You know how when you are in a conversation with someone and stumble upon
some topic that they are really into, and they start getting all
passionate and animated, and it makes you take a step back and say
"Okay. Tell me how you really feel about that." Well, I believe for
God, that issue is justice or what we might more precisely call
biblical justice.
Biblical justice is the more precise term that I
prefer, mostly because it reflects the range of justice issues that I
see God clearly and deeply cares about, as witnessed in scripture and
in my own experience. The issues of biblical justice are social,
economic and environmental. They are also intertwined and
interconnected. This is especially the case in one of the ministries I
work in: fighting against the wickedness of human trafficking and
helping victims and survivors. The issues of biblical justice
(social, economic, environmental) are not issues to arm ourselves with
for a culture war, nor mere hot topics for a lot of conversational
hot-air. If we would just take to the streets and do something about
them, 
we might in fact find no culture war left to fight in the wake of
justice and healing that follows in our wake. The sad fact is that
truth and justice are being trampled in the streets of America, but a
war on culture has not made a difference. What might begin to make a
difference would be to wrestle not with flesh-and-blood, but with the
powers behind environmental crises, poverty, and social injustice.
Unfortunately, there
are other complicating issues. I think churches by-and-large
today are places where the broken run from. In truth, the Church
should be the safe place for the broken to run to. This fact grieves
me so, because I know it to be a fact. I have sat and given permission
to survivors of trafficking to speak their mind and lament what is in
their hearts to God. And do you know what I witness to? They complain
and lament to God that His people have failed them. And I have been
part of that problem and I lament that too. How many poor are in your
local church? Do those trapped in prostitution find a safe place
without condemnation in your fellowship?
But hope persists in
the margins, which in fact Christianity was indeed birthed. Christ
was born in the margins, but His people have lost our roots. My
imagination is sparked by "what if's":
-
What if the Church opened itself up to the prophetic pathos of God, so that His heart takes possession of our hearts?
- What if
the Church - possessed with the heart and Spirit of God - could be
moved into action; simple stuff, do what is in front of you, do what the
Father is doing kind-of-stuff?
- What if the Church became known for doing-the-stuff Jesus did?
- What
if the Church - or any local expression of it - could become the place
the broken ran to in crisis, and not the one it runs from?
- What if
the Church could swim further up-stream and tackle the messy root issues
of an environmental crisis that spreads with each passing day?
I know that most of you here at this blog
believe or are interested in centered-set theory, but how can
centered-set go from theory to practice? Does your faith community
reach out to the victims of social, economic or environmental justice?
Do you welcome them in your midst, like on the "normal" Sunday
service? Can the paradigm or churches as a place of welcome be
restored? How can we re-welcome the ministry of hospitality in the
church by-and-large?
