Justice and God
A couple of really dear friends and I were having a laugh last night on the concept of God's justice... stay with me on this, it starts with a joke, but I think there is justice... of sorts... in God...
Well, says I something like this, "look at this world where lions eat you if they can... so many look to justice in the after life. If the natural world reflects God's justice, we can expect something like crocodiles chasing us down and eating our souls as soon as we get there..."
But... is there really a natural law of justice? Sure there is, but it is written into our genes as a social animal... empathy. Do unto others etc. . So, the problem is, we all crave justice, deeply crave it, but justice begins, not with do right by me, but do right by the other. Well, maybe a little of both, "if I am not for myself who will be for me, if I am only for my self, who am I?"
Problem is so many people are just for themselves. They live completely in a land of me. Then one day, they wonder why the world does not work for them, literally. Or, they get so good at amassing things, that they can buy the work of huge numbers of people to get them more of what they want. I notice these folks, big rich driven folks, often have multiple marriages, can't understand why they are never happy...
Justice is simple, but getting to simple is hard. One has to look inside, with a commitment to really see what is there. One can't be so afraid of one's insides that you strike out when others try and help. Secrets kill your soul. As Jesus said... " if you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you..."
Justice begins with each of us, inside.
posted by Lorcan @ 4:37 AM
6 Comments:
Justice is largely a cultural construct. If an American boy were to be arrested in Singapore for graffiti, he would get punished much more severely than he would here in the US. I do believe that, as you pointed out, there is a genetic factor for justice as well, since we are social animals. But, the genetic factor would not translate to other species because genes are not interested in the survival of other genes; only the ones which are closer to themselves. So, if “a natural law of justice” exists, it would be specific to each specie. Crocodiles’ law of justice would have nothing to do with our own.
“Problem is so many people are just for themselves.”
The problem is how one defines “for themselves”. One’s ego has two sides; an image of who you think you are, and an image of who you think others, i.e., “they” are. Both are part of your own ego. And this structure of our egos manifests like this: “...they wonder why the world does not work for them, literally.” “The world” is literally different for each person because what he thinks “the world” is, is his own image, an ego.
In this sense, even if you think you are doing the right thing for the other, that “other” is your own idea of what the other is. You are thus still acting for yourself only.
For instance, in my head, I could be thinking, “Larry is confused here; let me help him out a bit.” In other words, I am doing this for you, not for myself. I then think to myself, “I am not one of those people whom he calls ‘just for themselves’.” But, you might have a different idea, where you don’t appreciate my “help.” Whatever you think you are doing for others, therefore, is unavoidably part of yourself. Not just “many people” but everyone is “for themselves.”
The same logic goes for “inside” and “outside.” The quest for “inside” leads nowhere because whatever you think is “outside” is always already part of the “inside”, and vice versa. It is because you separate “inside” from “outside” that it becomes even possible to fear your own inside, or outside for that matter.
As we enter this conversation, we have different uses of language between social studies and religion... one of the problems with language in English language schooling, use of terms and words changes from one field to another....
Inside, is a Christian term, well, more than that ... a Judaic term, used by Jesus quite a lot... that simpleness inside to which we strive to give ourselves over to be led, outside being the everything else which draws us away from that. It is not our own ego, we hope.
Now, one may say, just as you do, that all inside is created from input from the outside. Well, from a social science point of view that is undeniable, and trying to find God in that, is a challenge without faith. For me, I've written on the blog here, an attempt at rational views that God is... in the sum total of all created, and the sum total of natural law, not supernatural at all...
Those who are for themselves... well, that's not me alone, that is me quoting Hill el. As you call me Larry, I am rather sure you are one of two people, and from your writing style, I am rather sure which, BUT, both of you dear people, I know, live with great thought about others in spite of really difficult roads to follow, and you know I love you both a lot. If you are neither of these two people, I love you also - even if I don't know you... but then again... "Larry". : )
But the state of the world today, that so few are creating need, poverty, death, misery for so many, we are living in times when we can't afford as a world community to only live for ourselves alone. Quakerism ... we seek to live in a manner which will heal the world, so in this how we act as individuals hopefully reflects this. I try, very very hard to live for me and for others, but I am very human, and discernment in this is not easy, especially when there is conflict, and more so when that conflict spreads through the community, and there is seemingly no way to address the root conflict. So, presently, in order to not be for myself alone, I am staying away from a community I love dearly... is this for me or for others... well, I struggle with this also... life is not a series of pat, easy answers,
What did Hill el mean about living only for themselves? That is one of those dragons at which we must look closely, to find if we can discover princesses...
Justice ... I would agree to a greater extent than you express, is COMPLETELY a social construct. Balance is another thing entirely. Maybe balance is the justice in God.
Hope so...
lor
Larry,
You know more than one Dyske? I'm the husband of Roxanne.
BTW, you are slacking on your mayoral duty for St. Marks Place. We never see you there anymore. Annika misses her favorite mayor of St. Marks.
Red faced and loving you... I have a pal... two really, the clowns of uncertainty, I call them... and thought you where one of them... Of course Dyske... Roxanne's husband... eejit that I am!
Thought it was one or the other of my dear clown friends. And... yes, I do love thee and thy dear wife and baby! I was so with thee in my heart last week, and so lost not to be with ye both....
Knowing that you are not who I thought you are... ( spent the evening with them... we had a laugh when I said... which of ye posted to the site... ) well, I will give more prayer and thought and answer you at greater length.. dear dear friend....
much love
lor
PS Hug and kiss annika for me and tell her, I am no mayor... only a small surf, not even a vassel. and miss you all so...
love again
lor
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