There Is No Justice

There is no justice in relationships, in the economy or in geopolitics. Why fighting for it burns us out, and what stepping down as judge gives back.

There is no justice on this earth.

I know this thought is very hard to agree with and even harder to accept, but I believe it is true.

There is a great deal of evil in our world and even more stupidity. That is explained by the fact that human beings have free will.

Every day I watch the search for justice lead people into suffering: “Why me? Why her? Why didn’t he do it?” and hundreds of other questions people use to try to restore an inner sense of how things “ought to be”.

But there is no justice on this earth. Not between a man and a woman, not in the economy, not in global geopolitics.

When one spouse in a family tries to operate on the principle of a partnership of equals — “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” — it leads to constant conflict and tension. The “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” approach very quickly kills off all love, romance and emotional connection.

In the economy there is a category of politicians and officials who enrich themselves wildly through corruption. Money stolen from the budget could have gone to decent roads, healthcare, the army.

On the international level everything is so cynical and brutal that I don’t even need to write about the war between Ukraine and Russia. I cannot imagine what punishment Putin would have to receive in this life for the scales of justice to level out. I don’t think there exist torments or instruments of torture that could make up for the evil he has brought.

So every time we go looking for justice, waiting for it, fighting for it with the person we love or with a colleague at work, suffering and pain are what await us. We are fighting for something that does not exist.

Personally, I believe that the highest justice belongs to God. The Bible says that (alongside being a loving father) He is also a judge, and vengeance is His. And from the perspective of eternity, everyone reaps what they sowed in this life.

That is why I do not fight for justice. I don’t try to answer insult with insult. I don’t take revenge and I don’t try to even out the balance of power. I know that God controls and directs people’s lives. In His own time He acts as He sees fit. He repays evil, and He blesses a person who lives a life pleasing to Him.

The moment a person takes off God’s role of judge, they gain freedom and can fight evil and stupidity in this world far more actively. Because their inner resources are no longer being burned on searching for justice and restoring it.

Do you agree that there is no justice on this earth, and that the highest justice belongs to God alone?