Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Brought to you by the letter J

How's my mental health today?

I don't know how to answer that. the last time I saw my doctor we agreed to make minor adjustments to my medications. Now I have to to deal with a medication side effect I haven't experienced in a long time - dry mouth. My mouth is very dry and everything tastes metallic. My creativity also seems to be paying a price. I'm finding it very difficult to focus and write - is that another side effect? I know that psych meds can inhibit one's creativity; and now I'm wondering if this is a temporary situation or is another medication change necessary.

Only time will tell.

Back to the A-Z challenge and today's feature letter - J for Justice; specifically Social Justice.

Where is social justice today? Are we doing as much as we can for the downtrodden; the social outcasts; the poor; the homeless; the disabled; the chronically ill; and those with mental and cognitive disorders? Are we getting involved or are we sitting back and leaving it all to the government, churches, and social agencies?

The disparity between rich and poor continues to grow. As we drive around our city we encounter an ever increasing number of panhandlers. Do we ignore them? Do we dismiss them because we have made the judgement that these panhandlers are going to spend whatever we give them on liquor and/or on drugs? Do we do or say anything when we see an injustice happening or do we keep going because we don't want to get involved.

The Old Testament prophet Isaiah said" Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause". (Isaiah 1:17)

Jeremiah tells us, "Thus says the Lord: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place".(Jeremiah 22:3)

In Proverbs 31:8-9 we read, "Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy."

What would our world be like if we all worked for social justice?

Am I doing enough?

History will have to record that the greatest tragedy
of this period of social transition 
was not the strident clamor of the bad people, 
but the appalling silence of the good people.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

2 comments:

  1. We don't all need to work for social justice but we all need to have compassion, tolerance and patience for those less fortunate than ourselves. Hope you feel better soon.

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  2. Good J word! I know we can't do everything (and sometimes the injustices are overwhelming), but we all can do SOMETHING to alleviate injustice.

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