Justice and Peace- each an end and mean in itself. What do those terms mean in our world today? As I look around, I see very little of either. Thomas Aquinas said, "Peace is the work of justice indirectly, in so far as justice removes the obstacles to peace; but it is the work of charity (love) directly, since charity, according to its very notion, causes peace."
Just like the Israelites are accused in Isaiah 58 of exploiting the poor and ignoring the hungry and deprived, our generation is so consumed with self gain and distracted by "making the most of life" that people in need are far too often marginalized and ignored. Yes, even those of us who choose to bear the name of Christ are guilty. I have driven by many an earthly brother or sister with a card board sign and looked away on my way to more entertaining ventures. I have spent many of my paychecks investing in my own happiness and comfort without sparing any to the needs of those who don't have a change of clothes or a bed at night. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Without justice, there can be no peace. He who passively accepts evil is as much part of it as he who helps to perpetrate it." I may not be the one passing unjust laws or fighting an unjust war, but my chosen ignorance and silence makes me party to it. I look at all of the things going on in the world and all of the hurt that is being acted out daily, and I feel heartsick and overwhelmed. How can I make a difference? What can I possibly do to counteract all of the injustice in the world?
I will make a confession to you now. I started writing this about 2 weeks ago and felt so befuddled by the aforementioned questions that I chose to take a couple of weeks to really think about it and pray over it. I don't want to sound like a pretentious preacher telling you that I've figured it all out and am ready to save the world. However, I do want to share a challenge with you. In my thinking/praying/seeking/reading these past 2 weeks, a recurring theme has emerged. Peace through relationships and community. This idea first came out of a reading of Luke 10 that has actually been shared with me on numerous occasions to the point that I recognized it must mean something, but had yet to understand its application to my life. Jesus sends out 72 followers ahead of him to spread the news about him. He sends them in pairs (in relationship) and instructs them to share their peace upon entering a household. They are told that their peace will sometimes be received and sometimes will return back to them, but their response is to be the same. Their calling in Christ is just to share their peace in community. He also tells them to not move from house to house which I interpret as building a relationship with the person who is offering them hospitality. The instruction is to stay and be in community with the people of the house. Dietrich Bonhoeffer says in his work The Cost of Discipleship, "The followers of Christ have been called to peace. . . . And they must not only have peace but make it. And to that end they renounce all violence and tumult. In the cause of Christ nothing is to be gained by such methods . . . . His disciples keep the peace by choosing to endure suffering themselves rather than inflict it on others. They maintain fellowship where others would break it off. They renounce hatred and wrong. In so doing they overcome evil with good, and establish the peace of God in the midst of a world of war and hate." Once again the idea of fellowship emerges. By choosing to not be part of injustice and to overcome evil with good we become peace makers. Naim Ateek, author of A Palestinian Christian Cry for Reconciliation, says of the conflict between Israel and Palestine, “The reality of the Israel-Palestine conflict is an injustice that reflects our broken and selfish humanity; it is a reality that has expressed itself historically in the failure of Jews and Palestinians to love each other. This failure has given birth to the conflict and is the source of its continuation.” I feel that the best way to address injustice is to be in relationship with one another in love and together give voice to the suffering we see.
This is a fluffy way of saying that peace and justice can start with us and can take root in the world through our communities if our collective is willing to acknowledge the suffering and marginalization of people and do something about it. I will leave it to God to compel and direct the actions of his people, but my challenge to you is to actively start loving the people around you and start talking about the broken society around us. Dietrich Bonhoeffer also said, “For peace must be dared, it is itself the great venture and can never be safe. Peace is the opposite of security. To demand guarantees is to want to protect oneself. Peace means giving oneself completely to God's commandment, wanting no security, but in faith and obedience laying the destiny of the nations in the hand of Almighty God, not trying to direct it for selfish purposes.” Dare to be peace makers in a world driven by war! Dare to be uncomfortable in a world that breeds injustice and corruption! Dare to have a voice in a world that would rather you sit down and shut up! Dare to be part relational in a world consumed by individuality and selfishness! However God speaks to your heart on this, just take the dare. It is time that we as a people stop perpetrating evil through passivity and start being Christ’s light through love and peace!
Ok. There is my rant for the week. :)
Peace and love to you all!
~Kate
"God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God." ~Matthew 5:9
