Injustice Hurts!

IN 2010, Michael was released from jail in Texas, U.S.A., after serving 27 years for rape​—a crime he did not commit. He was freed when DNA tests​—not available at the time of his conviction—​proved his innocence. The authorities later identified those responsible for the crime, but prosecution was impossible, since the statute of limitations on the crime had expired.

Many felons evade justice. In Britain, for example, “unsolved murders have doubled over the past decade, raising fears that police and courts are unable to tackle violent crime,” said a report in The Telegraph.

In August 2011, British police struggled to contain another form of crime​—rioting in Birmingham, Liverpool, London, and other areas. Rampaging mobs set fires, smashed store windows, and looted, thus destroying not only businesses, homes, and vehicles but also livelihoods. The motive? For many it was sheer greed. For some, though, the acts appeared to be a response to perceived injustices. Those rioters, said some commentators, may have been frustrated, “marginalized” young people growing up in deprived neighborhoods and lacking a future.

The Bible character Job said: “I keep crying for help, but there is no justice.” (Job 19:7) Likewise today, many are crying out for justice, but all too often, their cries go unheeded. Really, is it within anyone’s power to eliminate injustice? Or is the hope that there will be a more just tomorrow simply an ideal entertained by the naive? In order to get a satisfactory answer, we must examine some of the root causes of injustice.