"When you give food to the poor, they call you a saint. When you ask why the poor have no food, they call you a communist." -- Archbishop Helder Camara, Brazilian liberation theologian

"Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice." -- Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Any religion which professes to be concerned about the souls of men and women and is not concerned about the social and economic conditions that can scar the soul, is a spiritually moribund religion only waiting for the day to be buried." -- Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Everything secret degenerates, even the administration of justice." -- Lord Acton

Martin Luther King, Jr. often said: "The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice." He got that line from a 19th century Unitarian minister, abolitionist, transcendentalist, Theodore Parker. Parker was right and King was right. Justice is definitely God's way and it is our way as we assume our rightful role as a heavenly being.

As we practice stillness we can't help but hear the cries of the poor, the alienated, the confused and the oppressed. Sooner or later we know we must act, act on their behalf, act for ourselves, for all. For we are all poor, alienated, confused, oppressed as long as any one of us is. We must always identify with the marginalized. Solidarity.

Those of us who have long benefited from white privilege must not be content until the day comes when the color of our skin really does not matter. We have made progress but we still have a long way to go.

Where justice is denied, Love is denied. We have put up barriers to keep out God, to keep out heaven, to keep out wholeness and truth and beauty. We must confess this regularly and seek to tear down those barriers. We must find ways, all kinds of ways, to create a society where no one is denied access to the abundance God provides.

This requires plenty of compassion and creativity. We get this from God when we pray. Prayer changes things. It's not magic. Prayer is an attitude adjustment. God changes us and makes us become agents of change. We simply don't accept an earth where justice is denied. We can't. We won't.

Each of us must choose among all of the causes demanding our attention and action. Prayer leads us to a good fit, where our unique gifts can make a difference. Believe. The more we pray for justice, the more we can make a big difference. Yes, we hear the cries. Our prayerful response leads to smiles and laughter and equality. The heavenly feast is intended for everyone. Let no one be denied. Enjoy. Celebrate. Be glad all over.

The celebration is so much better when no one is denied. There is so much variety on this planet, so much beauty. Justice means we all can enjoy what everyone is offering. The barriers we have built have prevented a lot of joy from circulating freely. This is not God.s will. Tear down those barriers. Let justice flow.

Justice simply means that everything is the way it's s supposed to be. This is the natural state of our heavenly reality. God made it that way. God makes it that way. When we are awake, aware and connected to this reality we know that any earthly illusion of injustice is temporary and ultimately does not exist at all. With this knowledge we can courageously and creatively reduce the earthly illusion of injustice with all of our heart, soul, strength and mind.

But we have to admit that it's a pretty powerful illusion that we are dealing with here. It will indeed take all our heart, soul, mind and strength to eradicate injustice. Can it be done? I hope so. God's will be done.