“I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will sing praise.” Psalm 101:1
Love and justice. We don’t often put those two words in the same sentence.
Love feels warm and cozy and friendly.
Justice feels cold and impersonal and stern.
But when you think about it, is it possible to have love without justice? Can justice prevail without love?
Next week is Christmas. That’s love. God sending his son to live among us, to personally deliver his message in terms we can understand. Warm… friendly.
Next March we’ll celebrate Easter. That’s justice. Jesus paying the penalty for sin. Cold…stern…love. Yes, love. God offering his son as the penalty for our sin.
Without Christmas, there could be no Easter. And without Easter, there’d be no reason for Christmas.
Without love, there could be no justice. Without justice, there’s no reason for love.
Love and justice.