This world is so full of hurt and pain.
Really, there is no getting away from it.
And most of that pain? Most of it comes from the injustice that we humans are guilty of.
The injustice of turning our backs and allowing crimes against fellow humans to carry on. The injustice of wages not paid to workers in distant countries whose work provides us with things like chocolate. The injustice of young girls sold into slave trade, who become the victims of rape, incest, and depression whilst we live in luxury and say it hurts no one.
Yesterday, I shared a link on Facebook. A link that contained ten little known statistics about girls in the sex industry. They were horrifying and sickening.
A friend of mine messaged me. He expressed his horror and heartbreak over the facts and that got us talking. Talking about the extreme injustice in our world.
Talking about how we turn our backs and live in luxury. About how we ourselves are so guilty of it all. And I know my heart was breaking as I reflected on it.
Then my friend sent me a question. A question that I've heard repeated so many times. Not always in the same words, but it's the same question. Time and time again. From the beginning of time:
"How do we ever be happy when we still aren't perfect though?"
Where do we find joy when everything around us is misery? How do we keep going when the brokenness, ours and the world's, gets overwhelming? What is our comfort?
And the answer is that for all our brokenness, for all our imperfections, God gives us forgiveness through His Son Jesus Christ and He loves us unconditionally. And that one day, He will return and Justice will happen.
Pure Justice, Perfect Justice.
Not this sham justice that we play out.
Because He sees every injustice. He sees every sin, every crime and every failure.
And His heart is stirred with Love and Compassion for the oppressed.
It's all through Isaiah. All through it.
There are two things that I've noticed that God hates: idolaters and oppressors.
And God will come and He will bring Justice. And He will also bring Mercy to those who stand in Christ.
And that is where our Hope and our Joy comes from: the knowledge that injustice will be righted, and we will be saved.
And so I pray: "Marana tha - Come, O Lord".
And my thanksgiving point for today, the 51st day before Christmas: the Lord will come.
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