Some thoughts on Justice….
Author: teejtc / Category: ReligiousI don’t think my denomination is unique here, but among us there seems to be a rather interesting conflict between “midwestern conservatives” who seem to primarily identify Christianity with issues of morality and “eastern liberals” who identify more with issues of Justice. (Of course, before anyone says I’m stereotyping — um, yea, I know! I think there’s some truth in the perception though.)
There are, it seems, several problems here. First of all, justice and morality are but two sides of the same coin (Christianity) there cannot really be one without the other. There is a definate immorality in injustice, and perhaps the same is true visa versa. Secondly there is the obvious fact that Jesus spent a lot more time talking about “justice” issues than about “morality” ones (a fact which “midwestern conservatives” do not like). Finally, though, there is the primarily polarizing effect such a distinction causes.
I know it. I’ve seen the beast rear itself up in my own life. I remember vividly, as a college student sitting at General Synod, being convinced that “those eastern liberals” (who were bringing up questions of famine, genocide, ecology, etc.) simply didn’t get the point of real Christianity: “go and sin no more.” I’d bet there are a few “eastern liberals” who sometimes look at “midwestern conservatives” and wonder why that group just simply doesn’t get the point of real Christianity: “act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with God.”
I think the problem is a simple one. We, in the midwest (if we’re truly honest), simply do not have the same kinds of direct contact with injustice that our urban brothers and sisters do. Result? Out of sight, out of mind.
Consider it this way….at the last presidential election one of my youth group kids asked me who I was going to vote for. After a short snip about it not really being any of his business, I told him I didn’t know. I couldn’t decide whether I should vote for someone who seemed to have a better concept of Christian morality and forgiveness or someone who seemed to have a better concept of Christian action and care for the poor.
I realize, of course, that’s an elementary view of the last election, but it succeeded in flabergasting him. How could “a Christian…even a minister” ever consider not voting republican?! After all, everybody knows republicans have a corner market on the “essentials” of Christian politics (abortion, homosexuality, etc.)
Are these really the essentials? I’m not sure. Indeed, I’m sure not.
Thoughts?
Grace and Peace,
`tim
6 Responses to “Some thoughts on Justice….”
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September 24th, 2005 at 6:46 pm
You have shown good insight here. However, as a liberal in the conservative midwest (in fact, virtually in your neighborhood), I’ve learned that Christians here practice cafeteria-style morality. I guess I never thought of abortion and homosexuality as bedrock moral issues. How about the “Golden Rule” for starters? It seems like that one has slipped their minds. Or, maybe the 10 commandments. No one in my neighborhood has refused to live next door to a liar…but, man, just try to let a homosexual couple move in. Yikes! To me the difference between justice and morality is that justice is concrete and timeless, while morality is fluid and subjective.
I am not a Christian…any longer, at least…but your post speaks to me of the paradox of the faithful. One strives for morality and justice. Yet, the more stringent your moral code, the more likely you are to deny your neighbor justice. At first blush, they seem like complementary concepts, but it’s really impossible to be both. I’m reminded of the legend that Checkov once wrote a stage directions for “Three Sisters” that said something like “exit stage left with anguish, foreboding.” Uh, ok…can someone demonstrate that for me?
Sara
September 24th, 2005 at 7:45 pm
Sara…Your point is well taken. However, I actually do believe that morality and justice are complementary. Sure, it may be impossible to be both, but it certainly is possible to strive for them and become better at both.
This is the pardox of Christianity. We stive for something that we know we will never fully accomplish (or more precisely, that we will never fully accomplish prior to our perfection in heaven).
This isn’t hypocricy (although I admit there are as many hypocrites in the church as there are outside of it - if not more!) Hypocricy is when someone claims to be something they aren’t. True Christians don’t claim to have have achieved perfection in morality and justice. They do, however, strive for it. (And when we fail, we “get back on the horse and try again.”)
The hard part is not giving up and not trying to pretend you’re better than you really are.
I’m reminded of a realization I came to when doing youth ministry in college…For most of the people I know, the hard thing to get across is that God actually loves and forgives them. For those who grow up in conservative, Christian ghettos, the hard part is actully convincing them that they’re sinful and actually do need God’s love and forgiveness (they keep forgetting that they’re not perfect!)
Christians should be more aware of the fact that they’re not perfect and more interested in improving than non-Christians. The problem is that the opposite is often the truth. So what happens? We end up only looking at the parts that we like or that come easily to us and we completely ignore the rest (because it reminds us of the fact that we’re lying to ourselves - and others).
I don’t know how to change it! Any suggestions?
Grace and Peace,
`tim
September 25th, 2005 at 7:58 pm
Well, that’s a tough one. Although it’s probably the last thing someone in your position wants to hear, my only thought is that Christians can stop proselytizing and focus inward instead. In my experience, Christians act unjustly because they only value people as potential Christians and not as actual human beings. In their minds, if someone is not going to adopt their moral code, they are not worthy of consideration. In fact, without the “Savior” they are dead already - so why bother treating them fairly here on earth when god will ultimately treat them harshly? It’s the slipperly slope I see the faithful slide down all the time. Conservative Christians need to learn to appreciate that others are valuable by the very virtue of being human and not for whatever moral code they can impose upon them. Only then will they act justly.
And who knows? A moratorium on proselytizing non-christians may actually help the cause. I know my former denomination, the CRC, has been losing membership over the last 10 years. If they could learn to shut their mouths and lead by example, perhaps they could reverse that trend. I doubt it, but you never know.
Sara
September 25th, 2005 at 8:25 pm
From my perspective it’s not “proselytizing” that’s really the problem (although most of my colleagues would call it “evanelism.”) It’s the whole concept of “evangelism” that most evengelicals seem to promote.
There’s this whole “take a sinner on as a project and get them saved” approach in so many churches. It makes me sick.
When I read the scriptures everything comes back to one basic concept: Jesus is attractive. Wherever Jesus is truly present, people are truly attracted. Of course, historically, that attraction takes on two basic forms:
1) Interest and a desire to learn more, or,
2) Anger that results in persecution.
Biblical evangelism has nothing to do with what so many churches promote, but rather with truly being Christ-like. I like the word “incarnational.”
The goal then, isn’t to “get people saved” (I cannot stand that type of language!) but to be the presence of Christ in the world (i.e. act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God - per Micah 6:8).
You have rightly noted the failure of most evengelicalism.
As a side note (but related one). I would argue that “conversion” ought to have nothing to do with “saying a prayer” or even “making a decision” - it ought to be about entering into a lifestyle that is truly Christ-ian. (I wrote an article about the “three points” of salvation that expands on this a little bit and tries to get people to pull back from the “I got saved on Thursday, December ??, 19??” approach — I’ll see about posting it.)
To respond to your note a little more directly….I don’t know that a moratorium would work; maybe actually getting ministers, elders, Bible-study leaders, etc. to teach an incarnation approach to faithfulness rather than a project-oriented “get ‘em saved” one…
Of course, I’ve been preaching that for 5 years, it’s a hard sell - especially since the messed up concept of “evangelism” is so common in big, “successful” churches.
Grace and Peace,
`tim
September 26th, 2005 at 10:32 am
It looks like we’re on the same page here - to the extent someone like you can be on the same page as someone such as myself anyway.
This whole Evangelism discussion reminds me of my relationship with “Rick” - my neighbor across the street in good old suburban Grand Rapids. Rick LOVES to evangelize to me - to the point where I often wonder if he has included my salvation on his “things to do before I die” list. He also dislikes my political leanings and, in a Hatfield-and-McCoy-esque yard sign competition this past fall even began directing statements on hand-made signs directly at me (ie: “Sara, doesn’t it bother you that John Kerry….”). Well, a few weeks ago my husband was out of town and Rick took it upon himself to mow my lawn for me. I walked outside to see him proudly standing there sweaty and bare-chested with his little push-mower and proclaiming “I thought I’d help you out a little.” Now, I’ll be the first to admit that my yard was less than perfectly-manicured, but I couldn’t help looking across the street at Rick’s own shaggy yard with bare dirt patches interspersed with the remnants of overgrown perennials and just shaking my head. In one instance, he just defined our entire relationship. Kind of a long story to illustrate my point, but you get where I’m coming from.
Sara
September 26th, 2005 at 11:02 am
I think you hit the nail on the head…he “loves to evangelize.” I just cannot accept a concept of evangelism that pretends is something we “do.”
Oh well, I guess I’ve just known too many people who’ve been “projects” and cannot imagine that there’s any place for that mentality in God’s kingdom.
Thanks for the discussion….I hope to see more of you around here!
Grace and Peace,
`tim