Social Justice and God
We had a discusion about evangalism and social justice tonight at commy dinner. I was thinking about it walking home in the rain(I left home walking in the rain too).
The particular area I began thinking about was seeking God. I think one of God’s biggest concerns is justice. I think God cares more for the widows and orphans then we can imagine. From my reading of the Bible God spends so much time talking about social justice. The Old Testement has long passages denouncing injustices perpatrated by the people of the time. Jesus spent so much time on the fringes of the society when he was on Earth in physical form(Is that the theologically correct way of saying it Tom). Jesus said he came to save the lost. He healed the sick and reached out to the outcasts.
I wonder sometimes if we Christian’s in the West need to become outcasts if we need to lose our posesions. I think we could learn a lot if we were forced to depend on God.
When I look at the World the places I see God moving most strongly are not the affulent places. Not amoung the educated and rich. I see my God working on the fringes of society. I see God moving amoung the poor. Where their apears to be no hope there my God is.
This is the God who gave us parables about reckless abandon. The parable of the lost sheep tells of a shepard who risks the 99 safe sheep, all to find the one lost one. And when he finds them there is celebration.
What does this mean? For me I want to seek out my God and I think I have a pretty clear idea of where to look. The place which many try to avoid seeing, the fringes of society. The hopeless causes and the places of loss and suffering.
It reminds me of the “Seek Your Face” song from St John’s Darlinghurst about seeking God in the face of even domestic violence.
God truly is Merciful. He is love. He is God the great I AM.
Church, Class Wars, God Stuff, India Stuff, Poverty Sucks, Religion, Social Justice
My friend and now pastor in Pittsburgh was saying to me that he doesn’t think that the chuch was ment to be in the main stream. For so long the church in the west was that state religion and was used and abused for the purposes of many kings and popes and others. I agree, Dave, it’s time for the church to move back to where it was supposed to be. Out in the fringe.