Daily, we are presented with many opportunities to be just, to be fair. Some times it’s something that feels so trivial that we are almost dismissive of it, like when children cry to you about some mishap from their games with one another. Other times the weight of it is so overwhelming that you want to avoid the responsibility of making that decision at whatever cost, like when you have to play mediator in a professional setting.
Like most things, we judge fairness and justice by the perceived impact on the lives of those complaining. If your children can’t share it is unfortunate but surely it doesn’t have the same effect as if two coworkers cannot get along. It is normal to think of it this way, to ease the burden on your brain by taking everything in degrees.
But perhaps it isn’t just. What seems trivial to you may be important to the complainant and how you deal with the issue will inform a lot about how they approach you, and the general issue of mediation and justice moving forward. Real, true, and perfect justice is divine, coming from God who perfects the balance between fairness, correction, mercy, and love. But while it is in our power to have the last word on matters of justice – whether small or large – we must become comfortable with judging fairly. And the best way to do that is to be Spirit-led, to be discerning in our decision making and follow the divine intuition placed within us for such times as this.
The world, being what it is, is already terribly unjust. And people – regardless of age or whatever demographic we shoehorn them into – go through their daily lives seeing just how unjust this world can be. In this, as in everything else, we must be salt and light to them. We must be the one to show them it can be different, it can be better. So help us God.