Through Students’ Eyes: Seeing Justice Do It’s Work
Every Monday morning, students gather in the Act Five basement for their Six Acts class. They are led through the story of the Bible and beyond, placing their own stories into the larger narrative of God’s unfolding story. One of the themes that they pay close attention to is that of Empire and Shalom. Shalom is God’s desire from the beginning for the flourishing of all his creation. Empire (led by the complexities of our sinful human natures and desires) often tries to interrupt God’s plan for shalom with its own agenda for wealth, power or ambition, and most often does so through the suppression or oppression of people and communities.
In response to this reality, the students have the opportunity to learn about justice as a part of God’s restorative action to expand his kingdom of shalom. In fact, not only do they learn about justice, but they are invited to live into it, by helping usher in the justice of God’s kingdom now in their day-to-day.
Two of our students took some time to reflect on what justice has come to mean to them personally, and how their placements (at the Hamilton Central Library and New Hope Community Bikes) allow them to see the work of justice firsthand, and to participate in it.
Miranda – Hamilton Central Library
Online definitions would say that justice is the idea that individuals should be treated fairly. To take it further, I think it is more about treating people with equity and equality. I believe that justice is a large part of God’s plan of shalom, where the oppressed and marginalized are celebrated and protected. Justice is where those with privilege help those without.
I have been blessed to have a placement at the Central Branch of the Hamilton Public Library. The library is a fantastic example of a place that I think embodies justice and shalom. Located in the heart of Hamilton, the library is smack dab in the middle of large office buildings with corporate people working their white collar jobs. It is also an area that is home to a large portion of Hamilton’s houseless population. Yet the library manages to cater well to both of those populations, as well as everyone in-between.
The library is open from 8am-midnight most days of the week. In the winter, homeless people will come in and hang out because it’s one of the few places that they can exist in shelter and warmth. The library also has a learning center for newcomers to Canada who don’t speak much English and need help. Along with that, they run programs and support groups for young adults who are learning to live without their parents, for those with mental health challenges and for members of the LGBTQ+ community. It is also possible to take free courses at Mohawk college through the public library so that students can figure out the right path for themselves without having to pay lots of money. The library even has a program to bring library materials right to people’s houses if they can’t come themselves.
At the most basic level, the library has books, DVDs and magazines on every topic. This enables people to learn about history, their culture, and the world all for free, supplying both fiction and non fiction options for people. Indigenous people can learn about their culture and history even if it’s not something their family is connected to and queer people can explore their identity safely. As simple as that is, spreading knowledge allows justice to grow. It really is such a beautiful thing to me and a gift I doubt most people realize.
In a world that seems to think justice is always loud, the library works for justice in a quiet way that flies under the radar. I love this about the library. The library is such a resource for so many people and is a real sanctuary. I work with a team of people called “pages” at the library. We’re the ones who run the behind the scenes with the material, finding books, putting away books and organizing books, so basically just a lot of books. I love that after 18 years of loving the library, I now get to work with the people who make sure the library can do everything it does. It’s been so cool to see and be a part of all the moving pieces that the members don’t see. Each day I am privileged to work there, I thank God that the library exists and is a truly good entity in our city.
“In a world that seems to think justice is always loud, the library works for justice in a quiet way that flies under the radar.”
Liam – New Hope Community Bikes
When I think of justice it can be hard to think of just one definition that encapsulates its entirety. But I can say that I think justice can be a lifestyle. When you go about your daily life there are opportunities for us everywhere to observe justice and to take part in it. A lifestyle of justice to me is one where we help out the needy, one where we don’t spend too much money, or spend too much time on our devices. We have the opportunity to live our lives choosing to go against those social norms that are designed to benefit few and hurt many. In doing so, we get the chance to remake the injustice that is in our world and turn it into something that benefits more than the one percent.
My placement this year is with New Hope Community Bikes. They are a not-for-profit bike shop. Their mission is to get a bike in the hands of everyone and anyone, no matter their financial status. During my placement I get to do all sorts of things. I learn how to fix bikes; dismantling them for parts or refurbishing bikes so they can be sold. I also do a lot of organizing to prepare the shop for the busy season when it warms up and people start biking more. Every time, I get to do something new!
I believe that justice is woven into the fabric of what New Hope does. New Hope Bikes seeks to give everyone the opportunity to ride a bike, no matter their financial status, which I think falls in line with restorative justice. It’s a hard goal to achieve, though. They try to have their prices for bikes and parts as low as possible. Unfortunately, because of a system of oppression to the poor that exists in our world it can be hard for New Hope to be able to accommodate these people for whom cost is a barrier. I often see people come in with their bike, and the mechanics are only able to fix one thing about the bike. There might be ten other things broken, but they can’t be totally fixed because of the cost.
One way that New Hope Bikes is trying to attend to this injustice is by hosting fundraisers and taking donations. The team at New Hope plan many fundraising events where they spread awareness to the need for bikes, and where they collect donations that go directly into lowering their costs. They often will get donations of bikes which they will use for parts and scraps, or to build more inventory.
Another way they work to provide justice for all is through their pay-it-forward system. When someone comes to visit the shop or buys a bike, they can donate a little bit extra. This money will go to helping cover the repair costs for those who don’t have means to pay for their bike to be fixed.
I believe that there is a lot of work that New Hope is doing to reverse the economic injustice in this world, but like all of us, we can’t do it alone. As I have been inspired by my placement, I would encourage anyone who is reading this to consider even small ways you can make changes in your life to better rewrite injustices.
As Miranda and Liam so beautifully pointed out, movements of justice-seeking are happening everywhere around us. Where might you be called not only to see injustices, but to do the work of justice and help in creating shalom in your own communities?