Justice is commonly thought of as grand gestures, massive, sweeping changes, or divine intervention. In my experience, at least, justice has been anything but. Just as the King of Israel questions, “Am I a god with power over life or death?” I think it’s safe to assume that the answer for a majority of us, particularly young adults like me, is no. If we hold out our hands and wait for a magic wand to cure all problems and injustices, like Naaman, we will never see justice.
More often than not, in my experience, opportunities to bring about justice existed in my (relatively small) spheres of influence. For example, I have heard many of my fellow high school students say, “Well, I would love to advocate for social justice, but I just don’t know where to start.” In my high school career, working towards justice has begun with observation. I noticed injustices as they arose at school: white students using slurs to refer to BIPOC students, students using slurs to describe LGBTQIA+ students, a homophobic passage in my junior theology textbook, and affluent students ostracizing our economically disadvantaged classmates, to give you an idea. After observation comes kindness.
Kindness is a perfect complement to justice. The synergy between justice and kindness is a manifestation of our call to share radical love for one another. Although justice necessitates action to actively dismantle systems of privilege and oppression, we can begin our work towards justice by showing kindness specifically to those most vulnerable to injustice around us. As my mother says, “You don’t have to be everyone’s friend, but you have to be nice to everyone.” In these turbulent times, working towards justice seems unfathomable; kindness is a good place to start, particularly towards the most vulnerable among us.
- Where are you called to work for justice? How can kindness help create a space of inclusion, welcome, and solidarity as a starting point?
Timmy Lake is a member of the class of 2021 at Regis High School in New York City, and has a passion for social justice and ethical concern. Timmy spoke as an Ignatian Network Speaker at the 2020 Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice.