Assignment | Lesson 2 | Justice Doing

TEST

Here’s the article I read (and why I chose it)

I read Paul’s Two-Tiered Theology and Social Action. The title caught my attention, but what really caught my eye was that it was a reflection by a spiritual director. I love it when we can realign spirituality with justice.

Here’s what resonated/troubled me/informed me related to where I live/work

One thing that resonated with me is the reminder of the importance of why we do the work we do. The idea of seeing social action in “two tiers” allows the Spirit to move within the heart and soul of the person, showcasing God’s hand in the world and ultimately leveling the playing field for all creation. The “first tier” is the reminder of our humanity and vulnerability while we investigate “fixing “other people’s problems. It calls us to seek God’s wisdom and ultimately provides us with our call in the world.  It also allows for alignment or realignment when, as humans do, lines cross or get blurred. The “second tier” calls for the implementation of our actions for the particular “issue/problem”. This tier is the hands and feet of the call of ministry.  

Here’s how it applies (or wouldn’t work in) my current context

This concept/understanding, works for my context, and I believe many others. It shows a deeper meaning and understanding of our faith. James 2 shares with us that “ 14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works?” We can’t be called Christians or persons of faith if our actions don’t align with our faith/beliefs.

Here’s a question that surfaced for me from the reading, Sandhya’s video, or the video about Le Chambon

Le Chambon was a beautiful story that I am now just seeing (somewhat similarly) within my own time. There was a, this is what God calls us to understand and therefore this is what we do, mentality that I feel many of us lack today. We really showcase the possibilities when a crisis arrives. Why must we ( many, not all) wait for a crisis to arise for this kind of work to be done?

1. Here’s the article I read (and why I chose it).

The article I chose to read was “Thy Kingdom Come: A Biblical Theology of Social Justice Movements” by Chloe Guillot. I was drawn to it because of its focus on  LGBTQ+ justice and theology, which seems to come up frequently in my life.

2. Here’s what resonated/troubled me/informed me related to where I live/work.

The section that I read focused on revelation and how God uses revelation in our lives. The author wrote of a concept of revelation as a state of movement, which is something I had never considered. I had always thought of it as a noun, but putting it into the context of something that is continuously moving in an action brings us closer to God’s will. The author goes on to write about how God shows revelation through liberation over and over in the Bible. Combined with faith, those acts of liberation help us get to a more divine sense of revelation.

3. Here’s how it applies (or wouldn’t work) in my current context.

The thought that God brings us revelation through liberation brings a greater understanding of why my work is so important to me and why I’m pulled towards acts of justice. Threading justice work (liberation) together with a path from God (revelation),  guides me in each step on how to live more into the Kingdom of God and God’s will.

4. Here’s a question that surfaced for me from the reading, Sandhya’s video, or the video on Le Chambon.

After watching the video on Le Chambon and reading the article, I am wondering (or hoping!) if we are moving close to a time of Great Revelation? Drawing from the historical from Le Chambon and seeing similarities in what is happening around us, we have a desperate need for liberation.

In reading the Walter Strickland article (along with the video), I was curious how an evangelical pastor would frame justice in his tradition. Strickland makes the point that justice and righteousness are connected, and that the “most important commandment” of loving the Lord… and loving your neighbor as yourself, means that there is a vertical plane of our spiritual life (being connected with God), and a horizontal plane of our spiritual life (where our relationship with God overflows to neighbors, friends, family, and people around us in our world). And whether the topic at hand is food insecurity, homelessness, genocide, or slavery, Christians can engage on both that horizontal and vertical space to partner with other people in the pursuit of justice. But I also think Strickland’s emphasis that “Christians do justice because God is doing justice” is quite one-dimensional, and leaves out the really important and high quality work being done by secular individuals and organizations. If we only center Christian participation, we lose out on other people’s compassion and restorative efforts.

Recent news often leaves my head spinning, sometimes to the point of fatigue or paralysis of how to respond. At times, it feels impossible to do everything necessary to create justice in the world. But this week’s lessons have reminded me that we don’t each have the responsibility to do it all, but instead to do “our part”, as a collective. We can find partners who are doing different things, including those inside and outside our own faith traditions, and we can play individual roles in a broader movement (like Dudley Street and Recovery Café). I can’t fix all the injustice in the world, but I can make a few meals for people who are hungry. The old Methodist saying goes something like “do as much good as you can, for as many people as you can, for as long as you can”.

In all of this week’s content, I was thinking about how important coalition building is, and the value in both listening to and elevating the voices of the people you want to serve and help. What are some effective, tangible strategies for bringing oppressed communities to the table and projecting their perspectives?

1.          I read Walter Strickland’s “A Biblical-Theological Vision of Social Engagement and Biblical Justice” to better understand how others view social engagement and how it connects to the Christian life.

2.          What resonated with me: the article broadened my view of success. Success looks different for everyone, and it can mean practicing mercy and faithfulness. When we help others flourish and treat people with dignity, we are already succeeding.

3.          How it applies: If more people recognized the link between social engagement and biblical justice, we could make the world better. In a time marked by political conflict, war, and division, Scripture can guide us to treat the vulnerable with humility and the less fortunate with compassion. It informs how we use our resources, how we treat our neighbors, and how we raise our children—teaching them that prayer, compassion, and service are normal parts of everyday life.

4)          I thought the video “Life in Chambon” was beautiful — it even made me teary-eyed. My only question is whether there were more cities like this; I certainly hope so. If only people would have been more like her father . one person can make such a difference. It saddens me how similar it is to what’s happening in our own country today: immigrants are afraid to go to work, to church, or to stores for fear of deportation, and families are being torn apart. This is contrary to Christian values.