Equal Justice For All Series

A few years ago, 6-year-old Robbie Richardson saw his dad drive through a red light on their way home in Quincy, Massachusetts. The boy warned his dad that he was going to report what he did to police.

The dad, Michael Richardson, tried to explain to Robbie that the turn he made was a legal right on red, but Robbie kept his word and dialed 9-1-1 as soon as they got home.

The officer on the line responded, “9-1-1, this line's recorded. What's your emergency?”

To which Robbie replied, “Daddy went past a red light. He has a black truck, but it was in the brand-new car, my mommy’s car.”

Later, Robbie told a Boston Herald reporter, “My dad went past the red light, and I told him that I was going to call the police. Red means stop, green means go, yellow means slow.”

Robbie — who wants to be a police officer when he grows up — said he learned the important traffic light rules in kindergarten and knew to call 9-1-1 because it’s written on the side of his toy police car.

Mike Richardson had just fired up the grill when his son came out of the house and handed him the phone. A voice on the line announced that he was speaking with the Quincy Police Department. The officer let Michael know his son had called to report his recent right on red — and he apologized.

“Oh no,” Michael said. “I apologize … we’re good, thank you.”

After that, Robbie said, “If my dad runs another light, I'll call the eye doctor so he can fix his eyes” (Chris Vallini, "A boy who dreams of being a cop calls 911 on his dad," Boston Herald, 6-1-16; www.PreachingToday.com).

That boy went a little overboard, but you have to appreciate his passion for justice and doing the right thing. The fact is we live in an unjust world, where some people get away with much more than a traffic violation, while others are unjustly accused of crimes they did not commit.

For example, Antifa and BLM rioters burned and vandalized buildings in the summer of 2020 with little or no consequences. In fact, a reporter with burning buildings behind him, tried to gaslight his viewers by describing the scene as “a mostly peaceful protest.” But in 2021, hundreds of people were arrested for simply walking through the capital on January 6 under police escort. Most of them still languish in prison two years later awaiting their day in court.

Though their plight has improved in recent years, our African American brothers and sisters have experienced this kind of injustice for a long time. Now, freedom loving, American patriots are experiencing injustice just for their political views. Our black brothers would say, “Welcome to the club.”

So, how do you find justice in an unjust world? How do you get those in authority to treat you fairly? Well, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Ecclesiastes 3, Ecclesiastes 3, where Solomon addresses the issue of injustice.

Ecclesiastes 3:16-17 Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work (ESV).

Even though Solomon cannot find justice in any earthly legal system, he notes that God will someday justly judge both the righteous and the wicked. The wicked will no longer get away with their wickedness and God will justly reward the righteous. So, if you want to find true justice…

LOOK TO GOD BEYOND OUR LEGAL SYSTEM

If you have been unfairly treated, leave it in God’s hands to make everything right in His time. Expect God to treat you fairly, even when a human judge mistreats you.

TRUST GOD MORE THAN THE UNJUST JUDGES OF THIS WORLD if you want to find true justice.

President Mobutu reigned as the dictator and President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1965 to 1997. But after global political changes, Mobutu was forced out of power and the country collapsed and descended into conflict and chaos. British pastor Mark Meynell tells the story of his good friend Emma, who witnessed many atrocities committed against his friends and family members. He and his wife and three daughters fled east on foot. Weeks later they arrived in Uganda as refugees, with nothing. After a few months of a miserable existence, he walked past a local seminary and sensed that the Lord was calling him to ministry. The family had been living in one room, without water or electricity, and enough to pay for one meal every two days.