Recently, our friend Natasha Crain sent us a text message asking us for practical ideas for biblically-based justice ministries, besides opening a food pantry. We quickly bombarded her with an avalanche of ideas. We thought it would be fun to turn this text string into a podcast. Let's put on our sanctified imagination and think about some ways that Christians can speak prophetically and help to push back the darkness and bring in the light of the Gospel.
Tonight’s episode was all about JUSTICE and caps off a series we’ve been doing all season regarding justice issues. If you missed any of the previous episodes, please go back to our YouTube channel or podcast recordings for those interviews! All of our content can be found on our mobile app and search under “justice”: https://www.centerforbiblicalunity.com/mobileapp
Definitions:
True justice/Biblical justice: Treating people the way God tells you to treat people; includes a God component where He is the standard
Foundational standard is God’s character and how we ought to treat each other
Goal is true equity or ‘equality under the law’: everyone being treated equally whether rich or poor, powerful or powerless, etc
Social justice: Doing what the world tells you is the right way to treat people; can often remove God from the equation or redefines God’s nature & character
Foundational standard is ‘equity’, meaning distribution or redistribution of power, wealth, resources, and opportunity
Goal is equal outcomes for individuals or groups/“fairness”
Proximity: God wants us to care for our own families first–justice begins at home! We need to start within our sphere to tend to our family, extended family, church family, and then move outward. Social justice often looks at justice issues on a larger macro level (eg climate, government, problems that are “out there”, etc)
Justice Ministry vs Compassion/Mercy Ministry:
Questions to ask: What is the injustice being done? For example, issues regarding the pre-born or human trafficking vs ministries that help address challenges to human flourishing, such as feeding the homeless. Basically, it’s two sides of the same coin!
Krista’s 5 Justice Issues:
Advocate for the end of the murder of the pre-born
Advocate against the erosion of parent’s rights
Advocate for the end of comprehensive sexuality education
Advocate against the sexualization of the public square
Advocate against the redefinition of marriage
Krista’s Compassion/Mercy Ministry Ideas:
Financial literacy training
Churches providing resources/support for low-income families for educational options
Entrepreneurial training to help low-income people start their own business
Christian therapists with a robust Christian worldview offering their mental health services/expertise to those struggling within the church; also applies to finding trusted doctors and pediatricians
Churches developing a process for supporting families in crisis (usually women) if there needs to be emergency legal action due to abuse/danger, such as a restraining order, transitional housing, legal services, etc; this is not about supporting divorce or breaking up the family, but instead it’s about protecting the innocent.
Monique and Kevin recently had a helpful conversation regarding domestic violence on the Off Code podcast. Check it out: https://youtu.be/iO6mM3xmSGc?si=fH1SB2QgLI2Ovwhn
Monique’s 5 Justice Issues:
Christian educational opportunities for students with disabilities
Contaminated water crisis in Flint, MI…$1 billion needed to remedy the problems in this low-income area…where are the churches? For the churches and pastors, particularly the affluent pastors and those concerned about justice issues, why can’t they get behind a cause like this to support poor black people?
How can Christians be better about living in community and proximity to one another? In doing so, how can Christians support one another with starting businesses, buying a home, lending, etc?
How are Believers and churches ready to support one another if someone is fired for not supporting DEI or LGBTQ+ policies at their job?
Meaningful discipleship of the church members on biblical literacy! Knowing the Word of God and why these justice issues mentioned are important and worth investing in.
For more info on the topic of human flourishing, check out a previous show we did: https://www.youtube.com/live/hWun8BuxhjE?si=B2YWm6jZ5jPJe3gf
Resources:
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Sponsor:
Tonight's show is brought to you by the Center for Biblical Unity, Theology Mom podcast, Family 210 Clothing, and Impact 360!
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