Ragamuffin : the Bible & social justice

… maybe we should combine forces

T

he idea of social justice has been around a long time. The Salvation Army’s stance has been good for the most part but wobbly at times. Notice Isaiah 58 :6, 10 (NLT):

6 “…this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people.
10 Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.”

The Bible says much about poverty and hunger. We don’t go very far in the “holy writ” to discover that God has a heart for the poor, the oppressed and those that are the outcasts from society. It comes to fruition in the life of Christ in the Gospels. Throughout the letters of the New Testament we find the writers encouraging us to help those in need.

When God says He will look out for the poor He often does that through people. Someone has said, “We are His hands, we are His feet.” This is so true for our society today. The church is doing so much to alleviate the burden on the poor. We can always do more but thank God we are a witness in this vital ministry.

Deuteronomy 24:19-22 (NLT):
19 “When you are harvesting your crops and forget to bring in a bundle of grain from your field, don’t go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all you do.
20 When you beat the olives from your olive trees, don’t go over the boughs twice. Leave the remaining olives for the foreigners, orphans, and widows.
21 When you gather the grapes in your vineyard, don’t glean the vines after they are picked. Leave the remaining grapes for the foreigners, orphans, and widows.
22 Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt. That is why I am giving you this command.
God is not only concerned about feeding the hungry but watching out for the oppressed in society. God wants to show justice.”

Psalms 146:6-7 (NLT):
6 “He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever. 7 He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. The Lord frees the prisoners.”

Proverbs 31:8-9 (NLT):
8 “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. 9 Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.”

 

People like Bono and other celebrities are taking up the cause of the poor and hungry. Dafur and other regions need our attention as believers.

I know these are complicated issues. It isn’t just about food or finances. Some of it is religious oppression. Some of the problems are political in nature. John Lennon said, “All I am saying is, Give Peace A Chance”. That sounds too dreamy for some so later John and Oko did billboards all over the world stating, “The War Is Over…if you want it to be.”

In the New Testament Jesus makes the bridge from the Old Testament to the new complete in Luke 4:18-19 (NLT):
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, 19 and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”

Matthew 25:31-46 (NLT):
31 “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.
36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ …40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’”

The various issues that face our world today need to be addressed by the church. In some areas of the church they are being addressed. Can we as The Salvation Army be more aggressive in these issues? HIV/AIDS, affordable housing, clean water, education, transferring our faith to the next generation, world hunger, sexual carelessness, racism, guns, landmines, respect for life, drug abuse – including alcohol and nicotine - cloning and freedom of speech.

In Chicago, I often see black ministers and Catholic priests protesting, standing up for the poor in the bad parts of town and yet there is some rule that a Salvation Army officer cannot do so in a uniform? Is that correct?Maybe we should seriously combine forces to fight the evils in our world. Maybe the next step in our humanity to effectively combat society’s ills is to network and cooperate with others who want to do the same. Not building our own kingdom but widening the gates to God’s kingdom.

Government can only do so much. The delivering power of Christ must be actively involved through His people in the world today. Poverty and justice demands it. The Bible calls for it.

Ragamuffin appears every Monday on theRubicon. Find past Ragamuffin posts and a bio of Capt. Jay Davis here.

5 Comments to Ragamuffin : the Bible & social justice

1. What’s your take on James Cone?
Catherine W. on March 29th, 2008

2. I do not know much about James Cone. But Cone felt that Black Christians in Northern America should not follow the “white Church”. Liberation Theology is a hot topic with the political processes in the USA. Obama’s church seems to be of this ilk.
   What’s my take? I think it can be overkill. I am white but not racist. Martin Luther King Jr. fought (and righfuly so) to bring racism to the forefront. He endeavored to see equality reign. Gal. 3:28 is a good Biblical foundation for such.
   But there can be a backlash to the “black liberation” movement. By the continual use of the race card a reaction that is hostile is logical.
   Sometimes the divide is widened, the chasm deepened by an overstatement from the side of the Liberation Theology owner.

   Note two links below:

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNTGRL0OJWQ

   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberation_theology
Jay Davis on March 31st, 2008

3. Thanks — I have read some incendiary articles about him in connection with the campaign, but Bill Moyers did something on him which I guess was more favorable which I haven’t seen. I’ll check out the links.
Catherine W. on March 31st, 2008

4. There’s a bible available that highlights verses regarding poverty and justice. I’ve read the Bible, but this Bible opened my eyes to God’s word and our mission to help the poor.
   The Poverty and Justice Bible
Theresa D on July 22nd, 2008

5. Theresa D

   There is also the FAITH IN ACTION BIBLE (NIV)

   http://www.zondervan.com/Cultures/en-US/Product/ProductDetail.htm?ProdID=com.zondervan.9780310928621&QueryStringSite=Zondervan
Jay Davis on July 26th, 2008

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