<p align="left">In today's political climate, it can be tough to make sense of the cacophony of voices using "social justice" as their rallying cry.  Everyone with a stake in our nation's well-being (which, in theory, ought to be one hundred percent of the population) views the concept through his or her own lens.  It can be difficult to make sense of what it means when we have a person on one side demanding an end to poverty and a person on the other side lobbying for marriage equality, while the people in front and in back of us clamor for us to care about education and healthcare reform.  So what exactly is social justice?</p>
<p align="left">A quick Google search for the term "social justice" yields over 8 million results.  On just the first two pages are entries from sources as diverse as Wikipedia, Dictionary.com, Fox News, and several personal web pages.  It seems everyone has an opinion on the matter.</p>
<p align="left">While digging for some specifics, I came across an article from <a href="http://www.crosswalk.com/">Crosswalk.com</a>, in the news and commentary section.  Dr. Paul Kengor, of Grove City College, has this to say on the matter:</p>

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<p align="left">Most exasperating is that many who speak the language of social justice really mean "economic justice." Unlike traditional practitioners of social justice, whose occasional noble interests ranged from prison reform to child-labor laws, many modern practitioners seek wealth redistribution, "living wages," progressive income taxes, and an eternally-widening net of federal government power and central planning; they are inclined to class interests rather than human rights. And, by their estimate, achieving <em>economic justice</em> requires collectivism. They invoke <em>social</em> justice not to try to resolve conventional <em>social</em> differences as much as class/income differences.</p>
<p align="left">This is why, in many modern eyes, including those of the much-maligned Glenn Beck, mention of "social justice" seems a red flag for socialism. [The rest of the article is located <a href="http://www.crosswalk.com/news/economic-justice-as-social-justice-11635548.html">here</a>.]</p>
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<p align="left">I had several reactions to Dr. Kengor's statements.  First, I was annoyed.  How dare he presume to know what people mean when they use the term "social justice"?  Then I decided that I must have misunderstood.  He wasn't <em>really</em> saying that economic justice isn't social justice, was he?  Finally, I simply shelved the comments as one more example of someone conflating economic reform with communism.</p>
<p align="left">It's absolutely true that economic justice is not the same as social justice, although it is a subset.  The problem is not that Dr. Kengor seems to think that's the only problem we social justice Christians emphasize.  He's right, it gets a lot of press.  The heart of the matter is that Dr. Kengor has equated the political problem of wealth redistribution with the social problem of the income gap and its associated issues.</p>
<p align="left">Social justice isn't about politics.  It may involve government, laws, and structural reforms.  But it isn't about what the guys at the top decide to do to "even the score."  It's about what we, the people, do to create a social climate that values all people and helps everyone reach his or her potential, and working together for the good of all.</p>