Document Type
Class Paper
Publication Date
12-13-2019
Abstract
When I first thought of the definition of social justice, my initial thought was that there was no clear definition, but then I thought about the many things that the Bible says about justice. Deuteronomy 16:20 says, “Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you.” It also says in Psalms that the Lord is righteous and that he loves righteousness and justice (Psalms 11:7, 33:5. The verse that resonates with me most is Micah 6:8. It says, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Not often do I sit and ponder on such a question, but it is so often that I am able to acknowledge injustices with no hesitations. I think that it easy for many to acknowledge social injustices, but it has allowed me to evaluate myself in that regard. As one who is able to acknowledge injustice, I should also be able to acknowledge the opposite. I see social justice as being many things. I believe social justice is truth, peace, and mercy. Social justice is transforming inequities into equities and restoring freedom. Social justice is equality, fairness, compassion, and all of the fruits of the Spirit. Social justice embraces the values of what truth, equality, compassion, and mercy are and what they look like through actions and people. Most importantly, I see social justice as one of the most important things of life.
Recommended Citation
Smiley, De'Ja, "Personal Credo: What is Social Justice?" (2019). Social Justice Class Papers. 20.
https://scholarlycommons.obu.edu/sjus/20
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Comments
This paper was submitted as part of the Introduction of Social Justice course (SJUS 1003), taught by Dr. Myra Houser.