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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| Photo by Kristi611, Pixabay |
"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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| Photo by Engin Akyurt, Pixabay |
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? _________________________
