The Hebrew word for justice is “mishpat” which, in the Bible, usually refers to restorative, not restributive justice. This justice isn’t a response to the injustice it sees in the world, but rather the end that it sees in the scriptures. To put it another way, it serves the world not by focusing on the problems in the world but by orienting its life to the Kingdom which is the redemption of the world. Let’s back up. In the beginning, God’s great commission was for his human imagers/representatives to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth; cultivating earth as it was in Eden. When our subsequent rebellion ushered in a state of disorder and death, God’s plan to participate with humanity to restore his original Edenic vision was set in motion. First, through Noah who, like Adam and Eve, was told to be fruitful and multiply, then through Abraham who, in his old age, was told he would be fruitful and multiply God’s blessing throughout the whole earth, and finally through Christ who likened God’s Edenic world to a “Kingdom'' that had a participatory ruling assembly called an “ekklesia” with a “gospel” to spread. An ekklesia who, now empowered by the Spirit, were told to bear fruit, multiply, and go to the ends of the earth: cultivating earth as it is in Heaven. Sounds familiar right? It should come as no surprise to us then that the biblical story that began with a garden in Genesis 1-2 also ends with a garden in Revelation 21-22. God’s partnership with humanity as co-rulers in creation by his definition of good was the plan and still is the plan. With this sort of eschatological mindset, our work for justice becomes part of the mission to make present that which was and is yet to come. Simply put, biblical justice is restorative because it restores and propagates Eden where creation bends to God’s definition of good. Living towards this end allows us to say “yes” to the hallmarks of God’s good and ordered world and “no” to convincing counterfeits. For us, justice is about bending our small corner of creation back into Edenic shape.