Posted by
Compassionate Conservative on Wednesday, October 07, 2009 2:17:37 PM
Frequently at Sunday Mass, we offer prayers for "justice" in the world
at large. While I'm certainly willing to pray for justice - it's one
of those concepts with almost universal appeal - I'm never sure exactly
what the good Father thinks I'm praying for. Many people seem to
equate "justice" with ensuring everyone has a more or less equal
income, for example, in spite of the fact that different people bring
various skill sets to the workforce, including some who seem to have
the ability and/or desire to work harder to earn more money.
True
justice, to some, would ensure that people who work harder for whatever
reason should have more money and the things it can buy. But
unfortunately, even that's frequently not the case. Sometimes, people
who are just simply lucky make a lot of money, as for example when they
win a lottery. Other times, there are people who win the "lottery of
life," as some liberals like to call it, and have the ability to make
more money in the world of business. Of course, most of these people
work their fannies off, too, so maybe that meets the previous
definition of justice.
While much attention is paid to people
who are monetarily rich, no one says a whole lot about those who are
wealthy in many other ways - those who have jobs they like, loving
families, and/or a full, healthy, and active life that keeps them
constantly entertained and interested in living. Here in America, that
happens to be most of us. We in this country benefit from an economy
and a lifestyle that enables us to be and do pretty much what we want,
and that's a priceless blessing. There are some malcontents, to be
sure, but even most of them are quite well off. They're simply
concerned that there might be some Americans who aren't receiving their
"just" rewards, but in reality, most of us have plenty. They have no
proof that this is the case - because, after all, it isn't the case -
but they need something to protest to stay busy and fulfilled. To each
his own, I guess.
So instead of constantly worrying about some
ill-defined concept of "justice," perhaps we should count our
blessings. We have a system that works to keep the maximum number of
people well off, leaving out just a few who simply won't join the party
and fend for themselves. Tinkering with that system will only
sub-optimize our overall well being, and that wouldn't be a good thing
for most of us. There will always be those malcontents driven by envy
for people who have more than they do; envy is, in fact, probably the
biggest problem in American society today. Let's not be like the dog
in the manger and lose what we have just because we're worried about
what everyone else has.
Ultimately, the only one who can ensure
that justice is done is God. He has specifically reserved the right of
judgment to himself. Those who judge, and envy, will themselves be
judged, so let's stop concerning ourselves with "justice" and live our
lives the way we know they should be lived. Everything else is just a
distraction.