MSI Press Blog

  At as early an age as I can remember, Shane had a heightened sense of fairness. And, if something was not fair (in his mind, at least), nothing could persuade him to accept it. As he grew into adulthood and took on supervisory positions, that sense of fairness blended with strong logic (which underlay his sense of fairness all along). Case in point: Grade 5. Recess In home room, Shane's teacher, Mrs. D, had trouble one morning quieting down one row of kids. It was the row that quiet, introverted Shane sat in. Finally, in exasperation, she told the class that the kids in Shane's row had to stay in at recess for punishment. Shane raised his hand, and the ensuing conversation went like this: Shane: That does not include me; I was not being noisy. Mrs. D.: It does include you; you are in that row. Shane: I do not accept your inclusion of me; I did not choose to be in this row; you put me here. Mrs. D.: Discussion over. The entire row stays in at recess. At recess, the row of kids...

  I never imagined that the squabbles of my childhood would be needed as an adult. But they have been. I was a tomboy. There was no question about that. My favorite place was in the upper branches of the apple tree in the front orchard, and my best friends were all boys. That might have colored how I related to the world as a kid, and I do mean as a kid. The first major altercation, according to my mother, was with my friend Bobby, who was more than a tad taller than I (he became captain of the high school football and basketball teams) and just a tad (one year) older. We were pals then--and all the way through school. But we had an altercation. As my mother tells it, Bobby had a candy bar, and I had an ice cream cone. As our parents were gabbing to each other on the city street, I offered Bobby a lick of my ice cream cone. He was very happy for that lick. I asked for a bite of his candy bar, and he was not happy with that kind of sharing. But lick for bite, it should have been a f...

  Justice is one of the most powerful points of convergence across religious traditions. While each faith articulates justice differently, the underlying impulse is remarkably consistent: to protect the vulnerable, restrain the powerful, and align human society with the moral order of the universe. Judaism centers justice in the prophetic tradition: care for the widow, the orphan, the poor, and the stranger. Justice is covenantal—it is how a people lives faithfully with God. Christianity frames justice through the teachings of Jesus, who consistently lifts up the marginalized and confronts systems of exclusion. Justice is inseparable from love. Islam embeds justice in law, ethics, and daily life. The Qur’an repeatedly commands fairness, honesty, and protection of the oppressed. Hinduism ties justice to dharma —the moral order that governs right action and social responsibility. Buddhism approaches justice through compassion and the alleviation of suffering. Justice is not retr...