Justice and Independence ’85 — John Mellencamp

“Justice and Independence ’85” puts two words beside each other and gives us a reason to think about what happens when they drift apart.

John Mellencamp has a way of putting difficult questions inside music you want to turn up. The guitars bring the energy, but the title invites a conversation that reaches beyond a decade.

What does freedom mean if fairness becomes something only a few people can afford? What does justice mean if we stop recognizing the dignity of people whose lives look different from our own?

Those are questions worth carrying into life, beginning with ourselves.

It is easy to demand fairness when we feel wronged. The harder work is practicing it when we have the advantage, when admitting a mistake costs us something, or when listening might change an opinion we have held.

Independence asks something of us too. Being free means making choices and accepting responsibility for them. It means learning, working, asking for help when needed, and allowing other people the same room to grow that we hope to receive.

For me, Micah 6:8 brings these ideas into focus: do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

Justice, mercy, humility. Three words that belong together in our homes, our communities, and our life.

The humility matters because none of us sees the whole picture. Mercy matters because people can change. Justice matters because every person deserves to be treated with dignity, including the person we find difficult to understand.

That is the reflection this song brings me today. Listen past the volume and consider the values we say we believe in. How do they show up in our actions? Who experiences kindness because we were there?

Turn it up, let the band do its work, and leave space for those questions.

Then choose one step toward a fairer, kinder community. Tell the truth. Keep your word. Hear somebody out. Help where you can.

Freedom grows when we practice responsibility alongside compassion.

Good news. Good music. Good works.