“Whoso cleaveth to justice, can, under no circumstances, transgress the limits of moderation. He discerneth the truth in all things, through the guidance of Him Who is the All-Seeing. ~Baha'u'llah
The connecting thread between moderation and justice is very intriguing. What is it about justice that protects us and allows us not to be content with enough, to create a healthy balance in our lives, and avoid overdoing? Looking at the truth in all things and exploring that for ourselves through the Guidance of our Creator is key. The next question then is what does God have to do with it? How central God is to the acquisition and practice of these divine qualities is a fact that seems to become clearer and clearer as night follows day. Left to our own devices we leave the world in the state it is currently in, with all the inequities, inequalities and injustice. We need an external compass set always to the right position to which we may measure our thoughts and our actions. When we look to our own limited understanding or the opinions of what others believe to be right, we find ourselves heading in the wrong direction and our lives feel as though something is missing. What if we looked instead to a living, breathing example of how moderation ought to be practiced, read Holy Text to ascertain what the practice entailed and then sought about bringing that practice into our daily lives? This may set us on the right path and then we could refine this characteristic as we faced the challenges that inevitably accompany acquiring spiritual qualities. In the interaction with others our resolve will always be tested. We cannot swing too far one way or the other. It may seem pious to constantly refer to what the Holy Scriptures may explain in respect of a spiritual quality but our only responsibility is to our practice of it. We do not demand or instruct others in the way of doing things. This is the rub and it can present as a dichotomy but it really is not. It is our responsibility to investigate the truth for ourselves. We may find that in what is written, said or done and then we must evaluate it for ourselves. What may be acceptable for one person may be harmful to another. It does not make that thing good or bad, it just means that the way people engage with it will differ from person to person. There are rules in this game but they must be discovered voluntarily. We are called to participate, and in doing so, not to navigate blindly. We learn that when we give up our desire to be right we open up new possibilities to connect with one another. When we look deeply at the nature of things we see that nature itself sets parameters that must be adhered to. When we ignore these rules sometimes things go bad, sometimes it paves the way for exciting inventions and progress. If we look to our intentions, whether what we aspire to do and say is pure and goodly and will contribute to making the world a better place then we may consider that it falls within the realm of just and is therefore moderate. When we do not take the time to do this exercise it may be that we transgress these limits and bring sorrow and pain to either ourselves or others. We need moderation in all things, it keeps us humble.