Mohammed Bouazizi is an example of the destructive consequences of injustice. He was a street vendor in Tunisia in the early 2000s. It was a dusty and poor place, and he sold fruits and vegetables from a wooden cart. It was all he could do to sustain his family. The political system in Tunisia was very corrupt and the police used their position of power to extract tolls and bribes that were not legal. But they had the power to do it. He endured this practice over many years. But, eventually he … [Read more...] about The Administration of Justice
Mercy and Compassion
Anger Incubator
In June 2020, Elizabeth Chang's comments were printed in The Washington Post. Sadly, her words still ring true over 4 years later. She wrote: “Americans are angry. The country erupted into the worst civil unrest in decades after the death of George Floyd, and anger about police violence and the country’s legacy of racism is still running high. At the same time, we’re dealing with anger provoked by the coronavirus pandemic: anger at public officials because they’ve shut down parts of society, or … [Read more...] about Anger Incubator
Unequitable Trading
Coronavirus fears caused global panic. The financial institutions, speculative markets, manufacturing, retail outlets, travel, supply chains — pretty much anything that is the basis of our modern economy and trading infrastructure were affected. It can’t help but remind us of the volatility and complexities of this world’s forms of trade. Trade is such a foundational part of how any society operates and, by extension, how each of us operates. Whether we like it or not, nearly … [Read more...] about Unequitable Trading
The Garden of Eden Prototype
When God created mankind there was a strong bond between the Creator and the Created. This bond extended to the rest of the earthly creation that God had made. Man was to work with the environment to subdue it and have dominion. In other words, he was to dress and keep it. God and man walked together, they talked together, and they worked together. All of those things are contained in the first chapters of Genesis. The Creator, Man, and the environment all worked … [Read more...] about The Garden of Eden Prototype
God’s Thoughts on World Conflicts
The conflicts that we see in the world continue to increase. We probably know of the conflict in the area of Israel and Palestine along with the war in Ukraine, but there are many others that we don’t know or hear about. These conflicts may not be impactful enough to warrant any airtime from the news media. The United Nations, however, in its latest press release are tracking 114 ongoing armed conflicts today of major consequence, specifically in the Middle East, but also in Northern Africa. … [Read more...] about God’s Thoughts on World Conflicts
Time and Chance Happens to All
Solomon addresses an issue that causes a great deal of perplexity to people because he’s made this statement that the righteous and wise and their works are in the hand of God (Ecclesiastes 9:1). At first that sounds like a great place to be. Then he says: “All things come alike to all: One event happens to the righteous and the wicked; To the good, the clean, and the unclean; To him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; He who takes an oath as he who … [Read more...] about Time and Chance Happens to All
The Collapse of Justice
Our problems with justice today began with those entrusted with judgment in ancient Israel. They rejected God’s moral authority over them. They made the law void. The problem continues to this day in that God’s moral authority is also rejected by those entrusted to uphold it now. The Enlightenment, a movement in Europe in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, promoted reason and reason alone as the method of obtaining truth. Nietzsche, a man famous for saying God is dead … [Read more...] about The Collapse of Justice