When someone talks about the justice system, we of course tend to think of a system run by our government that includes courts, judges, lawyers, police officers, clerks and prisons. But every one of us carries out our day among multiple justice systems. They are at work, at school, on our sports teams, in our community organizations, our faith centers and… our families. The first justice system you experience is through your parents, and if the family is healthy, that justice system is indeed centered around love.
There is a shift in parenting guidance that has been going on for many years now, gradually moving our culture away from punishment-based child raising and towards discipline through other techniques, such as regarding times where behavior correction is needed as ‘teachable moments.’ It is my belief that these changes both reflect and feed a slow shift in awareness away from punishment as a necessary component of justice. We need not sacrifice discipline or accountability in this shift. Rather, we gain more of both.
In recognition that Justice begins first in the family, posts in this section share ways of living justice rooted in love with your loved ones. – Kim Vanderheiden
