Justice Defined

To enlarge, click box in the right-hand corner.

So long as we love, we serve;
So long as we are loved by others,
I would almost say that we are indispensable;
And no one is useless while they have a friend.
– Robert Louis Stevenson

Justice. It’s a word denoting the concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, and equity. History is littered with attempts to define it philosophically, pragmatically, existentially and scientifically. Every page of world history tells a story of justice or injustice, intertwined with the story of civilization.

But that’s so macrocosmic! Such a large scale. To truly define justice we have to get closer. How do I define justice? Justice, for me, is not a concept to play with. For me it is the real desire for equality in the realm of society.

Society? That’s still too large. While justice remains a global ideal, it happens one person at a time, in places like Little Flower Mercy Ministry in India. Started in 1988 by Mathew Manuel and Molly Manuel, Little Flower is a place devoid of the jargon of justice one often sees today. Instead, it is a place where 200 examples of God’s definition of justice reside.

At Little Flower, the orphaned, the mentally impaired, the old and extreme poor are given the basic amenities of life and the opportunity to share in the joy of life as purposed by God. Rejected by their society built on the law, these people find themselves for the first time with an equal opportunity to exploit their God-given potential. Children have hope for the future, mentally impaired have a community who understands them, older people have a place to be comforted and cared for.

While I was there, questions kept popping up in my mind. Society is littered with people with no hope and justice – Am I not the vehicle of God to reach out to them? By not doing so, am I identifying myself with the society rather than with the purpose of God?

Such acts of kindness start with a man who dares to love people as God has loved him. Robert M. Pirsig was right when he said, “The place to improve the world is first in one’s own heart and head and hands.”

Little Flower Mercy Ministry relies on donations to help them help others. If you are interested in helping, please contact Hope Ink for more information.

Prince Varghese is a photographer from Kerala, India, which is often called “God’s Own Country.” Prince became interested in photography watching his father take pictures with his old Yashica Electro 35. Prince seeks to understand different people groups – their values, lifestyle, environment and struggles – and frame their story without any words.

Share this: