Micah 6:8
“He has told you men what is good and what it is the LORD requires of you: Only to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.”
Pretty simple, straightforward stuff. Why can’t we do it? This is Old Testament, and God’s requirement has not changed. Lo and behold, He is the same God of the both Testaments!
God wants us to be just people. You do not hear much about Christians being “just people” these days. What does this mean? The word shaphat means, “to make a declaration of innocence or guilt.” We are to defend the defenseless. We are to stand up for the rights of other people. We are to plead their case. We do not do this for what we can get out of it. We don’t do this for a fee. We do this because it is the right thing to do. That seems to be a concept that is lost on our culture today. And this does not mean that we become like one of those bleeding heart liberals who “fight for the rights of poor people” only so they can control them. This is nothing about control. This is simply about doing the right thing. Where is that person of honor today?
We are also to “love faithfulness.” This means we are to “have a heart for mercy.” We are to love to help people. “Faithfulness” is chesed, also translated “loving kindness.” It is the Old Testament counterpart of grace. Grace is not just something we receive, but also something, which, once we have experienced, we show to others. It means we are to show selfless love to others. How can I do this today?
Finally, we are to walk humbly before God. We are to remember every day one very important truth: God is God and I’m not. To “be humble” is really to remember your place. I’m not God. I have to remind myself of that every day. I don’t control anyone or anything. I also have to remind myself many times just who is God. God alone is God. I’m His creation—the highest member of His creation, yes, but a creature just the same. The purpose of my existence is to always point to and lift up the One who created me. Again, remember who I am and who God is.
It is refreshing to read an American Christian blog that does not repeatedly use the first person singular pronoun all the time (i.e. 'I' and 'me')! I like your use of 'WE' - it is much more what Christianity is about than many of the present day health & wealth and ten ways to be a happy and whole Christian books go on about.
ReplyDeleteSecondly I also liked your comments about what I will term 'social justice' for want of a better word (though I know does have certain pejorative, liberal, associations in the eyes of some). My own doctoral thesis (I’m in the middle of at present) is concerned with the role of faith based social welfare – here in the UK the state has provided much of our social welfare from the end of World War II to the late 1980s. Now more and more faith based organisations are able to provide social welfare on the states behalf or to ‘self-funding’ recipients.
However a great irony appears to be evident in my study and that is that the more secular Northern European countries became, the greater the social justice. This is indeed a sad irony about religious practice and belief. In my own country, England, when the churches were full and the Bible well read the majority of the country lived pretty awful lives – indeed many of the white working class led lives little better than the slaves of the Caribbean or the US. Britain may have ruled over two thirds of the earth’s surface at the time and was the richest country in the world, but the majority of its subjects led pretty miserable lives – often at the hands of a small plutocratic, elite.
Yes, I wonder what the answer is – it is difficult for a man in your position to campaign for social justice without incurring the wrath of some of those who call themselves Christians, but are really self seeking...
Oh well, it is refreshing to see this... I wish you well as I am sure you intend to work on this issue with your flock.