Justice is the direction given to love.  For the only way to love God is by loving one's neighbor; but the only way to love one's neighbor (apart from "being in love" which limits one's understanding...) is by justice. Very simply, he who says he loves his neighbor but ignores justice is a liar.  And he who says he loves God, whom he does not see, but hates his brother, whom he does see, is a liar. Justice is the zone of all prophecy, the matrix for prayer, for one brings life to the fore by introducing justice.

Justice is the first concern for those who love life, and he who prophesies, that is (i.e. acts) on behalf of the one who is Life, who speaks in the Spirit and the Spirit in him, speaks against injustices, in particular against those enemies who rob others of their first gift: life. Injustice, fortunately, is not an abstract concept... Thus to preach justice is to face the powers as they are, all those powers that may be massed to rob another of his/her freedom.  It is threatening the status quo with being uprooted.  But the key to justice is that it is a balance; it is measurable... That is why prophetic prayer (and action) has to do with the poor and the suffering; because one is poor when he/she lacks power.  The struggle for and behalf of the poor is the struggle for power. In this sense the struggle of the prayerful person is as much a struggle for power as it is for peace.... The struggle for power and for justice that is the prophetic response to life begins at home. It is by changing one's own being that one makes a contribution to justice in the world...

Matthew Fox, from "On Becoming a Musical Mystery Bear"