JUSTICE

¹God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:
²“How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked?
³Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.
⁴Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
⁵They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk around in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
⁶I say, “You are gods, children of the Most High, all of you;
⁷nevertheless, you shall die like mortals, and fall like any prince.”
⁸Rise up, O God, judge the earth; for all the nations belong to you!

The Psalmist knows of God’s burning love for those on the underside of society, those who are weak, needy, the orphan and destitute. That is the story of faith, that is the story of the covenant peoples who were claimed by God, rescued from slavery, and covenanted as chosen people tasked also to care for the stranger, yet that’s not the reality the Psalmist sees. A just God should prevail and so the Psalmist calls upon God to make it right. The justice of God is universal and everlasting but maybe not immediate. It’s a hard place to be; to wait on the Lord.

Prayer

Compassionate Lord, we pray for your divine justice and everlasting kingdom to come. Grant us patience in the waiting. Grant us glimpses of such light and love. In Christ’s holy name we pray, Amen.