Justice is the Fabric of a Healthy Society

When a society such as ours creates a system to punish wrong doers, to defend innocents, to correct mistakes and to restore liberties, we expect that justice will be delivered. When within a society a ministry dedicated to children and families is empowered, we expect that it will protect the vulnerable, accurately assess people, and repair broken situations.

Love is the thread .Woven from billions of such threads, justice is the resultant strong and integrated fabric. The fabric is known by the name of integrity and it can be fashioned into a garment prepared for residents of earth. It is the fabric of a healthy society.  

Injustice occurs when countless numbers of these threads are pulled from the garment. As the holes enlarge, the wearer of the garment is uncovered and vulnerable.

A work of justice becomes essential to mend the rips and tears that have occurred in the fabric of a society and its governance. The repair consists of the replacement of frayed threads. That work must begin again with love. 

The idea for my literary fragment above was inspired by THE JUSTICE CONFERENCE which on one occasion used the image shown here. Love is a Thread. This Conference promotes dialogue around

justice related issues such as human trafficking, slavery, poverty, HIV/AIDS and human rights.  You may appreciate visiting this site.

Ayn Van Dyk’s release from government care into the waiting arms of her father Derek Hoare is at the very least the requisite solution to a human rights issue. It may be much more than just that upon closer scrutiny of the policy, the interpretation and the practices that make it possible for a protection agency, in response to a notification of a child missing for three hours, to take that child from her family.

On June 12^th 2011, Ayn scaled her family’s back yard fence, explored her surroundings and stopped nearby. It was enough to panic her father, inducing him to call 911. Police found her within hours, safe and unharmed.

When due consideration is given to the child’s autism rather than a father’s negligence as the explanation for her nomadic excursion to a neighbour’s yard, the shredding and slashing of the justice garment is readily apparent.

On June 16th, 2011, four days after Ayn’s brief trip, protection social workers appeared with a voluntary release form for Derek to sign. That was met by his anxious and incensed refusal. On that same day following his refusal, this government agency removed Ayn from her public school classroom. What about justice was not understood by the supervisors and social workers of this ministry charged to effect justice for this father, this child and this family.  

Ayn’s justice garment was in tatters. So was Derek’s garment and those of his two sons, and those of the extended family. Love covered her at home in the prettiest material designed specially for her. Now this Ministry has enabled this injustice for almost one full year.

Only love’s thread can mend the lacerations so that Ayn is properly adorned again. Over 4000 people are recorded as members of Ayn's Facebook page which is called 'Help Bring Little Autistic Girl Back to Daddy." Many of these are actively involved in lobbying for her release. Our comments are shared all day long. Here we weave our voice and our gifts into the project of Ayn’s protection so she can wear her garment of justice with its irreplaceable threads one day in the not to distant future. She will be beautifully dressed with Justice but we will all know it as Love.  

(Thanks to Anonymous who corrected the timeline for me with regard to June 12 and June 16 events)