to wrongful convictions.
When one does the math, it appears many billions each year could be reallocated from injustice to justice by having an Innocence Project evaluation and a state-of-the-art psychological examination before sentencing. The billions saved could be used to address some root causes of crime — inequality, homelessness, hunger, addiction, mental illness, lack of health care and education, inadequate legal representation. Prioritizing humanity and justice instead of money would alleviate much suffering, make our country a more just and peaceful place to live and do much to restore the moral pillars of the universe.
For all those longing for justice, the teaching-psalmist says it can be found in day-by-day right living, just dealings, neighbor love and faithfulness.
The Rev. Celia M. Hastings has a master's degree in religious education from Western Theological Seminary in Holland. She is author of “The Wisdom Series” and “The Undertaker’s Wife.”
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Hastings: Longing for justice
