Lenten Journey with the Poor – Part Two

Charity = Social Service
Charity provides direct services like food, clothing, shelter.

Justice = Social Change
Justice promotes social change in institutions or political structures.

Reflecting on last Saturday’s journey, as we walked along - many of our discussions centered on the need to distinguish between justice and charity. Personally, I am more comfortable with charity because charitable actions are more immediate and somewhat measurable. Many of us were able to give examples of our charitable actions; however, we could recall far fewer demonstrated justice actions.

Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. Isaiah 1:17

Our visit with Bev Agnew, Co- Executive Director of Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN), provided a poignant reminder that just one incident can place many of our neighbors in a homeless situation. When this happens, Bev and her team stand ready to intervene and IHN clearly provides direct services. In fact, partnering with IHN is a great way for a church community to help their immediate neighbors and I plan to encourage my church community to see what we can do to get involved.

But as we left IHN, I was faced with some questions;

• What am I doing to change the system?
• I’ve learned to do good, but do I seek justice?

Brian McLaren writes in Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crises, and a Revolution of Hope, that “Jesus’ good news says we are neighbors in one global community, related to each other as fellow citizens in God’s kingdom. He calls us to seek justice for all so that God’s compassionate will is done on earth as in heaven”.

Saturday’s journey was very encouraging, because I believe the Church is reawakening to its proper role in – seeking justice – acting to change unjust systems and beginning to seek ways to bring God’s kingdom to earth.

The journey continues...