When Justice and Peace Embrace
The psalmist paints a portrait of divine harmony - justice and peace no longer at odds but embracing like old friends. Dr. King understood this vision deeply when he spoke of beloved community.
When Justice and Peace Embrace
"Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven." - Psalm 85:10-11 (NIV)
Pastor Marcus stood with his daughter at the newly renamed John Lewis Plaza, watching children of every background play together on the playground that replaced the old segregated park. A woman his age approached, her eyes misty. "My mother wasn't allowed to play here," she said softly. "Now my grandkids do." Together they watched a Black child share her juice box with a white friend, an ordinary moment that would have been extraordinary in their childhood. "This is what Dr. King meant," Marcus whispered. "Not just sharing space, but sharing life."
The psalmist paints a portrait of divine harmony - justice and peace no longer at odds but embracing like old friends. Dr. King understood this vision deeply when he spoke of beloved community. He knew that true peace wasn't achieved by suppressing justice, nor justice by abandoning peace. Instead, they need each other, like partners in a sacred dance.
In this transformed park, we glimpse what happens when justice and peace finally meet. The heavy work of undoing systemic barriers creates space for genuine relationship. Truth-telling about the past opens doors to new possibilities. The children playing here inherit not just a changed space, but a changed story - one where righteousness and peace flow together like a river nourishing parched ground.
Yet this moment also reminds us that systemic peace requires constant tending. Each generation must choose again to let justice and peace embrace, to build structures that support human flourishing, to create spaces where sharing life becomes ordinary rather than extraordinary.
Today's Thought: Where do you see justice and peace beginning to embrace in your community? How might you help nurture their dance today?
NOTE: "The stories in these devotionals, while drawn from real-life experiences and events, are crafted to illustrate deeper truths about shalom in our world. They represent composite experiences that help us see how peace breaks through in everyday moments. -Chuck"
