Promise of justice and law

Christmas. Birth of a child in a small occupied region controlled by the Roman empire which, following the principle “might makes right”, claimed it. The child’s mother, feeling the first movement in her womb, recited a promise that “the powerful would be brought down and the lowly raised, the hungry filled, and the rich sent empty away.” I mourn the death of a homeless man on our church porch a week ago and think of this promise and how it calls us in this town.

I think also of the promise that empire would fall and justice and law prevail. How we — the world — have struggled with this, across this century. In 1948, international law moved us beyond “might makes right” to a global community recognizing self- determination and human rights as fundamental. Four major violations of this commitment — instances of continued occupation in spite of international law — faced the world in recent years: Indonesia’s occupation of East Timor, Israel’s occupation of Palestine territories, Russia’s occupation of Crimea and Morocco’s occupation of West Sudan. The world rose up to pressure Indonesia to recognize East Timor’s independence. But our country has just recognized the annexation of West Sudan by Morocco as part of the “deal” establishing relations between Morocco and Israel. Russia continues to occupy Crimea. Israel, with our country’s support, gradually increases its control over Palestine, now occupied for more than half a century. Will the powerful be brought down and the lowly raised, for justice? This would be good news.

— Jim Anderson, Chico