Shaking a fist at the universe as if some strange thing has happened cannot be an exclusive experience to the modern person. Or myself. In this I find great comfort, that I have expressed what is possibly a cry of humanity in general, a cry for Justice. A cry for the uncertainty of our existence to end. A longing for the world to make sense.

I am pleased with myself, which I decided is not vanity, but an appropriate response to wrestling this lion in the wilderness. I sought it out, found it, and so describing it – it can no longer subject me to its incessant roaring!!

This lion is not Lyle, the Lion, who visits my house. Eats. Sleeps. Enjoys adoration and bacon. This is another lion, like my conscience, or it could be the Adversary who, “like a roaring lion” seeks whom he may devour that the Bible cautions about.

The Lion has been trying to say possibly for decades, that there is injustice in the world, and as inhabitant of the earth, I am both part of the problem and part of the solution. And for too long, my response has been Just ice. Chilly, silence. I wanted the privileges of a happy and just world without owning the responsibilities of what exactly that requires of me.

Justice that is genuine requires that we suffer for our mistakes and flaws. Then, we can escape the trap of conscienceless consuming! The false existence we have been living says: “You’re a victim! You’re powerless. Poor you! Buy this, that or the other thing, and be assuaged of your existential angst.”

NO, the TV doesn’t talk like that exactly. The TV appeals to our vanity. It says: “Look at the sea of mindless idiots out there.” The caveman commercials selling insurance, Citibank’s horde of violent vikings…Allstate’s super racist ads. “Don’t be moron (like x, y, z,),” the ads say. “Buy, this, that or the other thing and be better than them!”

However, the solution to the injustice in the world never comes. We are trapped in a conveyor belt experience with no Justice. Just ice, ice-cold social engineering to make us obedient, global consumers.

The conclusion is, Justice requires ownership of our responsibility. Recognizing we ignore the lion’s urging and accusations is not easy. (Who or whatever that lion is.) But, being free of the lion’s incessant roaring is most pleasant!

Shaking our fist at the sky and feeling like victims in an icy cold universe is not exactly a faithful representation of the human experience. Justice requires we own our part in the injustice of the world, our failures, so that we can be procurers of a just state.

Justice or Just ice?? We decide. Roooaaaaar!!