Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/4131

4131 Justice.... Equal rights.... Mutual love....

September 29, 1947: Book 50

Even the sense of justice is subject to a law. It can certainly be increased many times over, nevertheless, in cases relating to equal rights it has to be limited. For it always has to be taken into consideration that both giving as well as taking are first subject to the commandment of love. Giving is determined by love, insofar that love has to be the driving force of giving, and thus every gift has to awaken love in the recipient. For love is the fundamental substance of everything that is visible to the human being, just as it must incessantly flow to all works of creation if they are to continue to exist. Consequently, it requires the strength of love if the offering is to awaken love in return and increase the strength in itself. Giving is the evidence of love, but the receiving can take place without love, in which case it will remain appropriately ineffective unless the recipient is voluntarily partaking of the spiritual gifts from above which lead upwards again. Earthly gifts can only have an earthly effect, that is, the giving part has to take into account that his gift will indeed be accepted yet not valued differently than a matter of fact and therefore awakens little or no love in return, which would be classed as a spiritual failure. In that case, only the giver's will is of importance but not the act itself. The degree of love which urges a person to give is always the decisive factor, this is why giving cannot be generalised, since the degree of love is not always and towards all people the same; rather, the human being has to exercise firm self-criticism, otherwise he will regard actions as deeds of love which are merely the results of education or habits and thus lack the driving force of love for a another person. The latter conduct of people is doubtlessly commendable and therefore should not stop; nevertheless, every act carried out by love has eternal value, because it results in the soul's higher maturity. Actions of love increase humanity's spiritual state on earth, actions of justice can certainly go hand in hand with love yet are generally only driven by the feeling of formal thoughtfulness, which can be automatically carried out without the heart being involved and therefore does not follow the person as a deed of love into eternity.

Just thinking and just conduct is expected of people, for the contrary has detrimental effects on fellow human beings and is therefore unkindness; it is a violation of the commandment of love. Consequently, just thinking and just conduct can be regarded as the fulfilment of the commandment of love.... But justice should not always be understood as equal rights.... because a demand for absolute equality cannot always and by all people be made.... For even here, laws apply which are subject to divine will. The human being should certainly take care not to value himself too highly either way, thus he should not lay claim to more than he is willing to give, he should give to another person what he himself deems desirable, yet this will has to remain free, it must not be forcibly aimed in one direction which, however, is the case when the reason for giving is an acquired formality that a person complies with. Hence you should seriously examine which feeling prompts you to put your will to give into practise. Don't be satisfied with a correct act which lacks all warmth but follow the urging of your heart, then you will be governed by love and every thought, intention and action will be good. However, in cases of emergency you should act fairly, when not just one person relies on your help but when it is needed everywhere. Don't deny it to one person while you give it to the other but make an effort to distribute and judge fairly. Give pleasure where you can and don't try to keep an anxious limit, for this stifles love, it does not awaken mutual love, and where love is lacking there is no spiritual progress, even if you have effectively created earthly order, yet divine order must be fulfilled first, and according to divine law love comes first. Where it is observed all other good qualities will follow, and this includes justice as well....

Amen

Translated by Heidi Hanna