Justice, Leeds Sanctuary

Justice

This week, Anna discusses “Justice”, one of our core values at Leeds Sanctuary.

The concept of “justice” has always been important to me. It has shaped my understanding of the world around me, informed the decisions I have made and helped me retain hope at times that have otherwise felt hopeless.

I can remember as a child being shocked and horrified to discover how incredibly privileged I was on a global scale when looking through magazines my parents had received from international charities they supported. My childhood was brought into sharp focus by a comparison with children across the world. This shock has never really left me.

I have never been able to disentangle justice from my Christian faith; for me the ever-compelling person of Jesus exemplifies the pursuit of justice. In the gospels we see him alongside those seeking justice; bringing healing, but also righteous anger and grief, to those situations.

When I started on the journey of creating something new in Leeds City Centre I was drawn to the activist and the justice-seeker. Drawn to their passion, hope and desire for a better world. Alongside the inspiration I felt, I also saw their need for regeneration, feeding and rest. This need, idea and energy have been intrinsic to how Leeds Sanctuary has shaped and developed over the last two and a half years.

At Leeds Sanctuary we embrace a complex understanding of justice: a mindset, an action, something to be pursued and something that demands something from us personally. For us, imagination is key in our understanding of justice. We have to be able to imagine a better world; to hope for it, and to work for it. We try to do all three.

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