Social Injustice

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. - Micah 6:8

If I really pay attention sometimes I can feel the hand of God upon my life gently leading me, guiding me in the direction that he has for me. Now of course being a human being I deal with the human condition known as selfishness and so as opposed to letting Him guide me, I rebel and try to do what I want to do. I know that sometimes my interaction with Him is like a kid kicking and screaming at a toy store when he wants a certain toy. When I don’t get what I want, however and whenever I want it, I tend to complain and question God and struggle to get my way. I feel like God is just waiting and watching until I remain still again, and then He speaks.

Recently He spoke the above verse into my heart. Specifically my eyes were opened to the vast amount of social injustice taking place in this world while I sit, not exactly living lavishly but doing okay. I don’t have an overabundance of cash flow but sometimes I have a few bucks left over from my check that I quickly splurge on movies, food and good times with my friends. Meanwhile there are people suffering on the other side of the world.

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' - Matthew 25: 35-40

Thoughts of young boys being dragged into pointless wars as child soldiers, little children dying of malnutrition, parents selling their children to pay off huge overwhelming amounts of debt, little girls headed on a one-way trip to a brothel where at a young age they will be forced to prostitute themselves; things like this are beginning to eat away at me as I live my comfortable lifestyle. As I walk by and see Jesus naked or hungry or sick or in prison, or being trafficked as a sex slave or sold as property (please don’t take offense to this I’m not trying to blaspheme but to say what I feel) I know for a fact that I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!

I’m not going to try to blame this on rich capitalist corporate fat cats or big business-favoring politics because this is an issue that all of us must realize exists and that WE ARE ALL IGNORING THEM!! We are all watching Jesus suffer and we are simply walking right past Him! We teach the Good Samaritan and just turn the other way when we hear stories of human trafficking and injustice. Don’t get me wrong I agree with paying tithe and offering and helping a brother or sister from our church that is in need because we do it for God, but I feel that we need to start looking towards those that are truly in need and instead of ignoring the problem, realizing that WE ARE God’s solution to this problem! And if we as the solution choose to ignore those people in need; if we as the solution ignore the problem and figure that somebody else will handle it; If we as the solution don’t begin allowing the hand of God to lead us in the direction of our suffering brothers and sisters simply because we don’t want to become uncomfortable, then we are not truly Christ followers but religious Pharisees who are looking for ways to justify our tradition and mask our evil hearts with a religious façade that shows others that we are Holy while God sees our heart bare. And I must confess that this is a harsh teaching but a teaching that I am embracing for my life in repentance. And If you don’t feel this is true, then I pray that God would show you the truth through his Holy Spirit.

There are times when I feel the Hand of God leading and guiding me and today I feel Him guiding me in the direction of those suffering from injustice and saying: “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

I leave you with this from Isaiah Ch. 1; 13-17 (Message) in a day in age where less than 5% of church attending Christians are actually or financially involved in the fight against human trafficking or any other form of social injustice - The heart of God Towards those that preach “Religion” but don’t follow true religion as taught in the book of James.

"Quit your worship charades. I can't stand your trivial religious games: Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings— meetings, meetings, meetings—I can't stand one more! Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them! You've worn me out! I'm sick of your religion, religion, religion, while you go right on sinning. When you put on your next prayer-performance, I'll be looking the other way. No matter how long or loud or often you pray, I'll not be listening. And do you know why? Because you've been tearing people to pieces, and your hands are bloody. Go home and wash up. Clean up your act. Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings so I don't have to look at them any longer. Say no to wrong. Learn to do good. Work for justice. Help the down-and-out. Stand up for the homeless. Go to bat for the defenseless.

God Bless

Whom Shall I send?

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"
And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" - Isaiah 6:8

Often I am challenged by this question including last night in a preaching that I heard. The question is “am I answering to the calling that God has for my life as Isaiah did?” In a way, I can say yes. I am a youth pastor; I’m reaching out to young people every Friday. And yet in another way I can say no; I’m not doing enough.

I remember a time when I was lost. I was 17 years old; I was heavy in the gang life. I was partying hard every night drinking way more than my fellow drinkers and doing drugs to “ease my pain.” On the outside I was this rough, tough, hardcore, never crack a smile kind of kid that wasn’t afraid of anything and loved partying. On the inside I was a messed up little seventeen-year-old kid that was confused, depressed, and hurting.

My belief is this: There are many kids; there are many people in general that NEED THE GOD OF LOVE AND GRACE IN THEIR LIVES! Is God going to judge everybody for their actions one day, absolutely. But as for right now, we are living in a time of Grace in which Jesus is waiting for us with arms wide open saying: I see that you are a complete mess, but I love you anyway. I died for you and I want to give you a second chance at life.

The God that many Christians show these days is a God of hate, a God of judgment, a God that wants to take all of the fun out of their lives and make them into horrible, judgmental, hypocritical people. That doesn’t draw people to Christ; that will repel them. And to be honest a lot of us Christians truly are these horrible, judgmental people. I can definitely understand why people wouldn’t want to be Christians if that is the “light” that we have been shining in the darkness.

And yet people are still in need. People Need Jesus! People need the Jesus that was here 2000 and so years ago that loved them and wanted to speak life into the lost and the hurting; into sinners and Pharisees; into adulterers and liars; into tax collectors and prostitutes. That is the Jesus that people want and need in their lives. Now “Who will Go and speak to a lost and dying Generation?” Who will tell them that God loves them, He wants to forgive them, and He wants to be there for them no matter what? I want to be the Isaiah That says, “I will go” but only my actions can answer that question. To be honest though, I see the need, I feel the sympathy and now I want to be moved to Compassion for this lost and dying generation. God, help me to be Isaiah! Help me to bring people to the REAL YOU!