Honor on your sleeve

Tonight, while at home, I was able to watch the film "A Few Good Men" (You know, Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, and the "You can't handle the truth" line). The movie revolved around this murder trial… and at the end, it becomes a battle between Justice (in the context of the law) and Power. Power argues that it should stay in control because it knows how everything is done and Power makes choices that "save lives" and that "are in the best interest of the country,” even if that means bending or breaking the law. On the other hand, there is Justice (in the context of the law). Justice reveals the corruptive nature of Power by some creative means, shedding light on Power's evil ways. Happy ending. The end. But Wait! Is this how justice works? Can justice truly be served in the context of the law?  Can justice be limited to a certain set of rules and regulations of one country and be considered just for all? And at the same time, can justice (in the context of the law) shed light on true justice and peace?

The Leadership Summit: Gary Haugen: International Justice Mission

Injustice- The abuse of power. Taking away God's goodness. Sin.
This was the definition as given by Gary Haugen of the International Justice Mission. I was looking forward to his talk about IJM and how it relates to leadership. It was refreshing to see what IJM does, but he really didn't say too much I did not have a grasp on. It was later realized that the whole summit seemed to be aimed at people in the 40-50's. Many people in this generation never dealt with social justice issues as part of the church, which is sad.
With that being said, Gary did a good job at leaning his talk toward the older crowd. I think he focused on the outcome of evildoer and the justice they received, rather than the justice of a trafficked girl or child soldier. This led me to wonder: Can an oppressor truly receive justice from a worldly power? Can the oppressed truly receive justice from a worldly power? Which is more just? What should be the focus, locking up the oppressor, or freeing the oppressed?