Shining the justice of God

Posted 07 December 2012, 0 comments

By Dr Paula Gooder, Freelance writer and lecturer in Biblical Studies From our Guest bloggers

How are we called to shine the light and warmth of the justice of God?

In the Old Testament one of the virtues most often associated with light is justice. For example, in Isaiah 51.4, God says that 'a teaching will go out from me, and my justice for a light to the peoples'. In Psalm 37.6 the people of God are promised that 'he will make your vindication shine like the light, and the justice of your cause like the noonday'.

In other words, one way in which light shines in the world is through the pursuit and practice of justice. This justice, as we find throughout the writings of the prophets and on into the life and teaching of Jesus in the gospels, seeks to protect and nurture those in society who have the least, those whom society overlooks or ignores and those who, time and time again, are pushed out to the edges.

As we light candles throughout Advent, then, one of the things that we remind ourselves of is the importance of justice. Just as we enjoy the light and warmth of the candles glow, so we are called to shine the light and warmth of the justice of God in the darkness of the lives of those for whom no light normally shines.

By Paula Gooder

The Children’s Society has recently supported an enquiry, led by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, into the impact of Universal Credit on disabled people and their families.

Disability, marginalisation and poverty can be inextricably linked. Read tomorrow on how we have been working on this, and pray for lasting changes which will mean that even more disabled children will not be pushed into poverty.

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