The Path of Discipleship - Working for Justice

Working for Justice

And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with your God? – Micah 6:8

                In talking about discipleship, it is very easy to get caught up in the work of the  individual.  Many traditional acts of discipleship are about a single person establishing habits and practices: pray every day, meditate, say a grace at meals, read scripture.  Even as this series has sought to think of modern acts of discipleship, whether it is stewardship of the body through diet and exercise or determining a faithful way to deal with money, it is still often about the individual making decisions and creating habits, habits which other people may rarely see.

                Compassion begins at an individual level but expands outward.  I have suggested some practices for deepening compassion, but compassion is about the individual getting over him or herself and paying attention to other people.  Likewise, seeking justice pulls Christians from private observance to public witness.  Certainly we can talk about praying for justice as Christian communities, but the prophetic voices of scripture and history and the witness of Jesus himself challenge us to get out of the building and into the world.

                There are a variety of ways to work for justice.  My experience has been that some assume that justice work only involves placards, protests and demonstrations.  Sometimes this kind of action is important and necessary.  There needs to be a physical presence that both supports the one in need and visibly challenges the one in power.  To be completely honest, as a strong introvert, these kinds of events are personally draining.  I am not discounting their importance, just saying that they are not my personal first impulse.  Thankfully, I have many extroverted colleagues who are ready to assembly on the town green at a moment’s notice (and provide the nudging that will drag me along).

                But nonviolent protest or civil disobedience are not the only actions necessary to work for justice.  One of the first things that needs to happen is compassionate listening to the one who has been harmed.  If you want to confront racism, you should probably be listening to people of marginalized races.  If you want to confront sexism, you should probably be listening to women.  If you want to confront homophobia, you should be listening to people in the LGBTQ community.  If you want to confront poverty, you should be listening to people who are affected by poverty.  Not only does this give you the opportunity to hear the stories of how people have been affected by injustice, you may also get a greater sense of where and how you might be called to help.  I am a middle-aged, straight, white guy.  It would probably be inappropriate for me to be the primary face of a group advocating racial equality but it would be appropriate to help as I am asked and to stand as far in the background as necessary.

                It is also appropriate to contact people in power.  Letter-writing, phone calls and emails may feel like a minor gesture, but they can bear a cumulative weight, challenging leaders to pay attention to their constituents.  My advice is always to write in Christian love.  Compassion begins with acknowledging that every person you interact with is a child of God.  The senator from the political party from which you disagree is a child of God just as the person you are advocating for is a child of God.  Communicate honestly, but not smugly.  Acknowledge your anger or sadness, but not through personal attack. 

                Recently there has been a discussion of the need for a return to civility in speech.  Much of the discussion has been heavy with irony as neither side has been particularly civil or kind.  It turns out that when incivility is matched with incivility, both sides end up frustrated and angry.  As Christians, we can choose to be kind in the face of unkindness.  We can choose to be civil in the face of insult.  We can choose to be loving in the face of hate.

                This is not meant to temper the call to advocate for justice.  Rather I am thinking about justice with the voice of Paul in the background who wrote (quoting Proverbs 25) “’If your enemies are hungry, feed them; it they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.’  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:20-21).