Many Christians have recently rediscovered the part of our calling – or of our God, really – that moves us to pursue “social justice.” But some rightly fear that justice issues might eclipse other aspects of our gospel-centered identity and mission. (I say “rightly” because we’re liable to turn anything into an idol, especially something right and good and true.) The classic question is what should we give the proverbial hungry believer in a location where we can be pretty sure he doesn’t know Jesus: the gospel or a loaf of bread? Or perhaps more to our point, in the public square should we quietly work toward a living wage or look for opportunities to explain the truth about Christ?
My suggestion is that we pray the Lord’s Prayer. More specifically, that we pray all of it.
What does the Lord’s Prayer have to do with not turning justice into an idol? I’m thinking specifically of two phrases, one of which has rightly become a biblical battle cry for pursuing justice for the poor: May your kingdom come. Jesus’ gospel of God’s kingdom was nothing if not good news for the poor, no doubt in more ways than one. And the next phrase proves that this isn’t merely a future hope, for we are instructed to pray that God’s kingdom comes on earth as it is in heaven. I agree and applaud all efforts to fully live out Jesus’ invitation to anticipate God’s future kingdom in the present.
But what does sometimes happen is that this phrase gets separated from what preceded it: hallowed be your name. Jesus cares not only about what we do, but that we do it in the right way, and part of doing the right thing in the right way is doing it so that God’s name is rightly honored. By all means, “preach the gospel everyday, and if necessary use words.” But know that using words will very soon become necessary if the gospel is to be preached. By all means, give the dude a piece of bread and work for a living wage, but do it in the name of Jesus for the glory of God. By all means, work for the inbreaking of God’s kingdom, but don’t be embarrassed by or shy about the fact that this is God’s kingdom or that it came and comes to the world in Jesus.
We haven’t been called to make or build a new world. We are called to live into the reality of the new world already begun in Christ.
Ty said:
This reminds me, in a lot of ways, of the Book of James. Certainly our Christian lives hinge – entirely – on the sacrifice of Christ, and His love for us. But James reminds us [OK, with the help of Paul] that our newness in Christ is reflected by newness in our thoughts, our speech and our actions. We can quibble about where one ends and the other begins, but both are necessary. It’s not either/or. It’s both.
So we cannot live our Christian lives without affecting the world around us. We cannot ignore the needs of those around us: the poor, the hungry, the orphan and the widow. Likewise, we cannot allow injustice to continue, for as Christ reminds us “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers…you did for me {Matt. 21:40.]”
Of course, a key problem here is that we do not all agree on what that justice should look like, what “social justice” means and – importantly – to whom it applies. So, because do not agree, it seems to me that we CAN do damage to ourselves and those around us [both Christian and not]. For ALL of us, then, we should pray, as it reminds us further down in the prayer, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
Aaron Wheeler said:
Hey Michael,
I’ve got a book you might enjoy: http://www.amazon.com/After-Christendom-Freedom-Justice-Christian/dp/0687009294/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330644450&sr=8-1
It was required for one of my classes this semester. I was pleasantly surprised by the challenging themes and topics presented, and in light of some of your recent postings, it made me think of you.
Of course, I’m not giving it an open endorsement, as a certain sections were downright disappointing. But overall it’s worth the effort.
I’d just send you my copy, but I borrowed it from the library.
–Aaron
DaAnne Smith said:
Thanks for the reminder to give credit where credit is due, Michael.
Michael DeFazio said:
Ty, so true and great additional insight! For months now we pray with Claire before putting her down for the night, always ending with the LP. And the more I pray it, the more I realize it basically says, well, everything. Miss and love you.
Aaron, thanks! And you’re right, it is one I love – I actually have it on my shelf at home. I haven’t picked it up in years though, so I may take another look soon. Hauerwas has been hugely helpful for me in a lot of this kind of thing.
DaAnne, you’re welcome! Thanks for actually putting into practice what so many only talk about doing!!
LordByrum said:
Great post! I think about the Lords Prayer quite often. It truly is the greatest prayer ever spoken!