Social Justice: Craze or Creed?

Having a social justice platform is downright ubiquitous these days. Blogs, talks and conferences on the array of justice topics abound in religious and secular circles alike.

But is it just a craze that will follow Silly Bandz and Beanie Babies into oblivion?

I certainly hope not.

After spending the last few months studying the book of James, and attending the Justice Conference in February, I have a fairly strong opinion on this topic. While awareness campaigns may be en vogue, doing justly and loving mercy (Micah 6:8) are God-ordained expressions of faith that have too long gone unheeded by the Church. While the local church Body may have espoused and honored them well, individual followers of Christ – myself included – in many cases have not. My personal voyage into these waters has left me bereft of excuses to look the other way any more; I’m chagrinned to have been oblivious (sometimes, to my great shame, purposefully) to the unfathomable need that exists the world over and next door. Author Shayne Moore speaks of waking from a suburban stupor to the reality of devastating poverty and disease. I, too, have been roused from an ignorant slumber in recent months.

During a conversation on the trendiness of social justice, an excellent concern was voiced that its value should be measured in lives changed for Christ eternally. As I reflected on the many merits of that point, several thoughts occurred to me:

• Jesus made a practice of meeting the physical needs of those with whom He interacted. In many cases, He did so before meeting their spiritual needs. (Matthew 15:30, Mark 10:51-52, Matthew 9:18-26, Matthew 14:13-21)
• I have no way of gauging how ministering to a person’s bodily requirements may bear fruit eternally in his or her life; it’s not for me to assess. All I know for certain is that (1) there is profound need, (2) this is a way I can give to my Lord (Matthew 25:40), and (3) He commands me to do it (Luke 10:27).
• Providing food for the hungry, shelter for the homeless, families for orphans and rescue for the oppressed and vulnerable does change lives: sometimes only for a moment or a day, but wouldn’t I be remiss to withhold it for the lack of visible permanence or spiritual evidence? The issues of how to give are more complex than a cursory glance would reveal, but I cannot allow myself to become paralyzed by them. That would be tantamount to abetting the Oppressor.
• It changes my life. Through action, I accomplish the purpose of my salvation; we are saved to do good works, not because of them (Ephesians 2:8-10). As I come alongside the hardship of another, I am humbled and further refined into the likeness of Christ. I know Him more deeply as I identify myself with His beloved. Just as prayer is a tool He uses to build our faith, I think justice-doing is His scalpel of sanctification with mutual benefit to giver and receiver, alike.

Social justice has become a ‘movement’ (whatever that means), complete with jargon and catch-phrases. It is often conveniently misappropriated as a mask of piety. As such, it might well be construed as a craze. Yet I believe this it is so much more. It is the embodiment of our Christian creed: to love our neighbors as laid out in the gospel.

Without disdain, I’m thankful for the popularity it’s enjoying at the moment, believing and praying that the spike in awareness – even if it wanes from prominence – will result in a reorientation of hearts.

Whether many hearts or few, I rejoice because I know how much God can do with even just a few.

And I know what He’s done with my heart.

How about you?