Dr Martin Luther King once said: ‘The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.’ He wrote it in an article in 1958 (although he was quoting a 19th century minister) when he was in the middle of the pressures of the civil rights movement. It resonates with those of us seeking justice because we want to believe that we are on the right side of history. That, despite disappointments and setbacks, we are marching towards a glorious future where we will experience the promise of Amos: ‘But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream’ (Amos 5:24 ESVUK). It captures the truth that the God we serve cares passionately about justice. That his concept of justice goes beyond fairness to include a ‘right ordering of society’. A world where there is respect for all because all are made in the image of God.
Where the relationships between people, the environment and the Creator are marked by love. Where no one is left behind, no one left out. God is passionate about justice and to follow our Lord means a commitment to pursue justice. But we live in a world which often does not feel like it is bending towards justice. It is worth reminding ourselves of the context in which Dr King made that assertion: Evil may so shape events that Caesar will occupy a palace and Christ a cross, but that same Christ arose and split history into A.D. and B.C., so that even the life of Caesar must be dated by his name. Yes, ‘the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.’
Showing up
The fact that God is seeking justice and that Christ has died and risen to ensure justice does not mean that we have nothing to do. As with all of discipleship and mission, there are some things that only God can do that we cannot do for him, and there are some things that he has asked us to do that he will not do for us. To seek the kingdom of God, Jesus teaches, requires forceful people to lay hold of the kingdom with force. We are in a battle, not against flesh and blood, but against the powers that would seek to steal, kill and destroy the image of God in the world.
We experience that struggle when we serve in foodbanks, or help people in debt, or get involved in the childcare system, or respond to humanitarian crises or fight the evil of slavery. And the work that we are called to do is to nudge the arc of history towards justice in a thousand different ways. A thousand small steps. The biggest victories are found in consistently showing up at people’s point of vulnerability, with love and hard work and skilful diligence. As Chair of Cinnamon Network International, I have seen churches across the world develop world class approaches to a myriad of social needs. As CEO of International Justice Mission (IJM), I have seen first-hand the relentless energy required to defeat slavery.
