When Love and Justice Dance Together
By Laura M. Rector
Love smiled at Justice.
Justice nodded back.
He reached for her hand,
Whispering, “May I have this dance?”
Slowly, shyly, her arms encircled his.
Father watched and smiled,
Gently, Justice kissed Love’s lips,
Moaning, she caressed his cheek.
Nodding knowingly, Father said,
“Children, go out.”
Together, they ran
Across the fields of time.
Justice watched the harvest at work.
Love walked behind, dropping barley
As a young woman gleaned.
Justice smiled and joined her.
Laughing, Love ran ahead.
She stopped at a wounded child,
Stooped down and whispered comfort,
Until Justice cared for the young one’s safety.
They chased each other through the fields
Until the world grew suddenly dark.
Love tripped. “Where is Justice?” she screamed.
Looking back, no sign of her companion.
“Justice!” she cried, running through concentration camps,
Or tripping over babies washed along the shore.
She wretched over fallen soldiers,
And screamed as one child shot another.
“Justice! Justice! Justice!” his name echoed
Across the fields of time.
“Love!” he screamed,
But suffering drowned out their words.
A cascade of tears flowed down Love’s cheeks.
Justice pounded his fist in the air.
Gently, Father whispered, “Silence!”
The world stilled.
Father led Justice through the fields
Stopping at Calgary’s hill.
Quietly, he lifted Love
Placing her beside Justice.
As nails pounded into flesh,
As screams of agony went forth from a cross,
Justice looked at Love,
And Love looked back.
Justice reached for her hand.
“I am not Justice without you,” he said,
Softly touching Love’s cheek.
“I was so scared with you gone,” she answered.
Justice held Love,
Slowly beginning an eternal dance,
As Love clung to him,
And two souls meshed into one.
“We are better together,”
Justice whispered.
“I know,” Love softly replied.
Father nodded, as the two-in-one danced.
© 2007.
Laura Rector is a PhD student at Fuller Theological Seminary.
