Prayer for Justice

A cry for justice swells up
from a people who have seen
so little of it.

“Yes, justice,”
comes the reply,
“But first,
we must have peace.
Peace today,
maybe justice tomorrow.”

But a peace without justice,
is not the Shalom of God.
It is a peace that serves
the status quo,
the interests of the powerful,
and the coffers of the wealthy.

The prophets tell us that
your justice is measured
not by its effect
on the privileged,
but by its effect
on those who have
been denied
privilege and power.

The day is coming when
God’s justice will reign,
when the low are lifted up
and the mighty fall,
and woe unto us
who have stood in the way
because of our silence.

Amen