Just Holy (Part 2)

Danielle Strickland continues her questions about justice and holiness.

Jesus suggests that his coming and the announcement of his kingdom would be like yeast, something that would work its way inside and then force it’s way out. This has been demonstrated in personal salvation, holiness and in the consequential social impacts.

John Wesley is the founder of Methodism and the leader of a great awakening. He is the father of holiness and many holiness traditions to this day consider John Wesley the authority on holiness doctrine.

The last letter that John Wesley wrote was to William Wilberforce, a man who had been converted under Wesley’s ministry and who was a member of Parliament. The letter concerns his opposition to slavery and encouragement for Wilberforce to take action for change. (Parliament finally outlawed England’s participation in the slave trade in 1807. The year 2007 marked the 200th anniversary of the abolition of British-US slave trade.)

Balam, February 24, 1791

Dear Sir:

Unless the divine power has raised you up to be as Athanasius contra mundum, I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that execrable villainy which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature. Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils.

But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? O be not weary of well doing! Go on, in the name of God and in the power of his might, till even American slavery (the vilest that ever saw the sun) shall vanish away before it. Reading this morning a tract wrote by a poor African, I was particularly struck by that circumstance that a man who has a black skin, being wronged or outraged by a white man, can have no redress; it being a “law” in our colonies that the oath of a black against a white goes for nothing. What villainy is this?

That he who has guided you from youth up may continue to strengthen you in this and all things, is the prayer of, dear sir,

Your affectionate servant,

John Wesley

In the best traditions of holiness revivals and movements, ‘holiness of heart’ means a changed inward reality resulting in changed outward behaviour. The implication is that the world will be changed as a direct result of our experience of holiness. The process of holiness working its way from inside-out turns greed to generosity, selfishness to community and conceit to charity and then as a direct result, turns society upside down. “There have been other periods in history when faith tangibly changed things. Often called ‘Great Awakenings’, they are times when the ‘revival’ of faith alters societies. In fact, the historians say that spiritual activity isn’t called revival until it changes something, no just in people’s inner lives but in society.”

Even the earliest church holiness teacher, the Apostle Paul understood that effective church planting and kingdom building meant caring for the poor (Gal. 2:10), abolishing poverty (re-distribution) and celebrating equality (Philemon, Galations, Ephesians). All of this contributes to a rich history of social justice within the Christian witness over the centuries.

QUESTIONS:

Is social justice an outworking or an evidence of holiness?

Is personal holiness a barrier to engagement with the world?

Is social justice holiness expressed in the word?

A famous Jazz singer says that justice is love in public… so if holiness is perfect love then isn’t it evidenced by justice?

Writer: Capt. Danielle Strickland is currently the Social Justice Director of the Southern Australia Territory. She digs traveling, reading, running, speaking, basketball and movies. Her passion is grace, mercy and justice… and all the stuff in between. Her favourite question is ‘how hard can it be?’ and most of her days are spent answering it.

1 Comment to Just Holy (Part 2)

1. Hi Danielle,

   Great articles. It sounds like much of your argument centres around socialism as the physical evidence of justice which is the result of holiness. As much of a socialist as I am, I fear that it will not, and can not ever be fully implimented on a global scale, this side of eternity.

   The church (as you rightly say), should be taking the lead in this regard, and The Salvation Army is looked to, to take the lead on social justice etc. Yet how can this work when Officers in Australia live a lifestyle and have an equivalent wage of between $50,000.00 and $200,000.00 a year? (yes, when you take into consideration the quarters, the car, the allowances, etc., that’s what it adds up to for most officers. Some are living in sub-standard conditions as I did in two of my appointments, but this is becomming more and more rare)

   I don’t think the church can fully accept equality of all humans - if fact, throughout history, and still today, the church has and does actively campaign against equality for all people.

   Until the church substantially changes, which will include a complete re-think of its’ theology, I don’t believe that what you have written can ever come into being. There is a better chance of the secular world leading us in holiness than there is of the church taking the lead in holiness.

   Yours in Christ,
   Graeme.
Graeme Randall on August 19th, 2009

Leave a comment