A Call for Justice

Injustice runs through much that is happening in today’s world. And when calamities strike, some blame God. But sinful man is behind it.

My first witness is the San Remo Treaty, signed in Italy 100 years ago this weekend, giving legal status to the creation of modern Israel, but long ignored and forgotten, demonstrating in no uncertain terms the grave injustice with which the world treats Israel.

But the Jewish state doesn’t get everything right, and I’ll come back to that.

My second witness is Donald Trump, much maligned and ridiculed by the left-wing media. He is now withdrawing funding to the World Health Organisation over alleged mismanagement of the coronavirus crisis which apparently also includes plans to use the pandemic to promote abortion.

While millions of unborn children have been denied the right to live by successive Western governments, a U.S. President now actively working to reverse this trend is castigated as unfit to rule. And many Christians have imbibed the poisonous propaganda that has surrounded the actions of Mr Trump, admittedly still finding his feet as a believer who committed himself to Christ in response to the preaching of the gospel at Billy Graham’s 95^th birthday party in 2013. Give the man a break! I believe the current plague has much to do with the spilling of innocent blood, as demonstrated by Isaiah 26.20f, oft quoted of late, which speaks of God’s punishment for such sin.

My third witness is former Labour MP Ian Austin who suggests that the scandal of anti-Semitism within the party is in danger of being swept under the carpet now that Jeremy Corbyn is no longer its leader. He is calling on new leader Sir Keir Starmer – a former Director of Public Prosecutions – to launch a thorough internal investigation following a leaked party report concluding that efforts to tackle the issue were hindered by hostility towards Mr Corbyn.

Mr Austin, who quit the party over the rise of anti-Semitism under Mr Corbyn’s leadership, said the report was unreliable as it attempted to ‘shield’ the former leader and his supporters from any blame.

My next witness is the wider issue of injustice in the courts themselves, in our entertainment industry, and in our everyday lives. We have seen how convicted terrorists have been given early release from prison, only to commit further mayhem and murder.

But on the other hand, too many innocent people are incarcerated or criminalised on the flimsiest of evidence. A three-part drama series called Quiz, screened on ITV last week, looked at the extraordinary case of the ‘coughing conspiracy’ on the Who wants to be a millionaire? show.

Army major Charles Ingram (a member of high IQ club Mensa) won the top prize and was then accused of cheating in collaboration with his wife Diana and a Welsh lecturer he had never met, who allegedly coughed at appropriate points to indicate the right answer.

At the trial, the defence barrister pointed out that the 19 ‘incriminating’ coughs only represented ten percent of the total recorded among the audience for the duration of the contestant’s time in the hot seat – and that the volume was turned up in each case so they could be more clearly heard!

But such blatant tampering of the evidence did not convince the jury. The judge, however, was clearly unconvinced by the prosecuting evidence as he handed out an 18-month suspended jail sentence for stealing £1 million!

Except, of course, that Major Ingram was not let off. He lost his reputation, along with the army job he loved, and his family were subjected to the most appalling vitriol by the general public which included their cat being shot and their dog being kicked to death! It says something about this Charles and Diana couple with a difference that they are still together – and still trying to have the verdict overturned.

If some, including myself, have only vague memories of the case, it will have been because it was ‘buried in bad news’. For the show in question was aired the night before 9/11. And how interesting that this gripping drama should have been aired during an even bigger crisis than the Twin Towers massacre.

It’s not for me to say whether or not they are guilty as charged. But we should all pray that justice will be done.

My last witness is the growing Messianic Jewish community – that is, Jews who believe Jesus is their Messiah.

Misrepresented and under constant attack from governments and other organisations around the world, Israel has come to recognise that evangelical Christians are among its best friends.

This is due in large part to a renewed understanding of the debt we owe the Jews, who gave us our Scriptures – and our Saviour. The problem is that many Christians are supporting anything linked to a Star of David, which can mean they end up backing the discrimination of their fellow believers, many of whom are denied citizenship because of their faith.

But leading evangelicals, especially in the political realm, should surely use their influence to call out this ongoing persecution, clearly driven in part by the authorities.

The prophet Amos railed against those who “deprive the poor of justice in the courts” (Amos 5.12). And Isaiah records how the Lord is appalled at the lack of justice which has come about by turning our backs on him (Isa 59.12-15).

In the greatest of all injustices, Christ, the Righteous One, has taken the punishment we deserved, so that we could be made righteous through his blood (Isa 53). This is the message that Messianic Jews are passionately sharing on the streets of Jerusalem.

We’d be fulfilling our calling if we backed up their efforts (Rom 1.16). And it’s a message we all need to hear if we want to see justice restored to our nation. Without Jesus, it won’t happen.

Charles Gardner is author of Israel the Chosen, available from Amazon; Peace in Jerusalem, available from olivepresspublisher.com; and A Nation Reborn, available from Christian Publications International

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A Call for Justice

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