Occupy Wall Street consists of a group of activists who say they stand against corporate greed, social inequality and other disparities between rich and poor. They are protesting against, among other things, the greed and corruption of the 1% of the population . This week there has been a spin-off to other American cities. Could this happen in Ireland? Not while we were in the Rugby World Cup but now…? Our white collar crime, proportionally speaking, can match that of Wall Street. It has been largely undisturbed by regulation or legislation. The powers that be have asked the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement to carry out a criminal investigation into alleged malpractice at one of our banks. It is grossly under resourced and is unlikely to produce even preliminary findings till next year. It has not been helped by the non-co-operation of bankers which may now change following the recent passing of the Criminal Justice Act. In the meantime action against individuals or third parties such as auditors has had to be deferred pending the outcome of the criminal investigation. One Journalist has referred to all this as a “culture of impunity”. So could we see “Occupy Dame Street”? Not while we are still trying to qualify for the soccer World Cup! What has the Bible to say about these things? The Bible has a lot to say about justice, always imperfectly applied here but perfectly applied in the hereafter. Jesus warned of impending disaster on his return for those who denied justice to others. It is well expressed by St Luke’s recording of the persistent, prayerful widow and the unjust judge. Chapter 18 verses 1 to 8, Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.” For the Christian, prayer and perseverance are prescribed. He takes his example from Jesus who, St Peter tells us, “when they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”