Faithfully yours - Justice is blind—not deaf

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Published on Saturday, September 17, 2016

By Neil Strohschein

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In previous columns, I identified what I believe are the two foundation stones of a just society.

The first is that the laws themselves must set out clear standards of right and wrong. They must show consistent respect for human life, human rights and private property. In addition, they must allow for individuals to decide whether or not they will believe in a god and if so, which one; where they will live, what they will do for a living and the relationships they will pursue.

I also suggested that those who enforce the laws—the police and courts—must judge each case on the evidence presented. They must stubbornly refuse to be influenced by any personal biases they may have. There is no place for racial profiling or other similar practices in a just society. But they exist and they are, in my view, one of many reasons why there is such a lack of trust in those who make the laws, who enforce the laws and even in the courts that interpret the laws.

So how did this lack of trust become so entrenched in modern society? It all started quite simply. Someone had a complaint—a grievance—and took it to the appropriate authorities seeking a just settlement of the dispute. But instead of listening to the complaint, those in authority reacted in a dogmatic and dictatorial manner—imposing “their solution” to the problem and then passing a policy or law (or both) that made sure future complaints would be handled in the same way.

Now; let’s move the calendar ahead 140 years to our period of history. In addition to the initial grievance, we now have a long list of similar grievances, none of which have been dealt with in a just manner and a gap between identifiable groups that will take generations to bridge.

So how can we begin the process of bridging these gaps? By adopting a strategy that was used when the First Century church faced a similar issue. You can read the whole story in Acts 15. Here is the condensed version.

The church found itself sharply divided on an issue of doctrine. One group was determined to impose its interpretation of the gospel on the other. Both sides dug in their heels and refused to budge from their positions. Finally, they appealed to the leaders of the church in Jerusalem and said: “Here’s the issue. We’re right. They’re wrong. We want justice.”

How did the leaders in Jerusalem respond? To begin with, they said nothing. They listened as each side presented its case. Then they helped the disputing parties identify beliefs they shared in common and base a just solution to their conflict on that foundation. Neither side got everything they wanted. But they came away with a deeper understanding of the issues and a willingness to “agree to disagree” on some minor points if it helped keep peace in the family of God.

In building a just society, we must always remember that while justice is blind, it’s not deaf!

A first step in finding just solutions to perennial grievances is for the parties involved to go to a room, lock the door to reporters and photographers, sit down across a table and listen to what the other side has to say. Don’t stop listening until everyone in the room has heard and understood everything that everyone else has to say. Then, look for the things shared in common and build a lasting solution on that common ground. That is a good place to begin.