"Love Is Justice in Public"

One of my students told me her mentor taught her that "love is justice in public." And I think she's right. 

We speak of God as having the perfect balance of justice andlove. But I’m not so sure the two—love and justice—are separatequalities that intersect. Because God’s justice is indeed God’s love demonstrated in public. 

When atexting driver ran over my brother-in-law and robbed my sister of her husband,the judge in the case sentenced the young man—who scoffed about what he haddone—to prison. And that sentencing, inadequate as it was, felt like love, because the crime was sounfair. Of course, nothing the court could do would bring Gordon back to us. And no sentence could bring an equal payment. Nevertheless, our family felt respected and heard and defended when thegovernment said publicly that our loss was unconscionable, and justice stepped in on our behalf. Justice was love in public.  

Social justice at is best, then, is love lived out in public on behalf of others. Some call it restorative justice. Or just plain justice. Do you love justice? That is part of the call of the person who seeks to do right (see Micah 6:8).