Hispanic American and Justice
(mishpat)
"The theme of justice (mishpat) played a key
role in prophetic proclamations and denunciations. Western and Greek
conceptions of justice fall short of the depth, the scope, and the
value of the prophetic preaching of mishpat. Amos, the sheepherder
from Tekoa, petitioned for justice (mishpat) to 'roll down like
waters and righteousness like an everflowing stream.' 5:24). He gave
charge that mishpat be established in the gates, the provincial
courts (5:15). Hosea, the son of Beeri, admonished Ephraim and Judah
to 'observe kindness and justice' (12:6). Isaiah, the son of Amoz,
defined justice in concrete terms as the reproving of the ruthless,
the defending of the orphan, and the pleading for the widow (1:17).
He portrayed justice as an attribute of Yahweh (30:18). Micah
insisted on the doing of justice as the center of the cultus (6:8).
...(40)
The term mishpat occurs first, in the book of
Micah, in chapter three. This chapter contains three strophes of
four verses each (vv. 1-4, 5-8, 9-12). Mishpat is the key word in
each strophe (vv. 1, 8, and 9). Micah denounced the public leaders
for disregarding the implementation of justice. The duty of the
public officials was to know the right juridical decision and to
implement justice (3:1). ...(41)
Micah was empowered by a sense of justice, a
discernment for what is right engendered by the infilling of the
Holy Spirit. The sense of justice enabled the prophet to make known
the sins of the nation's political leaders. Likewise, Hispanic
Americans, empowered by a sense for what is just, will be able to
develop a political consciousness and take political action to
institute reforms, and denounce the wicked power structures that
discriminate against the Spanish speaking people and do not give
them a voice in the decision-making process." (43)
Michael Candelaria in Voces edited by
Justo L. Gonzalez, Abington, 1992. Candelaria is Professor of Religious Studies at
University of New Mexico.
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