Devotional (on Justice)
Greetings,
In the name of God most compassionate most merciful and most gracious....
· Religion is what we all belong to. We who are assembled from diverse faiths and multiple denominations and we do have a concept in common. It is justice.
· Justice could be defined as “fairness in the way people are dealt with.” (Cambridge) or “the quality of being just, impartial, or fair” (Merriam-Webster)
· In a context where so much injustice is looming, it is crucial for us to take religion not only as a means of unity but also as a way of delivering justice in this unjust society. In order to be just and help others to behave in a just way, one need to know what one’s own faith tradition talks about justice.
· Where there is justice, the rights of individuals will be established.
Let us look into what each major religions has to say about justice.
Religious Texts:
i. Hinduism:
· Hinduism believes in the fundamental unity and divinity of all lives. It accepts all life as sacred. Every Hindu is to look at himself/herself and the world around them with the mind of human and the vision of gods and that, through that combination each can experience the ultimate truth voiced by the Upanishadic seers: “One in all and all in One.”
· Verses:
“O Agni (Bright Being)! Lead us to blessedness by the good path. O Lord! Thou knowest all our deeds, remove all evil and delusion from us.” (Isa Upanishad)
“O Indra, lead us on the path of Rta, on the right path over all evils” (Rig Veda 10.133.6).
“Nothing is higher than Dharma. The weak overcomes the stronger by Dharma, as over a king. Truly that Dharma is the Truth (Satya); Therefore, when a man speaks the Truth, they say, "He speaks the Dharma"; and if he speaks Dharma, they say, "He speaks the Truth!" For both are one.” (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, 1.4.14).
· God in Hinduism is the Justice personified. Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita says that:
“I am justice: clear, impartial, favouring no one, hating no one. But in those who have cured themselves of selfishness, I shine with brilliance.”
And that “Even those who do not know me, If their actions are straightforward, Just, and loving, venerate me With the truest kind of worship.... Through your non-attachment, you Embody me, in utter freedom.”
ii. Islam
· The Qu’ran, the sacred scripture of Islam, considers justice to be a supreme virtue. It is a basic objective of Islam to the degree that it stands next in order of priority to belief in God’s exclusive right to worship (Tawheed) and the truth of Prophet Muhammad’s prophethood.
· Verses:
Al-Nahl (16:90): “God commands justice, and goodness, and generosity towards relatives. And He forbids immorality, and injustice, and oppression. He advises you, so that you may take heed.”
Al- Ma’idah (5:8): “O you who believe! Be upright to God, witnessing with justice, and let not the hatred of a certain people prevent you from acting justly. Adhere to justice, for that is nearer to piety, and fear God. God is informed of what you do.”
An-Nisa’ (4:135): “O you who believe! Stand firmly for justice, as witnesses to God, even if against yourselves, or your parents, or your relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, God takes care of both. So do not follow your desires, lest you swerve. If you deviate, or turn away—then God is Aware of what you do.”
· I would like to borrow the words of Sarkhasi, a noted classical Islamic jurist, ‘to render justice ranks as the most noble of acts of devotion next to belief in God. It is the greatest of all the duties entrusted to the prophets…and it is the strongest justification for man’s stewardship of earth.”
iii. Christianity
Biblically, justice involves making individuals, communities, and the cosmos whole, by upholding both goodness and impartiality. It stands at the center of true religion: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:7). Justice flows from God's heart and character.
o Terms: tzedek
o Verses:
Micah 6:8: “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Isaiah 1:17: “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.”
Pro 31:8, 9: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
· The Bible teaches that while just and unjust actions are birthed in the human heart (James 3:10-18), justice is centered in God's heart. Each individual has to maintain purity of their hearts (James 4:8) by recognizing this.
We have seen from all three religious scriptures that how God associates God’s own self with justice. Justice for all: poor, dalits, adivasis, women, Third Gender, disabled, blacks/asian (any race), different communities, regions etc...
Therefore it is our duty as religious personalities, to not only pray but also to exactly execute justice through our words, thoughts and deeds. Our piety would be unqualified before God, if we have not moved a single finger to do what God himself/herself stands for.
.....Silent Prayer....
Benediction:
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”’
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