Privilege: an advocate for the vulnerable
This is part two in a series on the subject of privilege. Review my first post, privilege definition, for context.
I’d made little progress digesting the numerous privileges given me until I learned more about justice. Thanks to the invaluable efforts of The Bible Project and their Justice Series episodes), a link between the call for justice in the Bible and the responsibility of the privileged has begun to form in my consciousness. I’ll brief you until you can listen to the episodes yourself.
When I hear the word ‘justice’, an image of a courtroom jury and a lordly judge pops into my mind. This mode of justice, retributive justice, is about rectifying inequities humans have created. If I steal your car, retributive justice rectifies the circumstances by returning the car to you and penalizing me according to the severity of the crime. Americans are quite familiar with this mode of justice.
A second mode of justice exists, called restorative justice. In every society there exist vulnerable people who are marginalized and abused. Even in a system of perfect retributive justice, where every infraction is rectified, the vulnerable remain at a disadvantage. Justice for the vulnerable is restorative justice.
Where the judge performs retributive justice by announcing a sentence, any person with a voice may perform restorative justice. Whoever enables the vulnerable to experience fair treatment and opportunity by proactively granting them benefits is after restorative justice. In the Biblical story, the restorative mode of justice occurs nine times out of ten.
I might multiply examples, but two clear passages suffice. The first is a poem from the book of Job. It’s in the context of Job’s defense of his upright behavior to his questioning friends. The second is a command from the LORD to the king of Judah before the exile to Babylon.
...
I [Job] delivered the poor who cried for help,
and the fatherless who had none to help him.
The blessing of him who was about to perish came upon me,
and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
my justice was like a robe and a turban.
I was eyes to the blind
and feet to the lame.
I was a father to the needy,
and I searched out the cause of him whom I did not know.
...
Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.
These passages, along with countless others, juxtapose the word ‘justice’ with descriptions of the vulnerable (‘orphan’,‘widow’,‘poor’) to illustrate that the definition of justice in God’s mind is closely aligned with actions that powerful people take to ensure the vulnerable are treated with dignity and given opportunity to flourish. Justice is more than making sure every breach of the law is rectified, it’s ensuring that the vulnerable receive protection and opportunity.
When I discovered that restorative justice is the primary mode God has in mind, the responsibility of privilege became clear in my mind. Privilege confers advantages in a variety of contexts, and I’m obligated to advocate for those who, by the absence of privilege, struggle to be equitably treated.
To conclude, practical steps.