Interesting how when God wants you to think about something He keeps bringing the subject up over and over and over.....
In Sunday School today we were beginning a discussion on 'Social Justice'. Interesting thing to think about in context of the Church. We, in the last few years, have tended to separate the two and let the Government or para-Church agencies pick up the ball. Our time together began with brainstorming all the areas of Social Justice - that were brought about by Christians. Things like education, universal medicare,sufferage, civil rights, trade unions, soup kitchens, homeless shelters. You've got your Mother Theresa's and World Vision. The numbers are staggering and these all came about because the Church saw the injustice in the lack of these things. The discussion then moved to 'globilization'. and we discussed the economics. and we realized how HUGE the topic is and how little we are. AND YET, it is at our grassroots level that things change.
Of course it came up about how when a multi or trans national company comes into a village and sets up a factory it provides jobs and money for the workers it hires. Then we protest the sweatshops and the company shuts down its factory and all those workers are now unemployed. Weren't they better off before? At least they were making some money??
Well, my first thought is that those questions are maybe fine and dandy for a non-christian to ask. They are only concerned with money. They think that if you've got money - you need nothing else. So if we throw the dog a bone - they are better off. What my thoughts are as a Christian are - have we given them respect? Justice? have we allowed them dignity in their work?
The child sex trade in some Asian countries is huge. For some families to provide their daughter for use by some sick man - provides them with money. If I protest that this is wrong - we can't allow this to happen - and suddenly they don't have the income that this work provides any longer - well, I've just taken away their income! Weren't they better off at least with some money? Obviously not.
Its a huge issue. There's no easy answers. I just know that God has called me to "love mercy and justice." He requires me to walk humbly with Him. I KNOW this. and it seems to me that I cannot love mercy, or justice or walk in humbleness, if I'm happy just to throw money at a very human problem and turn a blind eye.
May God have mercy on us all.
In Sunday School today we were beginning a discussion on 'Social Justice'. Interesting thing to think about in context of the Church. We, in the last few years, have tended to separate the two and let the Government or para-Church agencies pick up the ball. Our time together began with brainstorming all the areas of Social Justice - that were brought about by Christians. Things like education, universal medicare,sufferage, civil rights, trade unions, soup kitchens, homeless shelters. You've got your Mother Theresa's and World Vision. The numbers are staggering and these all came about because the Church saw the injustice in the lack of these things. The discussion then moved to 'globilization'. and we discussed the economics. and we realized how HUGE the topic is and how little we are. AND YET, it is at our grassroots level that things change.
Of course it came up about how when a multi or trans national company comes into a village and sets up a factory it provides jobs and money for the workers it hires. Then we protest the sweatshops and the company shuts down its factory and all those workers are now unemployed. Weren't they better off before? At least they were making some money??
Well, my first thought is that those questions are maybe fine and dandy for a non-christian to ask. They are only concerned with money. They think that if you've got money - you need nothing else. So if we throw the dog a bone - they are better off. What my thoughts are as a Christian are - have we given them respect? Justice? have we allowed them dignity in their work?
The child sex trade in some Asian countries is huge. For some families to provide their daughter for use by some sick man - provides them with money. If I protest that this is wrong - we can't allow this to happen - and suddenly they don't have the income that this work provides any longer - well, I've just taken away their income! Weren't they better off at least with some money? Obviously not.
Its a huge issue. There's no easy answers. I just know that God has called me to "love mercy and justice." He requires me to walk humbly with Him. I KNOW this. and it seems to me that I cannot love mercy, or justice or walk in humbleness, if I'm happy just to throw money at a very human problem and turn a blind eye.
May God have mercy on us all.
posted by Cyndi | 8:37 AM
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