The single verse, Micah 6:8, is one of the great passages of Bible: What is good has been explained to you, man. This is what the Lord asks of you, only this: to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God.

God does not lay endless and burdensome commandments on us. God is rather an enlightening, inspiring and attractive God. So there is a great deal of wisdom and profound insight in Micah's use of the simple word "only". Of course, the three things which he lists demand much of us: justice, love, humility.

From a Christian perspective, there are two very obvious approaches to justice. On a secular, political, social level, work for justice is often seen as a struggle or fight, and no doubt there is a great deal of truth in this, for the perpetrators of injustice will not easily accede to the demands of justice. Unfortunately, however, the struggle for justice often begets an unacceptable intolerance, even an unjust arrogance. Following Micah's insight, from a Christian point of view the struggle for justice must become work for justice, work characterized by tender love and by humility, for we must walk with the Lord.