Article May 24, 2010 Issue

WHEN FACING INJUSTICE, HOW CAN WE EXPECT A HEALING RESOLUTION?

BY SUE A. SPOTTS

INJUSTICE OCCURS IN VARIOUS FORMS. Who of us has not been passed over for some much-deserved opportunity? Or maybe you've been falsely accused by a family member. Perhaps you've worked tirelessly on a project, only to have it come under severe scrutiny and criticism by colleagues. Financial hardship is often undeserved and unjust. Situations like these can weigh heavily on the human heart, so that one cries out from the depths, feeling victimized, bitter, defeated.

There is no shortage of stories in the Bible about people who met with persecution and injustice. It can be heartening to revisit some of them. One of my favorites is the Old Testament story of Nehemiah, who was led by God to organize his people to rebuild the fortifying wall surrounding Jerusalem. As the project proceeded, some who opposed the work impugned Nehemiah's motives and slandered his character; others threatened to make false reports about him to the king. Yet he repeatedly declined to respond to their actions in self-defensive, angry ways.

It wasn't that Nehemiah did nothing about his opponents' threats and lies and their attempts to engage him. Through prayer, he remained convinced of God's power working on his behalf. This enabled him to avoid unnecessary and self-defeating human dramas and to eventually bring the project to completion. "I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down," he replied to his adversaries, adding, "Why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?" (Neh. 6:3) This statement of Nehemiah's hints at the resolve we all need—to hew to the God-given work of praying about an unjust situation and not give in to the "enemies" of bitterness, anger, and indignation.