JUSTICE
Let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream. (Amos 5:24, NKJ)
Justice (or "judgment," KJV) specifies what is right, not only as measured by a code of law, but also by what makes for right relationships as well as harmony and peace.
The English term justice has a strong legal flavor. But the concept of justice in the Bible goes beyond the law courts to everyday life. The Bible speaks of "doing justice" (Psalm 82:3; Proverbs 21:3), whereas we speak of "getting justice." Doing justice is to maintain what is right or to set things right. Justice is done when honorable relations are maintained between husbands and wives, parents and children, employers and employees, government and citizens, and man and God. Justice refers to brotherliness in spirit and action.
Kings, rulers, and those in power are to be instruments of justice (Psalm 72:1-2 -- "Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. He will judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice.")
The prophet Micah declared, "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8). The Book of Isaiah describes God's suffering servant, a description best fulfilled in Jesus, as one whose task as ruler will be to bring justice to the nations (Isaiah 42:1-4 -- "Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he
establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.")
The prophets of the Old Testament were champions of social justice. During those days, justice was often perverted through bribery and favoritism or partiality (Deuteronomy 1:17 -- "Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of any man, for judgment belongs to God"; Proverbs 17:23 -- "A wicked man accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the course of justice"). But God's rewards come to those who practice justice in all their dealings with others. In the words of the prophet Amos, "let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream" (Amos 5:24).
Nelson's Illustrated
Bible Dictionary
Full Version: Word for the Day - Justice
JUSTICE
I saw under the sun: In the place of judgment, wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, iniquity was there. (Ecclesiastes 3:16, NKJ)
When you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. (1 Peter 2:20, NKJ)
A trial has just ended, and the reactions to the verdict could not be more different. The family of the alleged murderer celebrates the declaration of a mistrial due to a legal technicality. Meanwhile, the grieving parents whose daughter has died wonder about a justice system that would allow such a decision. As they stand weeping before a mass of microphones and cameras, they exclaim: "Where is the justice in this? Where is the justice?"
We've seen this scenario played out in the news or on TV crime dramas. We instinctively long for justice but cannot seem to find it. The wisest man of his day, Solomon, faced a similar frustration and disappointment. He saw that imperfect human beings could never administer perfect justice. He wrote: "I saw under the sun: In the place of judgment, wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, iniquity was there" (Eccl. 3:16).
If all we trusted in were imperfect people, we would lose all hope. But Solomon wisely added in verse 17: "God shall judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work."
The search for justice can be satisfied only by trusting the God who is always just.
Bill Crowder
It is natural to want to defend ourselves against injustice and to strike back. But if we are quiet and peaceful when others mistreat and persecute us, we are responding in a Christlike way. God wants to develop in us qualities that are unnatural for us. Anyone can be patient when everything is going his or her way. The greater virtue is to remain calm and controlled under provocation (1 Peter 2:20).
Fenelon, a 17th-century theologian, put it this way: "Do not be so upset when evil men and women defraud you. Let them do as they please; just seek to do the will of God . . . Silent peace and sweet fellowship with God will repay you for every evil thing done against you. Fix your eyes on God." He allows painful situations to come into your life, and according to Fenelon, "He does this for your benefit."
For our benefit? Indeed! As we respond to injustice in a Christlike way, our anxiety, insecurity, and pessimism will be transformed into tranquility, stability, and hope.
Why do we lash out when we are mistreated? Why are we so quick to defend ourselves or to seek revenge? Is it not that we place too much value on our own comfort and rights?
If so, we must pray, echoing the words of Augustine, "Heal me of this lust of mine to always vindicate myself."
David H. Roper
The best way to respond to wrong is to do what's right.
Our Daily Bread
(www.rbc.org/odb)
I saw under the sun: In the place of judgment, wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, iniquity was there. (Ecclesiastes 3:16, NKJ)
When you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. (1 Peter 2:20, NKJ)
A trial has just ended, and the reactions to the verdict could not be more different. The family of the alleged murderer celebrates the declaration of a mistrial due to a legal technicality. Meanwhile, the grieving parents whose daughter has died wonder about a justice system that would allow such a decision. As they stand weeping before a mass of microphones and cameras, they exclaim: "Where is the justice in this? Where is the justice?"
We've seen this scenario played out in the news or on TV crime dramas. We instinctively long for justice but cannot seem to find it. The wisest man of his day, Solomon, faced a similar frustration and disappointment. He saw that imperfect human beings could never administer perfect justice. He wrote: "I saw under the sun: In the place of judgment, wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, iniquity was there" (Eccl. 3:16).
If all we trusted in were imperfect people, we would lose all hope. But Solomon wisely added in verse 17: "God shall judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work."
The search for justice can be satisfied only by trusting the God who is always just.
Bill Crowder
It is natural to want to defend ourselves against injustice and to strike back. But if we are quiet and peaceful when others mistreat and persecute us, we are responding in a Christlike way. God wants to develop in us qualities that are unnatural for us. Anyone can be patient when everything is going his or her way. The greater virtue is to remain calm and controlled under provocation (1 Peter 2:20).
Fenelon, a 17th-century theologian, put it this way: "Do not be so upset when evil men and women defraud you. Let them do as they please; just seek to do the will of God . . . Silent peace and sweet fellowship with God will repay you for every evil thing done against you. Fix your eyes on God." He allows painful situations to come into your life, and according to Fenelon, "He does this for your benefit."
For our benefit? Indeed! As we respond to injustice in a Christlike way, our anxiety, insecurity, and pessimism will be transformed into tranquility, stability, and hope.
Why do we lash out when we are mistreated? Why are we so quick to defend ourselves or to seek revenge? Is it not that we place too much value on our own comfort and rights?
If so, we must pray, echoing the words of Augustine, "Heal me of this lust of mine to always vindicate myself."
David H. Roper
The best way to respond to wrong is to do what's right.
Our Daily Bread
(www.rbc.org/odb)
JUSTICE LEAGUE
The righteous care about justice. (Proverbs 29:7, NIV)
Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your
power to act. (Proverbs 2:27, NIV)
WIWAK (When I Was A Kid) we loved the Justice League. Batman, Superman, Wonderwoman, Flash . . . Green Lantern was my favorite. He still is. They would gather together in the Hall of Justice with the common purpose of saving and preserving the world by fighting one crime/calamity at a time. No matter what happened - hurricanes, floods, bank robbers, or various masked evil-doers - at the end of the day, peace was restored because they were on the watch. Children could play in the streets. The elderly were safe. Parents were happy and prosperous. People walked the streets of a world they thought they knew . . . but it was not the world as it was. Joe Citizen never knew what happened within the walls of the Hall of Justice.
I'm beginning to think there was (and is) a lot more connection between the Gospel and the Justice League than meets the eye.
What is the plotline of the Bible? - creation, fall, redemption and . . . restoration, right? God creates Earth and Man. Man rebels. God redeems and restores Earth and Man through Jesus, the Messiah and Prince of Shalom. Restoration of the world (in its entirety) is the purpose of salvation. If so, then for us as Christians, the work of justice may be just as important as evangelism or worship. Heretical? Here is the beginning of my thoughts. . .
What do I see when I step back and look at the whole picture of Scripture? At the end of the book (Revelation 21 and 22) - heaven comes down to renew this earth . . . restore it . . . which is the whole purpose of salvation. We do not "escape" the world to some safe place . . . But Scripture shows the Creator God fully, completely establishing the Kingdom here, with the River of Life flowing out from the throne, right down through the middle of Main Street. We see the Tree of Life mentioned in Genesis 2:9 and 3:22 now growing on each side of the River. The leaves of the tree are for "healing the nations". There is no longer any curse on the earth. No more night. The scene is eerily reminiscent of the Garden of Eden where Man lives in harmony with God and with himself. Genesis 1 and 2 are extremely similar to Revelation 21 and 22.
Another thought I have about this is from Tim Keller's suggestion of looking at Jesus' miracles. We live in a culture in which spectacular special effects are done strictly to be . . . spectacular. As a result, IMO (in my opinion), we are inclined to look at Jesus' miracles the same way. Why did Jesus turn water into wine? To show His power? Why did he feed the multitude with a kid's sack lunch of fish and bread? To prove He was God? Jesus apparently did miracles to say He had power. "Look what I can do . . . I'm the Son of God."
Can I be honest? The bread "thing" isn't really all that spectacular. Water into wine? Not so much. And unless you are the crippled beggar Jesus heals, there's not much spectacular even about the healing of a crippled beggar. If I would have been there, I would've gone to Jesus and offered my help. As a consultant: "Look, dude, if you really want these people to believe you have power, why not levitate? Fly around the temple a few times on the Sabbath. Try the whole Criss-Angel-thing . . . nothing up my sleeve . . . nothing up my robe . . . and, viola! . . . flaming balls of fire shooting from my fingertips!"
Surely as Creator God, He could come up with something better to impress and win converts than just healing a man from leprosy or healing a crippled beggar. Surely He could burst into flames like Johnny Storm and do some loops over the Sea of Galilee! After all, he stilled the hurricane, right? Couldn't He pull that off as well?
So perhaps we've missed it. Like in the video, maybe what we think we see is different than what is really there. Perhaps we have focused on what we thought was the point, when the point was altogether different. Perhaps Jesus' miracles were not to demonstrate God's power, but his purpose.
We think that miracles are a suspension of the natural order of things . . . but what if they are, in fact, the restoration of the natural order of things? But in Christ's Kingdom, there is no blindness. No leprosy. No cancer. No death. No poverty or injustice. They are simply not part of the original created state of the Garden of Eden, or a part of where the new Kingdom is taking us in Revelation 21 and 22. So, just maybe, when Jesus feeds the hungry, heals the sick, raises Lazarus, etc. . . He is restoring the natural order, the original plan of things. When you read the plotline of the Bible, it
is all about restoration anyway.
Maybe the water-into-wine miracle was about restoring celebration to the fact that the Kingdom of God is like a never-ending wedding feast and banquet table. Healing the leper? Restoration of health. Raising the dead? Feeding the hungry? Giving sight to the blind? Restoration.
The Church is designed to function as the contemporary Hall of Justice (after following in the footsteps of Christ, obviously). Which leads me down this trail:
Proverbs 29:7 says the "righteous care about justice . . . but the wicked do not." Psalm 103 says that the Lord "works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed."
Proverbs 3:17-20 says of wisdom that "all her paths are peace (shalom). She is a tree of life to those who embrace her, those who lay hold of her will be blessed. By wisdom the Lord laid the earth's foundations, by understanding He set the heavens in place; by His knowledge the deeps were divided, and the clouds dropped their dew."
Justice and Shalom are closely linked in the Bible. Our English word "peace" is way too little to convey shalom. From what I understand, the Hebrew concept of shalom is more deeply the webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in equity and delight. We translate it "peace", but it means more than peace of mind. It means universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight. Shalom is the way things ought to be as the way God designed them.
Psalm 102 says that God "laid out the world" like a garment or a fabric. And the connection with fabric has lodged in my brain. Fabrics are woven together millions of times over. Each individual thread is woven over and under hundreds of other threads. Over and under and over and under and over and under and over and under and over and under and over and under and over and under . . . The more "over and under" that happens, the stronger the fabric becomes. The
softer. The richer. The "community of thread" is much more valuable as its interdependency on other threads increases. Would you rather sleep on rough, 100-thread count sheets at night or the silky, 1200-thread count feel of luxurious Egyptian cotton?
Our world is designed to function as billions of threads woven together as a God-designed, interdependent fabric.
Think about how it works physically. When your body works together as it was designed to - everything fits together, all the parts are doing what they are supposed to be doing - you experience physical shalom that we call "health". But if you get cancer, and your body parts are fighting against each other, working against each other, not interacting correctly or interwoven, you experience a loss of physical shalom, i.e. disease.
Another example: Suppose I have a brother/friend/stranger in need. My mind tells me it makes sense to give him $1000 (it would benefit and bless him, as well as his family). Also, my conscience and convictions tell me it is something I ought to do. Then I call my bank and the teller informs me that I have the $1000 in my account to do it (what a surprise that would be!). And then I follow through and do it . . . I am experiencing a sort of psychological shalom. Everything is in harmony and agreement to be able to render aid to the one in need. But if I want to do something and my conscience says "no" and I do it and experience guilt over it, then I am experiencing a loss of psychological shalom. Things begin to unravel and are no longer interwoven.
What about social shalom? When those of us who have power, status, money, influence, etc. are threading it out into our community and our world, we are threading out shalom. Some of us have more, some have less, but we all have good schools, good parks and safe streets. We are experiencing social shalom. But if we hang onto our power, status, money, influence, and hoard it up for ourselves, we don't have an interdependent, interwoven fabric among our community.
See how this gives us a more "corporate" or "communal" vibe to being a Christian? It is not about "me", it is about "us". And further, the more it becomes about "me", the more unraveling there is of the fabric.
Then I begin thinking about some real examples in our lives. Why should I not lie? Because it is wrong and will make God unhappy with me. True . . . And because it destroys shalom. Why should I not steal? Because God says so . . . And because stealing is the breaking down of shalom. It is not just wrong, it is also stupid, because it is a sin against shalom.
Every time I sin against someone, I am deliberately unraveling . . . I am defiantly destroying shalom. But more than that, I can also be an agent of shalom. I can be a builder/weaver/creator of shalom . . . (cue the voiceover . . . "Meanwhile, back at the Hall of Justice . . .")
* * *
We can no longer look at people and communities and think that they should simply get an education, work harder, and join our political party of choice. Why? Because according Proverbs 3:27-28, we are not supposed to withhold good from someone, as it is their right. If it is in your power to act, act. Thread out your resources, because it is their right.
Oops!
It is their "right"? Because we modern Americans are extremely and foolishly individualistic - we believe that who we are is a product of our choices (what we have done, where we have studied, how hard we have worked, etc.) - we don't understand that the reality is that the vast majority of who Tom Cottar will be is already decided by the environment of my community, my parents, and host of other things. My sons, by virtue of being born to me, statistically have about a 300% greater chance of economic and social "success" than those living 20 miles away in East Austin . . . much less those halfway around the world in a country with less resources than mine. "Well, they can pull themselves up by their bootstraps . . ." I didn't pull myself up by my bootstraps. And probably neither did you. "Yeah, but I've worked hard for what I have . . .", we say. Really? I think we have worked hard with what we have been given. That's all.
If you and I have been given money, power, education, skills . . . it is simply our duty to shalom to thread it out. To reweave the fabric so that we can all flourish. Don't you think that a failure to be radically involved with the poor is not just a lack of compassion . . . but a lack of justice? Proverbs says it is their right. In fact, perhaps that is why Proverbs 11:10 says that when the righteous prosper, "the city rejoices". According to the book of Proverbs, the "righteous" (Hebrew "tsaddiq" or "sadik") are those who put themselves at a disadvantage for the prosperity of the community, while the "wicked" are those who put their own social/economic needs ahead of the community. Wow! Which are we? Can we be "righteous" and "individualistic"? Be careful . . .
Don't be depressed. As I have thought about it over the past few weeks, it is hard to figure out how to do justice in our community and our world without being overwhelmed. What do I do? Do I buy only Fair Trade coffee? Do I give to Operation Christmas Child or organize something of my own? Do I support Dan Haseltine (Jars of Clay) in the Blood: Water Mission project in Africa (it's only $1)? What about the cutters at To Write Love On Her Arms and the addicted at XXX Church? Not to mention the countless pregnancy centers, homeless shelters, and at-risk teen programs across the country? What about the single mom across the street who needs her yard mowed? What about the elderly lady who needs her house cleaned . . . and just needs a listening ear? Do I visit them?
Yes.
Do something. What has God given you? What resources do you possess that, if you were to thread them out, would reweave and rebuild your community the way it ought to be . . . the way it was intended to be? How can you and I create a city-within-a-city in which all people can flourish? Where Genesis 1 and 2, as well as Revelation 21 and 22, are being rebuilt. That, dear friends, is really what Jesus' miracles were all about - the restoration of shalom and the proclamation of the Good News.
Tom Cottar
The righteous care about justice. (Proverbs 29:7, NIV)
Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your
power to act. (Proverbs 2:27, NIV)
WIWAK (When I Was A Kid) we loved the Justice League. Batman, Superman, Wonderwoman, Flash . . . Green Lantern was my favorite. He still is. They would gather together in the Hall of Justice with the common purpose of saving and preserving the world by fighting one crime/calamity at a time. No matter what happened - hurricanes, floods, bank robbers, or various masked evil-doers - at the end of the day, peace was restored because they were on the watch. Children could play in the streets. The elderly were safe. Parents were happy and prosperous. People walked the streets of a world they thought they knew . . . but it was not the world as it was. Joe Citizen never knew what happened within the walls of the Hall of Justice.
I'm beginning to think there was (and is) a lot more connection between the Gospel and the Justice League than meets the eye.
What is the plotline of the Bible? - creation, fall, redemption and . . . restoration, right? God creates Earth and Man. Man rebels. God redeems and restores Earth and Man through Jesus, the Messiah and Prince of Shalom. Restoration of the world (in its entirety) is the purpose of salvation. If so, then for us as Christians, the work of justice may be just as important as evangelism or worship. Heretical? Here is the beginning of my thoughts. . .
What do I see when I step back and look at the whole picture of Scripture? At the end of the book (Revelation 21 and 22) - heaven comes down to renew this earth . . . restore it . . . which is the whole purpose of salvation. We do not "escape" the world to some safe place . . . But Scripture shows the Creator God fully, completely establishing the Kingdom here, with the River of Life flowing out from the throne, right down through the middle of Main Street. We see the Tree of Life mentioned in Genesis 2:9 and 3:22 now growing on each side of the River. The leaves of the tree are for "healing the nations". There is no longer any curse on the earth. No more night. The scene is eerily reminiscent of the Garden of Eden where Man lives in harmony with God and with himself. Genesis 1 and 2 are extremely similar to Revelation 21 and 22.
Another thought I have about this is from Tim Keller's suggestion of looking at Jesus' miracles. We live in a culture in which spectacular special effects are done strictly to be . . . spectacular. As a result, IMO (in my opinion), we are inclined to look at Jesus' miracles the same way. Why did Jesus turn water into wine? To show His power? Why did he feed the multitude with a kid's sack lunch of fish and bread? To prove He was God? Jesus apparently did miracles to say He had power. "Look what I can do . . . I'm the Son of God."
Can I be honest? The bread "thing" isn't really all that spectacular. Water into wine? Not so much. And unless you are the crippled beggar Jesus heals, there's not much spectacular even about the healing of a crippled beggar. If I would have been there, I would've gone to Jesus and offered my help. As a consultant: "Look, dude, if you really want these people to believe you have power, why not levitate? Fly around the temple a few times on the Sabbath. Try the whole Criss-Angel-thing . . . nothing up my sleeve . . . nothing up my robe . . . and, viola! . . . flaming balls of fire shooting from my fingertips!"
Surely as Creator God, He could come up with something better to impress and win converts than just healing a man from leprosy or healing a crippled beggar. Surely He could burst into flames like Johnny Storm and do some loops over the Sea of Galilee! After all, he stilled the hurricane, right? Couldn't He pull that off as well?
So perhaps we've missed it. Like in the video, maybe what we think we see is different than what is really there. Perhaps we have focused on what we thought was the point, when the point was altogether different. Perhaps Jesus' miracles were not to demonstrate God's power, but his purpose.
We think that miracles are a suspension of the natural order of things . . . but what if they are, in fact, the restoration of the natural order of things? But in Christ's Kingdom, there is no blindness. No leprosy. No cancer. No death. No poverty or injustice. They are simply not part of the original created state of the Garden of Eden, or a part of where the new Kingdom is taking us in Revelation 21 and 22. So, just maybe, when Jesus feeds the hungry, heals the sick, raises Lazarus, etc. . . He is restoring the natural order, the original plan of things. When you read the plotline of the Bible, it
is all about restoration anyway.
Maybe the water-into-wine miracle was about restoring celebration to the fact that the Kingdom of God is like a never-ending wedding feast and banquet table. Healing the leper? Restoration of health. Raising the dead? Feeding the hungry? Giving sight to the blind? Restoration.
The Church is designed to function as the contemporary Hall of Justice (after following in the footsteps of Christ, obviously). Which leads me down this trail:
Proverbs 29:7 says the "righteous care about justice . . . but the wicked do not." Psalm 103 says that the Lord "works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed."
Proverbs 3:17-20 says of wisdom that "all her paths are peace (shalom). She is a tree of life to those who embrace her, those who lay hold of her will be blessed. By wisdom the Lord laid the earth's foundations, by understanding He set the heavens in place; by His knowledge the deeps were divided, and the clouds dropped their dew."
Justice and Shalom are closely linked in the Bible. Our English word "peace" is way too little to convey shalom. From what I understand, the Hebrew concept of shalom is more deeply the webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in equity and delight. We translate it "peace", but it means more than peace of mind. It means universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight. Shalom is the way things ought to be as the way God designed them.
Psalm 102 says that God "laid out the world" like a garment or a fabric. And the connection with fabric has lodged in my brain. Fabrics are woven together millions of times over. Each individual thread is woven over and under hundreds of other threads. Over and under and over and under and over and under and over and under and over and under and over and under and over and under . . . The more "over and under" that happens, the stronger the fabric becomes. The
softer. The richer. The "community of thread" is much more valuable as its interdependency on other threads increases. Would you rather sleep on rough, 100-thread count sheets at night or the silky, 1200-thread count feel of luxurious Egyptian cotton?
Our world is designed to function as billions of threads woven together as a God-designed, interdependent fabric.
Think about how it works physically. When your body works together as it was designed to - everything fits together, all the parts are doing what they are supposed to be doing - you experience physical shalom that we call "health". But if you get cancer, and your body parts are fighting against each other, working against each other, not interacting correctly or interwoven, you experience a loss of physical shalom, i.e. disease.
Another example: Suppose I have a brother/friend/stranger in need. My mind tells me it makes sense to give him $1000 (it would benefit and bless him, as well as his family). Also, my conscience and convictions tell me it is something I ought to do. Then I call my bank and the teller informs me that I have the $1000 in my account to do it (what a surprise that would be!). And then I follow through and do it . . . I am experiencing a sort of psychological shalom. Everything is in harmony and agreement to be able to render aid to the one in need. But if I want to do something and my conscience says "no" and I do it and experience guilt over it, then I am experiencing a loss of psychological shalom. Things begin to unravel and are no longer interwoven.
What about social shalom? When those of us who have power, status, money, influence, etc. are threading it out into our community and our world, we are threading out shalom. Some of us have more, some have less, but we all have good schools, good parks and safe streets. We are experiencing social shalom. But if we hang onto our power, status, money, influence, and hoard it up for ourselves, we don't have an interdependent, interwoven fabric among our community.
See how this gives us a more "corporate" or "communal" vibe to being a Christian? It is not about "me", it is about "us". And further, the more it becomes about "me", the more unraveling there is of the fabric.
Then I begin thinking about some real examples in our lives. Why should I not lie? Because it is wrong and will make God unhappy with me. True . . . And because it destroys shalom. Why should I not steal? Because God says so . . . And because stealing is the breaking down of shalom. It is not just wrong, it is also stupid, because it is a sin against shalom.
Every time I sin against someone, I am deliberately unraveling . . . I am defiantly destroying shalom. But more than that, I can also be an agent of shalom. I can be a builder/weaver/creator of shalom . . . (cue the voiceover . . . "Meanwhile, back at the Hall of Justice . . .")
* * *
We can no longer look at people and communities and think that they should simply get an education, work harder, and join our political party of choice. Why? Because according Proverbs 3:27-28, we are not supposed to withhold good from someone, as it is their right. If it is in your power to act, act. Thread out your resources, because it is their right.
Oops!
It is their "right"? Because we modern Americans are extremely and foolishly individualistic - we believe that who we are is a product of our choices (what we have done, where we have studied, how hard we have worked, etc.) - we don't understand that the reality is that the vast majority of who Tom Cottar will be is already decided by the environment of my community, my parents, and host of other things. My sons, by virtue of being born to me, statistically have about a 300% greater chance of economic and social "success" than those living 20 miles away in East Austin . . . much less those halfway around the world in a country with less resources than mine. "Well, they can pull themselves up by their bootstraps . . ." I didn't pull myself up by my bootstraps. And probably neither did you. "Yeah, but I've worked hard for what I have . . .", we say. Really? I think we have worked hard with what we have been given. That's all.
If you and I have been given money, power, education, skills . . . it is simply our duty to shalom to thread it out. To reweave the fabric so that we can all flourish. Don't you think that a failure to be radically involved with the poor is not just a lack of compassion . . . but a lack of justice? Proverbs says it is their right. In fact, perhaps that is why Proverbs 11:10 says that when the righteous prosper, "the city rejoices". According to the book of Proverbs, the "righteous" (Hebrew "tsaddiq" or "sadik") are those who put themselves at a disadvantage for the prosperity of the community, while the "wicked" are those who put their own social/economic needs ahead of the community. Wow! Which are we? Can we be "righteous" and "individualistic"? Be careful . . .
Don't be depressed. As I have thought about it over the past few weeks, it is hard to figure out how to do justice in our community and our world without being overwhelmed. What do I do? Do I buy only Fair Trade coffee? Do I give to Operation Christmas Child or organize something of my own? Do I support Dan Haseltine (Jars of Clay) in the Blood: Water Mission project in Africa (it's only $1)? What about the cutters at To Write Love On Her Arms and the addicted at XXX Church? Not to mention the countless pregnancy centers, homeless shelters, and at-risk teen programs across the country? What about the single mom across the street who needs her yard mowed? What about the elderly lady who needs her house cleaned . . . and just needs a listening ear? Do I visit them?
Yes.
Do something. What has God given you? What resources do you possess that, if you were to thread them out, would reweave and rebuild your community the way it ought to be . . . the way it was intended to be? How can you and I create a city-within-a-city in which all people can flourish? Where Genesis 1 and 2, as well as Revelation 21 and 22, are being rebuilt. That, dear friends, is really what Jesus' miracles were all about - the restoration of shalom and the proclamation of the Good News.
Tom Cottar
JUSTICE, MERCY AND GRACE
Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! (Isaiah 30:18, NIV)
Every day while I was deployed as a surgeon in Iraq, I ran across examples of terrorists dying in their own attacks. While we were aware of the human tragedy in each case, we also had a sense of feeling that the "bad guy" had "gotten what he deserved."
I was reading through the e-mail letters that I sent out every day while I was there, and ran across this story of one particular terrorist. His story made me think about the differences between justice, mercy, and grace.
Here is part of the letter:
*************************
In the early afternoon, we started taking casualties from a suicide bombing. It got pretty busy. In mid afternoon, I had to go to the operating room to try to save the life of a very bad guy who tried to run a gate at one of our forward operating bases and set off a car bomb. Fortunately, our guys shot his car and he blew himself up before he hurt anyone but himself. He had extensive chest, belly and brain injuries, and I operated on his head at the same time that two of the general surgeons worked on his belly and chest.
While we were getting his scans done before surgery, we had another mortar attack, the third in 12 hours.
After my case, I had dinner and went back to my room. I did a little star gazing, and was again comforted by the Lord's handiwork.
As I prepared for bed, I thought for a while about my patient the terrorist. Here he is, trying to blow up the gate of a U.S. military base when he detonates early and survives the blast. Our troops, spared from his murderous plans, rush into the burning vehicle to pull him out and save his life. Then our medics and helicopter pilots risk their lives to fly him to our base, where about 25 different people drop what they are doing to go into emergency life-saving mode and try to rescue him from his terrible injuries.
People who don't know him, people whom he would kill if given the chance, line up to donate their blood for him. Surgeons and techs and nurses rush to the operating room to do their best to save him, and they do. He survives, and will likely recover well.
What a great example of grace, don't you think? It is someone doing something for a person who doesn't deserve it. That is a tangible example of what grace is about. It is about a person doing you a favor that you desperately need to have done, but could not possibly do on your own or ever possibly deserve. All of us can relate to my patient, can't we?
Here is something else that crossed my mind: If I had not told you about him, the only way you would hear about him is if some reporter from CNN in a few months talks about him in prison at Abu Ghraib or another location, and claims he is being mistreated or not being held in the right prisoner category, or some other story that misses the point that he is only alive and well because of the efforts of the very people he tried to kill. The point that he received absolutely heroic first-responder service, and life- saving advanced medical care. The news will probably not tell you that.
I spent a few minutes talking to two 18 or 19 year-old soldiers who were on that gate when he detonated, and who are now tasked with guarding him. They were shaken, scared, and tired, but obviously proud that they had stopped him and equally proud that they had rescued him. They are true heroes.
*************************
Cases like that happened frequently in Iraq, and they really affected me. Having to care for "the enemy" was sometimes very difficult, like in another case where a man blew up a whole family. However, what the Lord taught me there was to see those people as he sees us all: guilty but beloved.
My grandfather died just before I went to Iraq, and at his funeral one of my cousins told a story about him that she remembered in which he gave a man a ride somewhere when she was little. She knew that this man had stolen from my grandfather's store a few times, and she asked him why he would help a man like that. He replied, "Aren't you glad that God doesn't always give us what we deserve?"
The bible says in Hebrews 9:22 that God demands justice; his forgiveness requires the shedding of blood; and in Romans 3 he says that his demand for justice was satisfied by Christ's death. Why did Christ die for us? Because he loves us and wanted to have mercy on us. Romans 9:16 says that our salvation does not depend on our effort or our desire, but on his mercy.
When you get what you deserve, that's justice. When you don't get what you deserve, it's mercy. And when you get what you don't deserve, that's grace.
The bible says in Romans 5 that even though we were sinners, Christ died for us. His demand for justice was balanced by his love and mercy for us, and our deserved punishment was made unnecessary by his grace.
The bible says in Isaiah 30 that the Lord "rises to show us compassion," and "longs to be gracious to us." Think about my patient for a minute -- he didn't get what he deserved because the soldiers he was trying to kill had mercy on him and brought him to the hospital. Then he got what he didn't deserve because we saved him, a good example of grace.
In your life, never forget what has been done for you. Whatever it is that someone is doing to you that makes you want to demand justice, pause for a moment to reflect on the mercy and grace you have received and "long to be gracious" to that person.
It is a beautiful thing to have received the grace of our Lord's salvation. And it is beautiful to him when we extend it to others. God gave it to you and me even though we didn't deserve it. Who are we to withhold mercy and grace from another person?
I learned that in Iraq.
W. Lee Warren, MD
("Things I learned in Iraq, Part III:
Justice, Mercy and Grace)
Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! (Isaiah 30:18, NIV)
Every day while I was deployed as a surgeon in Iraq, I ran across examples of terrorists dying in their own attacks. While we were aware of the human tragedy in each case, we also had a sense of feeling that the "bad guy" had "gotten what he deserved."
I was reading through the e-mail letters that I sent out every day while I was there, and ran across this story of one particular terrorist. His story made me think about the differences between justice, mercy, and grace.
Here is part of the letter:
*************************
In the early afternoon, we started taking casualties from a suicide bombing. It got pretty busy. In mid afternoon, I had to go to the operating room to try to save the life of a very bad guy who tried to run a gate at one of our forward operating bases and set off a car bomb. Fortunately, our guys shot his car and he blew himself up before he hurt anyone but himself. He had extensive chest, belly and brain injuries, and I operated on his head at the same time that two of the general surgeons worked on his belly and chest.
While we were getting his scans done before surgery, we had another mortar attack, the third in 12 hours.
After my case, I had dinner and went back to my room. I did a little star gazing, and was again comforted by the Lord's handiwork.
As I prepared for bed, I thought for a while about my patient the terrorist. Here he is, trying to blow up the gate of a U.S. military base when he detonates early and survives the blast. Our troops, spared from his murderous plans, rush into the burning vehicle to pull him out and save his life. Then our medics and helicopter pilots risk their lives to fly him to our base, where about 25 different people drop what they are doing to go into emergency life-saving mode and try to rescue him from his terrible injuries.
People who don't know him, people whom he would kill if given the chance, line up to donate their blood for him. Surgeons and techs and nurses rush to the operating room to do their best to save him, and they do. He survives, and will likely recover well.
What a great example of grace, don't you think? It is someone doing something for a person who doesn't deserve it. That is a tangible example of what grace is about. It is about a person doing you a favor that you desperately need to have done, but could not possibly do on your own or ever possibly deserve. All of us can relate to my patient, can't we?
Here is something else that crossed my mind: If I had not told you about him, the only way you would hear about him is if some reporter from CNN in a few months talks about him in prison at Abu Ghraib or another location, and claims he is being mistreated or not being held in the right prisoner category, or some other story that misses the point that he is only alive and well because of the efforts of the very people he tried to kill. The point that he received absolutely heroic first-responder service, and life- saving advanced medical care. The news will probably not tell you that.
I spent a few minutes talking to two 18 or 19 year-old soldiers who were on that gate when he detonated, and who are now tasked with guarding him. They were shaken, scared, and tired, but obviously proud that they had stopped him and equally proud that they had rescued him. They are true heroes.
*************************
Cases like that happened frequently in Iraq, and they really affected me. Having to care for "the enemy" was sometimes very difficult, like in another case where a man blew up a whole family. However, what the Lord taught me there was to see those people as he sees us all: guilty but beloved.
My grandfather died just before I went to Iraq, and at his funeral one of my cousins told a story about him that she remembered in which he gave a man a ride somewhere when she was little. She knew that this man had stolen from my grandfather's store a few times, and she asked him why he would help a man like that. He replied, "Aren't you glad that God doesn't always give us what we deserve?"
The bible says in Hebrews 9:22 that God demands justice; his forgiveness requires the shedding of blood; and in Romans 3 he says that his demand for justice was satisfied by Christ's death. Why did Christ die for us? Because he loves us and wanted to have mercy on us. Romans 9:16 says that our salvation does not depend on our effort or our desire, but on his mercy.
When you get what you deserve, that's justice. When you don't get what you deserve, it's mercy. And when you get what you don't deserve, that's grace.
The bible says in Romans 5 that even though we were sinners, Christ died for us. His demand for justice was balanced by his love and mercy for us, and our deserved punishment was made unnecessary by his grace.
The bible says in Isaiah 30 that the Lord "rises to show us compassion," and "longs to be gracious to us." Think about my patient for a minute -- he didn't get what he deserved because the soldiers he was trying to kill had mercy on him and brought him to the hospital. Then he got what he didn't deserve because we saved him, a good example of grace.
In your life, never forget what has been done for you. Whatever it is that someone is doing to you that makes you want to demand justice, pause for a moment to reflect on the mercy and grace you have received and "long to be gracious" to that person.
It is a beautiful thing to have received the grace of our Lord's salvation. And it is beautiful to him when we extend it to others. God gave it to you and me even though we didn't deserve it. Who are we to withhold mercy and grace from another person?
I learned that in Iraq.
W. Lee Warren, MD
("Things I learned in Iraq, Part III:
Justice, Mercy and Grace)
Another long one. 
DOING JUSTICE
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly ["do justice" (NAS)] and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8, NIV)
Everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid. (Micah 4:4, NKJ)
Micah says that God has told us to "act justly," or better yet to "do justice." What does that mean for us today?
We often talk about getting justice. The Bible talks about doing justice. Those are two very different things, not least because our idea of justice is very different from what the Bible means by justice.
Justice in the Bible is not, first and foremost, about weighing evidence and finding someone guilty or innocent. It is much broader than that. It's about the creation of a community where people can live in peace and harmony. It's about striving toward the kind of society that Micah himself describes in chapter 4 verse 4, "Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid."
But God is a realist. He realises that for this kind of society to exist, then someone has to look out for the little guy.
"For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt." (Deuteronomy 10:17-19)
"The Lord reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment. He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice. The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble." (Psalm 9:7-10)
"The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene." (Isaiah 59.15-16)
Again and again, when the Bible talks about justice, in the next breath it talks about the vulnerable; the poor, widows, orphans, immigrants, those who have no voice in society. These are the people who need a just society, who need someone to intervene.
Shane Claiborne lives in a community house in a poor neighbourhood of Philadelphia. The city had passed anti-homeless legislation, making it illegal for homeless people to sleep or ask for money in the parks. In an effort to stop those who were seeking to help the homeless, city officials went even further by banning all food from the park. Claiborne writes:
"About a hundred of us gathered in Love Park with homeless friends. We worshipped, sang, and prayed. Then we served communion, which was illegal. But with clergy and city officials there supporting us, and with police and the media surrounding us, we celebrated communion. Most of the police sat back and watched, not daring to arrest anyone, especially during communion. Then we continued the "breaking of the bread" by bringing in pizzas. It was a love feast, and then we slept overnight in the park with our homeless friends."
"We did that week after week, with the police watching over us and the media standing by. And then, one night after worship as we slept under the "Love" sign (which we had covered with a big question mark), the police circled the park and arrested all of us."
Later, Claiborne stood before a judge, wearing a shirt that read, "Jesus was homeless." The judge was intrigued, admitting that he didn't know Jesus had been homeless. The judge said that the real issue at stake was the constitutionality of the law, then declared:
"Let me remind the court that, if it weren't for people who broke unjust laws, we wouldn't have the freedom that we have. We'd still have slavery. That's the story of this country, from the Boston Tea Party to the civil rights movement. These people are not criminals; they are freedom fighters. I find them all not guilty, on every charge."
The newspapers announced it as a "Revolutionary Court Decision," and Claiborne writes that the judge asked him for a "Jesus was homeless" T-shirt.
Take aways
1. Doing justice is part of our calling as people of God.
2. Doing justice is often costly.
3. Doing justice will usually put you on the same side as the vulnerable and marginalised in society.
4. That's a good place to be, because God is there too.
"If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, and if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday and the Lord will continually guide you and satisfy your desire in scorched places." (Isaiah 58:9-10)
(www.wentworthbaptist.ca)
The A-Z of Community Involvement to Make Jesus Famous
Adopt -- Adopt or foster a baby or child, or adopt a local street in prayer, or adopt a local young person in prayer. Ephesians 1:5, Psalms 68:6.
Befriend -- Hold a BBQ, open house or party, and invite neighbours to befriend them. Luke 14:13.
Councillor -- Join a political party & attend local association meetings. Stand in elections to become a Councillor. Pray by name for Local Councillors and MPs in your local ward and constituency. Proverbs 31:8-9.
Donate -- Donate some of your valuable spare time to be active and involved in a local community group, e.g. tenants' association, pray for opportunities to stand for truth and share the power of the gospel in these contexts.
Elections -- VOTE. . . We have the privilege of living in a democracy, so let's be a Church who are active and involved. Fulfil the command and encouragement of 1 Timothy 2:1-2 as you vote.
Friendly -- Be friendly wherever you are; sow a smile, a greeting, and a hello to strangers. Look for people in your community who are lonely or in need of friendship. Colossians 4:5-6.
Governor -- Find out the needs of the local school in your neighbourhood. Offer to become a parent governor, or co-opted
governor. Luke 18:16.
Homeless -- Find out about provision for the homeless in your community. Offer to help at a local shelter or soup kitchen.
Initiator -- Make things happen. Initiate conversations, initiate pportunities to pray for people and lay hands on them and see them healed. Walk around the local community. Many opportunities come when you are walking! Genesis 13:17.
JP -- Make enquiries about being a Justice of the Peace. If it is something you could do, why not apply to your local bench. Micah 6:8.
Kids Club -- Volunteer to help at a Kids Club at your Church. . . Or offer to cook one of the workers a meal or to pray for them and bless them. Hebrews 10:24.
Lollipop -- Contact your local council to offer your services as a local lollipop man or woman. This is a great way of meeting new people & being really visible! "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." - Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
Meals -- Look out for elderly people in your street and cook them a meal. Look out for when people have a birth, death or illness in their family. Cook them a meal to congratulate or comfort them.
Neighbours -- Join your local Neighbourhood Watch scheme or make enquiries through The National Neighbourhood Watch Association about setting up a scheme in your street or area.
Open House -- Have a Summer BBQ, Bonfire Party or Christmas Party. Invite friends from Church and people on your street.
Prisons -- Contact your local prison about becoming a registered prison visitor. Write to people in prison who have no families or friends. Matt 25:39-40.
Quality Street -- Get together with members of your street or community and tidy your street or the garden of a house on your street that needs tidying, e.g.single parent family, elderly person. Genesis 1:28.
Remember -- Remember those on your street who are alone or lonely, especially at Christmas or on their birthday. Make them a cake or card to say they are in your thoughts and prayers. 1 Thessalonians 5:11.
School -- Set up a Prayer Group for your local school. Pray for the staff and pupils, for salvation and for God's Kingdom to come.
Teach -- Offer to teach local young people musical skills, foreign language, DIY Skills, car mechanic skills, or anything that you are good at! Colossians 3:17.
Unemployed -- Pray for those who are unemployed in your area. Get involved in a local job club, help serve refreshments or give advice.
Volunteer -- Volunteer at a local community group like a residents' association or similar group.
Write -- Write to your Local MP telling them that you are praying for them (1 Timothy 2:1-2), to express your view on something or to praise them for something specific they have done or said.
Xpress -- Write to your local newspaper, sharing your view on a local issue or situation.
Youthwork -- Find out about local youth provision in your area and offer your time for one night per week. Pray and intercede for the young people in your area.
A-Z Map -- Get an A-Z Map of your area on your fridge or kitchen wall and start praying for salvation in your area street by street ticking them off as you go. Meet up with other Christians in your street/area to pray for your area.
Gavin White
(Manchester, UK)
DOING JUSTICE
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly ["do justice" (NAS)] and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8, NIV)
Everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid. (Micah 4:4, NKJ)
Micah says that God has told us to "act justly," or better yet to "do justice." What does that mean for us today?
We often talk about getting justice. The Bible talks about doing justice. Those are two very different things, not least because our idea of justice is very different from what the Bible means by justice.
Justice in the Bible is not, first and foremost, about weighing evidence and finding someone guilty or innocent. It is much broader than that. It's about the creation of a community where people can live in peace and harmony. It's about striving toward the kind of society that Micah himself describes in chapter 4 verse 4, "Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid."
But God is a realist. He realises that for this kind of society to exist, then someone has to look out for the little guy.
"For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt." (Deuteronomy 10:17-19)
"The Lord reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment. He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice. The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble." (Psalm 9:7-10)
"The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene." (Isaiah 59.15-16)
Again and again, when the Bible talks about justice, in the next breath it talks about the vulnerable; the poor, widows, orphans, immigrants, those who have no voice in society. These are the people who need a just society, who need someone to intervene.
Shane Claiborne lives in a community house in a poor neighbourhood of Philadelphia. The city had passed anti-homeless legislation, making it illegal for homeless people to sleep or ask for money in the parks. In an effort to stop those who were seeking to help the homeless, city officials went even further by banning all food from the park. Claiborne writes:
"About a hundred of us gathered in Love Park with homeless friends. We worshipped, sang, and prayed. Then we served communion, which was illegal. But with clergy and city officials there supporting us, and with police and the media surrounding us, we celebrated communion. Most of the police sat back and watched, not daring to arrest anyone, especially during communion. Then we continued the "breaking of the bread" by bringing in pizzas. It was a love feast, and then we slept overnight in the park with our homeless friends."
"We did that week after week, with the police watching over us and the media standing by. And then, one night after worship as we slept under the "Love" sign (which we had covered with a big question mark), the police circled the park and arrested all of us."
Later, Claiborne stood before a judge, wearing a shirt that read, "Jesus was homeless." The judge was intrigued, admitting that he didn't know Jesus had been homeless. The judge said that the real issue at stake was the constitutionality of the law, then declared:
"Let me remind the court that, if it weren't for people who broke unjust laws, we wouldn't have the freedom that we have. We'd still have slavery. That's the story of this country, from the Boston Tea Party to the civil rights movement. These people are not criminals; they are freedom fighters. I find them all not guilty, on every charge."
The newspapers announced it as a "Revolutionary Court Decision," and Claiborne writes that the judge asked him for a "Jesus was homeless" T-shirt.
Take aways
1. Doing justice is part of our calling as people of God.
2. Doing justice is often costly.
3. Doing justice will usually put you on the same side as the vulnerable and marginalised in society.
4. That's a good place to be, because God is there too.
"If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, and if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday and the Lord will continually guide you and satisfy your desire in scorched places." (Isaiah 58:9-10)
(www.wentworthbaptist.ca)
The A-Z of Community Involvement to Make Jesus Famous
Adopt -- Adopt or foster a baby or child, or adopt a local street in prayer, or adopt a local young person in prayer. Ephesians 1:5, Psalms 68:6.
Befriend -- Hold a BBQ, open house or party, and invite neighbours to befriend them. Luke 14:13.
Councillor -- Join a political party & attend local association meetings. Stand in elections to become a Councillor. Pray by name for Local Councillors and MPs in your local ward and constituency. Proverbs 31:8-9.
Donate -- Donate some of your valuable spare time to be active and involved in a local community group, e.g. tenants' association, pray for opportunities to stand for truth and share the power of the gospel in these contexts.
Elections -- VOTE. . . We have the privilege of living in a democracy, so let's be a Church who are active and involved. Fulfil the command and encouragement of 1 Timothy 2:1-2 as you vote.
Friendly -- Be friendly wherever you are; sow a smile, a greeting, and a hello to strangers. Look for people in your community who are lonely or in need of friendship. Colossians 4:5-6.
Governor -- Find out the needs of the local school in your neighbourhood. Offer to become a parent governor, or co-opted
governor. Luke 18:16.
Homeless -- Find out about provision for the homeless in your community. Offer to help at a local shelter or soup kitchen.
Initiator -- Make things happen. Initiate conversations, initiate pportunities to pray for people and lay hands on them and see them healed. Walk around the local community. Many opportunities come when you are walking! Genesis 13:17.
JP -- Make enquiries about being a Justice of the Peace. If it is something you could do, why not apply to your local bench. Micah 6:8.
Kids Club -- Volunteer to help at a Kids Club at your Church. . . Or offer to cook one of the workers a meal or to pray for them and bless them. Hebrews 10:24.
Lollipop -- Contact your local council to offer your services as a local lollipop man or woman. This is a great way of meeting new people & being really visible! "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." - Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
Meals -- Look out for elderly people in your street and cook them a meal. Look out for when people have a birth, death or illness in their family. Cook them a meal to congratulate or comfort them.
Neighbours -- Join your local Neighbourhood Watch scheme or make enquiries through The National Neighbourhood Watch Association about setting up a scheme in your street or area.
Open House -- Have a Summer BBQ, Bonfire Party or Christmas Party. Invite friends from Church and people on your street.
Prisons -- Contact your local prison about becoming a registered prison visitor. Write to people in prison who have no families or friends. Matt 25:39-40.
Quality Street -- Get together with members of your street or community and tidy your street or the garden of a house on your street that needs tidying, e.g.single parent family, elderly person. Genesis 1:28.
Remember -- Remember those on your street who are alone or lonely, especially at Christmas or on their birthday. Make them a cake or card to say they are in your thoughts and prayers. 1 Thessalonians 5:11.
School -- Set up a Prayer Group for your local school. Pray for the staff and pupils, for salvation and for God's Kingdom to come.
Teach -- Offer to teach local young people musical skills, foreign language, DIY Skills, car mechanic skills, or anything that you are good at! Colossians 3:17.
Unemployed -- Pray for those who are unemployed in your area. Get involved in a local job club, help serve refreshments or give advice.
Volunteer -- Volunteer at a local community group like a residents' association or similar group.
Write -- Write to your Local MP telling them that you are praying for them (1 Timothy 2:1-2), to express your view on something or to praise them for something specific they have done or said.
Xpress -- Write to your local newspaper, sharing your view on a local issue or situation.
Youthwork -- Find out about local youth provision in your area and offer your time for one night per week. Pray and intercede for the young people in your area.
A-Z Map -- Get an A-Z Map of your area on your fridge or kitchen wall and start praying for salvation in your area street by street ticking them off as you go. Meet up with other Christians in your street/area to pray for your area.
Gavin White
(Manchester, UK)
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.