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Chuck Colson, who died recently, founded Prison Fellowship in 1976. He started it after serving time in prison for Watergate crimes. The Fellowship serves prisoners, ex-prisoners and their families. Their stated purpose is to serve Jesus Christ, to seek transformation of prisoners, and to foster peace where crime is rampant. It may be the largest prison ministry in the world. Justice as a moral value is rooted in Scripture — both Old and New Testaments– especially justice for the least of these. One text is Isaiah 10. There, God speaks through the Prophet Isaiah to say, “What sorrow awaits the unjust judges and those who issue unfair laws! They deprive the poor of justice and deny the rights of the needy among my people. They prey on widows and take advantage of orphans. What will you do when I punish you, when I send disaster upon you from a distant land? To whom will you turn for help? Where will your treasures be safe?” Of course, we know most judges are fair, but God is concerned when powerful people mistreat others. It is our duty as followers of Jesus Christ to stand for and work for justice. God’s people should be diligent, not only to serve those charged or incarcerated, but to foster fairness in our relations with each other. Justice is an important value in the kingdom of God.
