Mission as the Quest for Justice and Peace

Introduction: Justice and peace, in many different parts of the world, are lost dreams rather than a lived experience. The world is full of violence and its stories are never ending, where killing and destruction are a daily experiences, and the absence of justice and peace is visible. Justice is rooted in love, mercy and righteousness. Justice is understood as a principle, which should be applied in all aspects of life. Whenever there is any kind of discrimination, there is a violation of Justice. If there is justice, there can be no discrimination.

We have to accept the personhood and dignity of everyone. Peace is more than the absence of war. It is the maintenance of an orderly and just society. Justice and peace are not to be understood in a totally individualistic manner. Dwight D. Eisenhower has stated that “justice and peace are two sides of the same coin. Justice and peace go hand-in-hand and for peace to be absolutely experienced there must be ultimate exhibition of justice”. 

JUSTICE: The ancient Israel had two words for justice mishpat and tzadeqah that describe different aspects of Justice. Mishpat (in Micah 6:8) is an active pursuit of justice, which punishes wrongdoing and gives people their rights. However, tzadeqah refers to life of righteousness and right relationships.

Job talks about this kind of justice when he is describing his life of righteousness (Job 29:12-17). If everyone lived life in a way that expressed tzadeqah, then mishpat would become unnecessary: but because of the existence of sin, we need both. Justice, it is define as distribution of love. Love and justice are closely related. Love is the greatest key word for justice.

Where there is love, there is justice.

There are two kinds of justice exist in our world, and they interact with each other:

a) Justice we see in the streets: The way we treat each other in daily interactions, how we relate to each other. Are we fair? Are we honest? This is often called social justice. This is the justice that is violated when the vulnerable of society are abused or mistreated by the more powerful or privileged. 

b) Justice we see in the courts: Legal justice rendered by a judge or ruling authority. While people can wrongly seek to take matters into their own hands, legal justice is properly executed by designated authorities. This is sometimes called corrective justice. 

Therefore, the absence of justice is the source of all problems. In struggling for justice we are struggling for the future of humankind and the whole creation. God is just and by the presence of God’s justice comes the establishment of right relations, with one another, with God and with nature. The vertical and horizontal relationship is with God, human and nature.

PEACE: The Arabic word is ‘Salam’, Greek word is ‘eirene’ and English word is ‘peace’. The Hebrew for peace is ‘shalom’ means wholeness or well-being, where there is peace, trust, where everyone’s welfare is taken care of. Peace means freedom from disturbance or a state or period in which there is no war or a war has ended. In other words Peace is the concept of harmonious well-being and freedom from hostile aggression or Peace, shalom in the community implies mutual care, willingness to live for the sake of other’s welfare and having a common will and responsibility.

There is an assurance of health and prosperity. The total good of person is foreseen. It is a movement towards reconciliation. 

Peace is a rare commodity in today’s world. A culture of peace is necessary for a meaningful life together. In a world where there is great diversity in personal, social and cultural ways of being and living, possession of significant human values can overcome these differences and ensure peace and solidarity.  People have to work in order to make the world free of violence.

Violence against nature is violence against humanity. Peace is required for the establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth; which is the essential ingredient in an ecological society.

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES AND CHALLENGES: India is the largest democracy in the world, which means there is a rule of the people, by the people and for the people. There are many important requirements for a country to truly be democratic and the most important is “Equality” for its citizens. Which means everybody is equal in the eyes of law, without any discrimination on grounds of race, religion, gender, caste, class or birth. However many forms of inequality exist in India as well as in our own places. There are several factors leading towards violations of justice and peace in the society. Briefly those factors are listed below:

I. Social: Racism: India is a diverse country with people belonging to different places. People have different cultures, cuisines, attires and also facial features; especially in the Northeast. It is a collection of seven states; the people of which face racism from the people of the mainland. Northeastern people living in different parts of India are face racism; they are called chinky, Nepali, Chinese, Japanese, corona etc.  It is important to know that equality is a basic human right and therefore, every human being on Earth deserves fair treatment and access to opportunities no matter the differences.

II. Economic: Rich and elite are becoming more dominant in the society. Poor people are the most vulnerable to and affected by marginalisation, exploitation, child abuse, child labour, sexual offences, hunger and poverty, unfair economic distribution etc, which are more prevalent in the present context. Today, the richest 10% in India controls 80% of the nation’s wealth, according to a 2017 report published by Oxfam, an international confederation of agencies fighting poverty.  

III. Politics: Bernard Crick suggested that politics is a ‘solution to the problem of order which chooses conciliation rather than violence or coercion’. Looking at today’s scenario public cannot place their trust on politics to bring unity, peace and justice as many of the leaders are busy engaging in mudslinging, defamation, dishonesty, unscrupulous dealings, etc.

IV. Religious: The task of the Church is to change men to God and for good, to change institutional system to God and for good, to change the world for God and for good. This is the task and the high calling of Christ Jesus. Today some of the churches, theological institutions, and church workers are affected by politics, division, immorality, corruptions, pride, inequality etc. Believers have forgotten their vocations, their goal and vision which they have received from God. 

JUSTICE AND PEACE IN THE BIBLE: Peace and justice are two profound and interconnected themes in the Bible. The Bible clearly shows that peace and justice are deeply intertwined. True peace is not simply the absence of conflict but the presence of justice and righteousness. By addressing social issues through the lens of biblical justice, it can work towards creating a more equitable and peaceful world. The Old Testament records the story of Naboth’s vineyard in 1 Kings 21:1-22 which challenges the concept of justice in our society.

It introduces God’s justice for the affirmation of life, a measure beyond the economic logic of King Ahab’s theft in the name of efficiency and productivity. This text guides us in dealing with current issues of injustice in the global market and in discerning how to live out God’s justice to safeguard life. 

True peace cannot exist without justice. The Bible frequently ties peace to righteousness, indicating that peace is the natural outcome of just and righteous living (cf. James 3:18). In the New Testament, Jesus Christ embodies both peace and justice. His ministry was marked by acts of justice; healing the sick, defending the marginalized, and challenging the unjust structures of His time (cf. Luke 4:18-19). To achieve true peace, we must address the root causes of inequality and injustice. This involves advocating for the rights of the poor, marginalized, and the oppressed. As believers, we are called to be peacemakers. This involves actively working to resolve conflicts and walk with God, striving to bring about shalom in our communities and beyond.

CONCLUSION: Every human deeply longs for justice and peace in their heart. However, history teaches us that humankind cannot alone create or maintain peace. The nations that coexist in peace are closer to the ideal of the kingdom of God than those that live in hate and enmity.

Peace based on reconciliation has been taught by the Lord himself, and we must be ready to bear witness to it through Jesus Christ, with our words and deeds, something that requires love between us, and even love for our “enemies.”

There is also the issue of social, political, religious and economic justice. People want justice and have every right to demand it. And we have to proclaim it and serve it in all its forms. Today, we are facing the greatest injustices that predominate the modern world: global oppression, exploitation, inequality, tyranny, the new rich, and so on.

While others unfortunately are deprived of freedom and justice, and are obliged to accept the cruelty of life as it is manifested. Let us therefore be in peace with Jesus Christ who is the “God of peace” (1 Thess. 5:23), both within us, and with others, acting with love, justice, and freedom so that the world we live in will have peace.

Markala Ao 

M.Th in Missiology

Faith Theological College, Dimapur.