Social justice. The very words strike fear in the heart of this conflict-avoiding introvert. The term smacks of activism, conjures up images of marching in the street, waving a sign, being confronted by those who disagree, who will spit in your face or worse, while police stand ready to disperse angry crowds. We can see all too well what that looks like in today's news videos.
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| Photo by Peter H. (Tama66), Pixabay |
Stop sweating, girl. Breathe. Think. What do the words 'social justice' really mean? A quick online search reveals a story different from the one you've been picturing in your head. Social justice in its purest form is to seek justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. It is to be concerned with issues such as poverty, access to education, employment, and housing, to promote everyone's ability to enjoy equally what the most powerful, wealthy and advantaged enjoy.
But what can one person in a sea of humanity do? These are big issues, perhaps insurmountable. Didn't Jesus say that the poor would always be with us? It's right there in Matthew 26:11. In red even. Ah yes, but if we look just one chapter back we also learn that when we show a kindness to someone, we are showing that kindness to Jesus himself (Matthew 25:40). And then those words in Isaiah 58:6-11, oh so convicting and motivating:
“The kind of fasting I want is this: Remove the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free. Share your food with the hungry and open your homes to the homeless poor. Give clothes to those who have nothing to wear, and do not refuse to help your own relatives.
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"Then my favour will shine on you like the morning sun, and your wounds will be quickly healed. I will always be with you to save you; my presence will protect you on every side. When you pray, I will answer you. When you call to me, I will respond.
“If you put an end to oppression, to every gesture of contempt, and to every evil word; if you give food to the hungry and satisfy those who are in need, then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon. And I will always guide you and satisfy you with good things. I will keep you strong and well. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water, like a spring of water that never goes dry. Your people will rebuild what has long been in ruins, building again on the old foundations. You will be known as the people who rebuilt the walls, who restored the ruined houses.”
Wow. I sure want the Lord's favour, protection, salvation and healing. I sure want Him to answer my prayers and respond to me when I call. Don't you?
And what about this from Micah 6:8?:
"What shall I bring to the Lord, the God of heaven, when I come to worship him? Shall I bring the best calves to burn as offerings to him? Will the Lord be pleased if I bring him thousands of sheep or endless streams of olive oil? Shall I offer him my first-born child to pay for my sins? No, the Lord has told us what is good. What he requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God."
If I flip through the pages of my Bible, I find much more along these lines. There's no misconstruing what God wants of us, of me. The question becomes which issue(s) I will focus on and what actions I will take. What social justice concerns am I passionate about and how can I use my gifts and abilities to help? What time do I have to give?
I am passionate about children, about protecting them from poverty, abuse, and neglect, and seeing them provided for. To this end, I support the work of Compassion Canada, currently sponsoring two children and writing letters to encourage them.
I am passionate about preventing human trafficking and have given financially to the work of BridgeNorth.
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I am passionate about prison ministry, about offering hope to those who've had difficult upbringings and made wrong decisions, and so support the work of New Life.
I'm becoming more passionate about eldercare as I look after my mother in her later years. If I'm not mistaken, this too can be a social justice issue.
Because of time constraints in my current life stage and situation, most of my social justice "activity" is in the area of financial giving, unless you count acts of service for my mom. God knows the season that I'm in and it's all good. Not necessarily easy, but good. When things change (and obviously I want my mom to be around for a long time), He'll open the doors to more active engagement. My willingness, His perfect timing and plan.
What social justice initiatives are you passionate about? _________________________
Oh Susan, I love your post -- so well thought out with lovely examples of the areas that grab your heart and how you follow up with support. Your honest look at this issue helps me clarify my own thoughts, helps me see where my own heart feels sad and MAD that not everyone has the same chance to live in peace and freedom with enough to eat. And that, yes, I am involved in small ways but perhaps there are other ways I can be more involved to do something about it.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words, Brenda. I'm glad my post was helpful in clarifying your own thoughts on the subject!
Delete"No, the Lord has told us what is good. What he requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God."" Yes, there is no question of what God wants of us! The question is the what and then the how. You've reminded me to pray for God to keep my eyes open and to think less of 'self' and ask 'how and where can I serve today?'
ReplyDeleteThankful to be a small part in prompting you to pray for God's direction, Lynn! Prayer is so important in our daily walk!
DeleteI concur with Brenda and Lynn. This is a lovely and well thought out post - very moving. Thank you for sharing your heart.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Tracy. Thanks to Sandi for this month's prompt!
DeleteWhat a thought provoking and deeply honest post. I can feel your anguish and your desire to do what is right. There is so much this world is in need of. One cannot attempt to have all the answers. We can strive to follow God's voice, wisdom and guidance. Do the best we can. Serve where we can. We can see your heart in this beautifully written post.
ReplyDeleteYes, our world is in desperate need, Vickie. As the hands and feet of Christ, we must be counted among the helpers.
DeleteI agree about helping the poor but I believe they need a hand up, not a hand out. We can give somebody a fish or we can give them the equipment to fish. That's why I love giving Third World believers microbusiness opportunities. Many Christians lose their homes and businesses to Islamists. Organizations such as Voice of the Martyrs help destitute saints start businesses so they can make a living.
ReplyDeleteVoice of the Martyrs is an excellent organization, Bruce. We definitely need to be helping our brothers and sisters in parts of the world where persecution is a grave reality.
DeleteThanks for sharing some of God's heart for the needy, Susan. Over and over God emphasized our responsibility. I had thought of adding these verses to my blog but decided to cut out some.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your passions and how you are involved. God honours our contributions to His passions.
May He bless our contributions so they go further in helping those who need the help. Thanks for leaving some verses for my post ;)
DeleteI am so glad I read this article before I began writing my post on this topic! I appreciate how you captured my conflicted feelings about this topic, Susan! It has helped me to focus on what "hot button" topics I write passionately about, but remaining true to Scripture and my Christian world-view. Bless you!
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy I could help you focus, Lynn. I look forward to reading your post on this topic!
DeleteYou had me with your first sentence, "Social justice. The very words strike fear in the heart of this conflict-avoiding introvert.” I too don’t want to be the one carrying a placard and being carried away by police. In today’s climate, I don’t want to even use the term, "pro-life" for fear I would be branded as a follower of someone who touts the pro-life banner with importunity. I
DeleteInstead, I believe I’ve been called to tell others my story of what children mean to me, especially the children and grandchildren who have come to us. I’ve recently come across some great quotes from Saint Mother Teresa. i.e. “Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person. When I write my stories, I pray that God will use them to his honour and glory. You gave me a starting point for what I needed to write about for this month’s blog, Susan. Thank you.