Before we talk about restitution as an element of justice, let’s explore what we mean by justice. It’s a broad term that gets used in a lot of ways, from the legal to the theological.
Discussion
- How do you understand justice?
- Have participants give their definition of it and what informs it (their faith, their politics, their upbringing, etc.)
We often think of justice in a legal sense, of getting what you deserve. But God tends to talk of justice as shalom: the Hebrew word that means wholeness and peace, in which we are all in right relationship with God, each other, and our environment.
Christian Scripture talks extensively about justice as a core calling of God’s people. Indeed, many translators have noted that the distinction we make between justice and righteousness is a false one. The Hebrew word for both is the same, because in the Jewish world in which Jesus lived and preached, a person could not be considered righteous if he was not also just.
A few examples of what the Bible has to say about justice:
Psalm 140:12 “I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.”
Micah 6:8 “What does the Lord require of you? To do justice, love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”
Deuteronomy 10:18 “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving him food and clothing.”
God shows his concern for justice in the rules he lays out for the new nation of Israel. We see this in both Deuteronomy 15:1-15 and Leviticus 25:1-17. (Have the group read both passages.)
Discussion
- What does the cancelling of debts, return of land and freeing of slaves say to you about God’s idea of justice?
- Do you see elements in this that you would identify as restitution/redistribution/restoration?
Another vision of justice is presented in Isaiah 2:4 “They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not take up sword against nation, nor shall they train for war anymore.” When this happens, God says, we will “walk in the light of the Lord” (Isaiah 2:5).
Notice that God doesn’t simply tell them to store their swords and spears in the shed in case they should need them again. He doesn’t tell them to store them up in an armory so they can always be assured of protection. He calls for a radical vulnerability: transform your weapons into instruments of growth and renewal. Where once you had a sword, now make a plough. Where once you caused death, now give life.
Discussion
- What “weapons” (wealth, privilege, access to resources including education and healthcare) do some people have?
- Do they transform them or do they tend to save them up?
- What might it look like if those weapons were converted?
- Has this study changed how you would define justice?