A battle for justice?

Posted December 9, 2008 By Andrea and has 3 comments.

The call to justice is now, not tomorrow, not next week. It’s not a faint cry, it is not even a far off dream. It is a purpose, it was a calling when Jesus left this earth and it is now a weeping that is begging to be heard. How long have let our selfishness or patriotism affect this calling Jesus has placed on all of our lives? In many instances I hate the word deserve, because it implies that some people do and some people don’t. I never deserve more than my brother or sister, just as they never deserve more than me. Further, I am not the judge to be angered or condemning of them. But I am to speak up and out for the calling I have been given. 

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will inherit the earth….
Blessed are those who seek justice, for they will be satisfied
Matthew 5

Believe me, I know the Sermon on the Mount has been overrun, misused, misunderstood, and at the same time ignored over the years. There is also much more to it, but these are the verses that stick out to me, the ones that amazed me were there, when I first realized myself in the image of God. I have read more than one book calling for an army of peacemakers, as Gandhi once dreamed of. It seems a distant cry from the state we are in now. To very loosely paraphrase a Shakespeare quote I admittedly read in a Brian McLaren book “War is exciting and palpable to the human sense, in its shadow peace seems rather mundane.” Looking around, it seems this statement is true. Non-war times have been few in the history of man. It seems that sometime throughout hisotry there has been a need for a battle somewhere. A battle of ideals quickly turns to innocent blood shed. Perhaps what we are looking for are people who live their ideals, without sucumbing to the draw of ignorance or demeaning language. When Jesus said to pray for your enemies, I don’t think he meant while we were simultaneously bashing them whether rhetorically or physically. Too often peacemaking is confused with apathy or inaction. Believe me, if love is an action then look around, justice most assuredly is, so why aren’t we acting more? Sitting from our cozy chairs sipping our hot coffees, we can push ourselves. Every action does make a difference, and our comfort might soon become a memory better left in the past.

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Categories: Social Justice, Spiritual Reflections
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Tomorrow is Mother Teresa says…

Posted August 24, 2008 By Andrea and has 1 comment.

Tomorrow I will begin a series for Mondays called “Mother Teresa says.” She was one cool lady, and a warrior for Christ and people everywhere. Almost every word and quote I hear from her touches me.  I am sure you know of her, but if you don’t know a lot about her, I encourage you to look it up. There are few people truly celebrated for following Christ, but she is definitely one.

The past year for me has truly been about learning the difference between charity and justice. The Catholic Encyclopedia says of justice,

Justice is here taken in its ordinary and proper sense to signify the most important of the cardinal virtues. It is a moral quality or habit which perfects the will and inclines to render to each and to all what belongs to them.

Perfecting the will and inclining to render to each and all what belongs to them? Wow. Those are strong words when speaking in a society which can force hands in land issues and pay workers wages that will not afford their families the benefit of food. I believe that Christ followers have a call to be faithful in the ways of Christ and just to those around us. I believe that much of what Mother Teresa did in her lifetime reflected this, not just the charity which so many refer to it as. Charity is not justice, though it may often be confused. Some may need some charity for justice to be served, but the fight for justice must never be laid down for the act of charity alone. This is a BIG conviction that God has given me.  

 

I don’t know how long I will do this series, for as long as I feel led I suppose. And do not fear- I will always put into practice of finding out what first Jesus has to say, but that effort goes along with all my writings and thoughts. I do believe that there are leaders and peacemakers before us who we can learn from, and this is just a little delving into an attempt to do so. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy what may come.

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Categories: Social Justice, Spiritual Reflections
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