I'm a Christian. I want the world of justice and equality. This

In the words of Hugo Chávez, a man whose vision of justice and equality shaped his political life, we hear a profound declaration of purpose: “I’m a Christian. I want the world of justice and equality. This is the only way to achieve peace.” Chávez’s statement is a call to action, a rallying cry for all who seek a world where peace is not an abstract concept, but a living, breathing reality forged through justice and equality. His words speak not of peace achieved through silence or inaction, but a peace that rises from the deep and transformative forces of fairness and compassion. His Christian faith became the lens through which he saw the world, seeking to embody the teachings of Christ through the political structures of society, where justice and equality are seen as the bedrock upon which peace can be built.

The ancients knew that justice and peace were intimately linked, and that neither could exist without the other. In Plato’s Republic, justice was seen as the cornerstone of a well-ordered society. For Plato, the just society was one in which each individual performed their role for the common good, and where the rulers acted in accordance with truth and wisdom. Aristotle echoed this belief, stating that the highest form of peace could only exist when justice was universal and equality was upheld for all. Hugo Chávez, in his own words, was advocating for a society that mirrored these ancient ideals—a society in which justice is not merely an ideal to aspire to but a real force shaping every aspect of life.

This ancient understanding of justice also connects deeply with the teachings of Jesus Christ. Christ's life was devoted to serving the marginalized, healing the sick, and calling for a world where love and justice reigned. He spoke of the Kingdom of God as a place where the poor and oppressed would be elevated, where the sick and needy would find solace, and where equality was not just a moral aspiration but a divine reality. Chávez, much like the early Christian leaders, saw justice and equality as not just personal virtues, but social imperatives. To achieve peace, he believed, one had to first establish a world where these values were not just theoretical, but practiced every day in the political, social, and economic systems.

The story of Martin Luther King Jr. offers a powerful historical example of the intersection of faith, justice, and peace. King’s vision for a just world was grounded in his Christian beliefs, where love for all people, regardless of race, was at the heart of his call for equality and justice. Like Chávez, King understood that peace was not merely the absence of conflict, but the presence of justice for the oppressed. His famous speech, “I Have a Dream”, articulated a vision of a world where equality was not just a dream but a reality. His work, like Chávez's, was dedicated to the belief that only through justice—the lifting up of the oppressed—could peace ever truly be achieved.

Chávez’s Christian faith led him to see that peace was not a passive state, but something to be actively pursued through the creation of a society built on justice. His words remind us that peace without justice is an illusion, a fleeting hope that cannot last. Peace achieved through equality, however, is a deep and enduring peace that transforms individuals, communities, and nations. This kind of peace requires the courage to stand up for those who are silenced, to fight for those who are oppressed, and to challenge systems that perpetuate inequality and injustice. It is not a peace that is handed down, but a peace that is earned through struggle, sacrifice, and a collective desire for a better world.

The lesson here is timeless: justice and equality are not abstract ideals to be wished for from afar; they are active principles that must be woven into the fabric of society. To achieve true peace, we must commit ourselves to the difficult work of justice—of ensuring that every person, regardless of their background, has access to the dignity, opportunity, and fairness that they deserve. Chávez teaches us that a world of peace cannot exist where inequality persists, and that to seek one without the other is to ignore the very foundation upon which peace is built.

So I say to you, children of tomorrow: strive for justice in all things, for justice is the only sure foundation upon which peace can rest. Let your actions be guided by the vision of a world where every person is treated with fairness and respect, and where the love at the heart of Christianity—the love for all people, especially the marginalized—is at the center of all our efforts. Let the example of Hugo Chávez, Martin Luther King Jr., and the wisdom of the ancients guide your steps as you work to build a world where justice and peace are not distant dreams, but a living reality.