I know already that it’s a losing battle to try to get you to avoid simplification, but hear me out. In some ways, simplification is a good thing.
For instance, we have key rings for simplification. Imagine having all of your keys on completely separate key chains. And who would have ever believed that we now use telephones for simplification? As a matter of fact, the least use I have for my phone is making phone calls! We use our phones as Bibles, books and magazines, flashlights, alarm clocks, to pay bills, to shop for anything, as GPS, as day planners, to answer any random question we come up with, to identify the name of a song that’s currently playing, to watch movies, television shows and sports, as cameras, as video cameras, as music storage devices, to send text messages and if worse comes to worst, we can actually use them to talk audibly to other human beings.
I’m not saying that I like them, because they certainly have their faults, I’m simply stating that the modern cell phone is a terribly efficient device designed with more functionality than anything else I can think of.
We like simplification. Simplification is a good thing when it comes to things. However, simplification is not a good thing when it comes to people or other complex issues.
I’m actually saying all of this to ask something of you. I’m asking for you to be patient with me. If you will be, I think we’ll all be very blessed. I’m asking for your patience because this week I had the idea that I would deliver a sermon – meaning one sermon – about the topic of justice. What a fool I can be.
I’ve been doing research for a while now, and thought I was prepared to put a sermon together, but the more I tried, the harder it became. What was my problem? I was trying to simplify a very complex issue. For instance, I’m not sure how many definitions of justice I read before I figured out that what I defined as justice is nothing like the varying definitions out there, which are far too many.
I’m not giving credit to all of those definitions. I only care about God’s definition of justice…which is what, exactly? It’s not that simple. The word justice is in the New American Standard Bible 138 times, but that doesn’t account for all of the times the shorter forms, “just” or “justly” are used and even if we had all of those accounts, which is in the hundreds, the theme of justice runs throughout the entire Bible as a major theme.
The good news? It’s a theme worth pursuing! It’s been a stressful, but wonderful study and I can’t wait to share with you, “Part I,” of what will be a much-needed understanding of God’s justice at a time in human history when most people have no idea what true justice entails.
Thank you for your love and your grace for me. Thank you especially for the encouragement that you’ve given this new preacher as I struggle to rightly divide God’s word.
Much love,
Wes LeFlore (918) 607-8489 or huskerwes1@gmail.com
