Living Justice Study Notes

Living Justice: Understanding Action for Justice

The Best Course of Action

  • The best course of action is defined as the one that is the most life-giving for all involved in a situation.

  • The possibilities for creating life-giving relationships that promote justice are extensive and limited only by imagination.

Types of Action

Direct Action

  • Action taken at the individual level primarily meeting immediate needs.

  • Example: Students volunteering at a soup kitchen exemplifies direct action as it provides immediate sustenance to those in need.

Social Action

  • Action focused on changing societal structures and institutions to promote justice.

  • Example: Students attempting to influence federal housing policy represent social action geared toward systemic change.

The Two Feet of Justice

  • Successful action for justice involves both direct action and social action, akin to walking with two feet:

    • Direct Action: Addresses immediate needs (e.g., feeding the hungry at soup kitchens).

    • Social Action: Works to prevent future injustices by targeting the root causes (e.g., advocating for policies that prevent chronic hunger).

  • Both types of action are essential; without either one, efforts become ineffective or short-lived.

Goals of Justice: Human Life and Dignity

  • Justice is fundamentally about protecting and promoting human life and dignity.

  • Acting for justice implies:

    • Standing in solidarity with those facing injustices.

    • Confronting injustices effectively and lovingly, rather than with hostility.

Acting in Solidarity

  • Solidarity is likened to friendship—a committed effort for the good of others.

Solidarity's Characteristics

  • Solidarity recognizes the interdependence in relationships:

    • Assistance should reflect mutual benefit rather than a paternalistic approach.

    • The emphasis is on forming life-giving relationships built on mutual respect, where help isn't seen as a favor from a wealthier person to a poorer one.

Overcoming Unjust Structures through Love

  • Unjust social structures are products of human choices, intentional or otherwise.

  • When faced with resistance to change, a power-over approach (like that of terrorist tactics) is counterproductive; a power-with approach is advocated.

  • This is based on Christian values, especially illustrated in Jesus’ proclamation of the Kingdom of God, where love—not violence—is the source of power.

Love Your Enemies

  • Jesus teaches compulsion to love one's enemies, a shift from societal norms of enmity.

  • The essence of justice intertwines with love; they are not contradictory. Actively challenging injustice can coexist with loving those who inflict injustice.

    • The aim is not to defeat an enemy but to restore broken relationships—be it their dignity, connections with others, or with God.