This year, my world has changed twice. In January, my son and daughter-in-law welcomed a beautiful little girl, Lexi, into our family. Then, just a few weeks ago, my daughter and son-in-law welcomed their little boy, Theo.
Two tiny lives. Two precious babies. And suddenly, I find myself thinking more deeply about the world they will grow up in. When you hold a newborn, you don’t see their achievements, their mistakes, their abilities or their circumstances. You simply see a precious human life, worthy of love, protection, dignity, and opportunity.
Perhaps justice begins with seeing the worth of every individual. As a grandparent, I find myself asking: What kind of world do we want to leave for them?
This is also our responsibility as a school community. Justice isn’t always about treating everyone exactly the same. Just as Lexi and Theo will have different needs despite being equally loved, our students need different kinds of support, encouragement, and challenge to flourish. Justice means noticing, listening, advocating, setting appropriate boundaries, offering second chances, and ensuring every young person knows they matter.
Hudson Taylor wrote, “One thing, and one thing only, will carry men through all… the love of Christ constraining and sustaining them is the only power.” Arguably this is ultimately what we hope to cultivate in our young people, not simply a desire for fairness, but hearts shaped by the love of Christ.
Micah 6:8 reminds us, “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Justice, mercy, and humility belong together. Our hope is that our young people will not simply learn about justice but experience it through the way we treat them and then carry it into the world around them. Our responsibility is to give them a living picture of justice: courage when something is wrong, compassion when someone is hurting, humility when we get it wrong, and the willingness to stand up for someone who needs a voice.
Maybe one day, Lexi and Theo will inherit a world that is just a little kinder because of the choices we all make today.
Questions to consider as a family around the kitchen table …
Mrs Hayley Ferris
Head of Secondary
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