12 May To Be or Not to Be Just
TO BE OR NOT TO BE JUST, THAT IS THE QUESTION?
It has been an interesting week here in Zambia as we are watching, listening, and praying about what’s going on in America. I have had several Africans ask me what is happening in America and hoping I can explain it to them. I feel a great responsibility as I may be the only white American some of these folks will ever see, and my words will greatly shape and impact their understanding of this situation.
So, it has caused me to sit, think, pray, and process before I said too much. I don’t want to speak out of emotions, feelings, my experience, or simply what I think. However, I do think there are thoughts worth sharing as it relates to what God thinks and His Truth, especially as it relates to justice and the death of George Floyd.
As I watched the video of the policeman’s knee holding down Mr. Floyd, my heart and stomach were sick. I wondered how a human being could do such a thing to another human being as he cries out, “I can’t breathe.” And perhaps with that question I understand at least some of the answer. Perhaps he didn’t view Mr. Floyd fully as a human being. He certainly did not honor, respect, and show dignity to him as a person created in the image of a Holy God. Sadly, there will always be people who look at other people and determine in their heart and mind, that these people are inferior. They are not worthy or valuable, and do not deserve to be treated with honor and dignity. The Bible would call this INJUSTICE.
Justice involves meeting the basic needs of what it means to be human. The forces which deprive people of what is basic for community life are condemned as oppression (Mic. 2:2; Eccles. 4:1). To oppress is to use power for one’s own advantage in depriving others of their basic rights in the community (Mark 12:40). To do justice is to correct that abuse and to meet those needs (Isa. 1:17). Injustice is depriving others of their basic needs or failing to correct matters when those rights are not met (Jer. 5:28; Job 29:12–17). Injustice is either a sin of commission or of omission. At the very least Mr. Floyd was deprived of his basic need for air, which for a human is the most critical need.
However, when we use the word injustice, we create a conundrum in the culture. In an attempt to channel my inner Ravi Zacharias, to use words like injustice, evil, and wrong, we presuppose there are things that are just, good, and right. Therefore, if there is just and unjust, good and evil, right and wrong, there must be a standard. If there is a standard, then there must be a standard giver. Herein lies the conundrum. What is the standard and who is going to be the one to determine the standard?
Ravi Z explains there are three types of cultures:
- Theonomous – the law of God is embedded in our hearts. He is the standard giver and He alone determines what is just, right, and fair.
- Heteronomous – the standard is dictated by the leadership at the top: dictators, Kings, Prime Ministers, Presidents, Chiefs, etc.
- Autonomous – the standard is determined by each person and he/she dictates their own moral absolutes.
The Theonomous culture is not the path America wanted to go. We do not seem to want God, nor do we want God’s standard. There may have been a time when America had her foot, or perhaps toe, in creating a culture that lived in part by God’s standard, even though she consistently missed the racial equality issue. But that day has passed. However, Jesus followers should be living in this counter culture.
The Heteronomous culture is certainly rejected by Americans. Our founders left England to abandon this type of culture.
The Autonomous culture is where we have landed. Each person dictates their own moral absolutes and prerogatives. When we look at just and unjust, good and evil, right and wrong, each person has determined their own standard. The problem is they will eventually run into a collision because they do not like another person’s absolutes or beliefs. When everyone is determining the standard, there is going to be consistent clashes between what is just and unjust, good and evil, right and wrong. It creates a society where there is so much talk about rights, and so little talk about what is right? We talk about being on the right or left politically but few are talking about up or down spiritually. It rarely allows us to get to real solutions because we come to the table with an agenda.
For example:
Person A says – That police officer committed an evil act of oppression and violence against
an innocent person of another race. (Unjust)
Person B says – That police officer was simply doing his job and it is unfortunate the man
died. (Just)
Person A says – Since Roe vs. Wade in 1973, there have been 62,000,000 (Million) unborn
babies aborted. We have created a culture of death. Of course, there will
consistently be unnecessary deaths in our society. (Unjust)
Person B says – Since Roe vs. Wade in 1973, we can celebrate the rights of women being
heard, valued and affirmed. (Just)
Person A says – The issue at our southern borders is a violation of human rights. Parents
should not be separated from their children and treated as inferior people.
(Unjust)
Person B says – The issue at our southern borders is what happens when you violate the law.
(Just)
In this subjective, relativistic, autonomous culture we recreate Genesis 3. Satan told Adam and Eve if you eat the fruit you will be like God, knowing good and evil. Paraphrase, if you disobey the Standard Giver, then you can become the standard giver, and you can determine in your own eyes what is good and what is evil. So, we become god and each person decides what is just and unjust, good and evil, right and wrong. Like Israel “everyone did what was right in their own eyes,” (Judges 17:16), and chaos insued. Is there any wonder why we have so much disunity, division, and conflict? We cannot reject the God of justice and then wonder why there is no justice. We cannot reject the God of peace and wonder why we have no peace.
Ravi Z reminds us that God gives you the sacred gift of the prerogative of choice. But God does not give you the privilege of determining a different outcome of what the choice entails. The consequences are bound to the choice. If people, cultures, or countries reject the One True God and His Son, King Jesus, as the Standard Giver, and His Holy Word as the Standard, they will experience the consequences. While they have the freedom of choice to reject God, they do not have the freedom to choose the outcome of that choice. The consequences are bound to the choice.
I am so glad that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is being read, listened to, and quoted these days. I have listened to every message his archives have released multiple times. Dr. King was so effective because he had a moral compass, a divine foundation. Dr. King rooted his message in God’s Word as the Standard. And he continually reiterated that equality was rooted in the very heart of God, the Standard Giver. He taught that if you mistreated one of God’s image bearers, you have mistreated God. And that equal rights were not just necessary socially, but that it was demanded by a just God and vital to the display of His righteousness. That inequality, prejudice, and oppression are not only unjust to the black image bearer, but an afront to the glory and majesty of God who created all people in His image. He took it beyond a temporal belief to an eternal truth.
When a people or culture eliminates truth and moves into relativism, where everyone can choose what is right to them, truth becomes subjective based on your experience and feelings. Then you have a culture that begins to think with their feelings. Once you no longer think through the Standard of an absolute Truth, you begin to think and act through your feelings. And social media becomes the perfect platform for people to share their feelings. (To combat that I would encourage Jesus followers of all ages to share what the Bible says and include specific references when sharing on social media.)
Thinking and acting with your feelings leads to thoughts about METHOD vs. MESSAGE. As the protests, riots, and destruction continue throughout cities in America, the method has become the message. And when you are dealing with injustice, you do not want the method to overshadow the message. While there is nothing wrong with protests, as Dr. Tony Evans said, “you cannot justify an injustice with an injustice.” He quoted Ephesians 4:26, “In your anger, do not sin…”
Again Dr. King knew this to be true. He knew how necessary it was to embrace non-violent protests. March peacefully and speak the truth, but don’t let the methods overshadow the message. He knew you could not give the oppressors any justification in their oppression. I believe he learned this from Jesus. Because of this we know the message of Dr. King and we know the message of Jesus.
We see this played out when people who “profess” to be Christians stand outside of abortion clinics or protest against homosexuality. They hold up signs with hateful, mean-spirited, judgmental, dehumanizing language on it. Their message is diluted in their unproductive method. Colin Kaepernick’s protest has been brought up more than a few times lately. (I share this as an observation not a judgement). His method of protest was kneeling during the national anthem. For millions of Americans the national anthem and the flag evoke a deeply personal affection. Millions of men and women have died to protect their country and many families, of all races, live with the pain of that loss. Many others know families or individuals who have served. Therefore, this method seemed to brand him as Anti-American. Based on history it doesn’t seem you can portray an Anti-American message to change America. It’s like telling your wife you don’t like her and there are some things you would like her to change. (0% chance of change) If you ask people what his message was, they can rarely articulate it. They might mention, it was something racial, or about police. But almost everyone can tell you what his method was. When the method overshadows the message, the message gets diluted or disappears altogether.
In contrast, Dr. King talked about the hope he had for America, the dream he had for America. He was never silent about America’s broken places, but he also believed America could be healthy if… We need protests and healthy confrontations to people and systems that are unjust. But we need the discipline and courage to creatively “think” and respond, not just “feel” and react on the journey to lasting transformation. Feelings, emotions, and reactions come quickly and will go quickly. And when they go, we will see what, if anything, has changed.
This leads to my last thought. I heard a popular American pastor say that white people don’t need to feel guilty, they need to repent, a change of direction or a change of mind. I was happy to hear him say that. However, I kept waiting to hear what we needed to repent from and what we needed to repent to. While silence and apathy were mentioned, I think there is more to this. Justice is a Kingdom of God issue. And if we see anything truly transformational and lasting take place it will be through the King, His Kingdom, and His Kingdom citizens. We see the perfection and paradise of the Kingdom in the Garden of Eden in Genesis, and the New Heaven and New Earth in Revelation. The Kingdom, life as it was Meant to be, life as God meant it to be. We see the ultimate culmination of the Kingdom as John says in The Revelation 7:9-10, “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from EVERY NATION, from ALL TRIBES and PEOPLES and LANGUAGES, standing before the throne and before the Lamb…crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
We know the ultimate culmination of this world is the Glory of God by every people and every nation. Living in harmony, peace, and oneness together. And Jesus ushered in this Kingdom, life as it was meant to be, in the midst of the curse, and He gave us a glimpse of the Kingdom reality. The hungry are fed, sick are healed, blind can see, lame can walk, all races are included and valued, dead come to life, lost are found. He says, “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17) Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God…” (Matthew 6:33) and he prayed in his model pray, Father…Your Kingdom come Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)
As Kingdom citizens we have been made Ambassadors for Christ’s Kingdom and God has given to us and entrusted to us the MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION. (2 Cor. 5:18-20). We have been given a Role and a Responsibility in God’s Kingdom. Role = Ambassadors of Jesus Christ. Responsibility = the Message/Ministry of Reconciliation. And a Commission to go and make disciples who will do this. WOW! While Paul speaks primarily of reconciling people who are separated from God to God (the Standard Giver) through faith in Jesus His Son, the Bible also speaks to a Kingdom reconciliation as Kingdom citizens bring about life as it was meant to be. We must be caring for the poor, orphan, widow, and foreigner (James 1:26). We are required “to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8) This message certainly includes making sure everyone knows that every single person on the planet is created in the image of Holy God, the one True God. And as an image bearer of God, each person has incredible worth and value and deserves the utmost dignity worthy of an image bearer. That we not only communicate this truth, but that we demonstrate this truth.
So, what do followers of Jesus need to repent from, and what do we need to repent to? While repentance is certainly personal and must be done according to the sin in each person’s heart, I have listed some ideas of sins we might confess. Reconciliation always begins with the plank in our own eye.
REPENT FROM WHAT = Forgive me Lord Jesus for not embracing the Kingdom as your Kingdom citizen. Forgive me for being more concerned about my kingdom of comfort, selfishness, arrogance, safety, control, order, focusing on my rights while ignoring the rights of others… than your Kingdom of loving You and Loving my neighbor. Forgive me for neglecting my role as Your Kingdom Ambassador for your Kingdom. Forgive me for the apathy and silence of not engaging my responsibility with the ministry of reconciliation that you have entrusted to me. For neither sharing the love of Jesus nor demonstrating it to others, especially those who are marginalized and disenfranchised, those who feel lost, last, least, and lonely. Forgive me for being more church-centered and not Kingdom-centered. For not realizing the church is to be a servant of the Kingdom. Forgive me for being more program focused and not people focused. Forgive me for playing God and determining what is right and wrong in my own mind and not bowing to the one True God as the Standard Giver. And forgive me for disobeying or selective obedience to Your Holy Word, the Standard. Forgive me for causing disunity, division, in my own family, relationships, and church, while I am calling for reconciliation in other areas. Forgive me for the jokes, comments, prejudice, bias, and superior thoughts I have had toward other races.
As pastors and Christian leaders, we can repent of preaching and teaching more about growing my own church instead preaching and teaching more on growing the Kingdom of God. We can repent of not preaching, teaching, and modeling a Kingdom life that both shares and demonstrates the love of Jesus Christ to every person. Repent for not preaching, teaching, and modeling enough about God’s heart to bring “shalom” to our cities and communities.
REPENT TO = Father God, I dedicate and give my life, desires, passion, gifts, and resources for You and Your Kingdom. I want to leverage all of my life for the expansion of Your Kingdom in the world. I desire to embrace Your Kingdom rather than mine. I will give up my comfort and resources to bring about Your Kingdom. I am open to embrace Kingdom ministries however you have commanded me, gifted me, and called me. I will sponsor, foster or adopt at-risk, under-resourced, multi-ethnic children. I am open and desire that you bring someone of color into my life so I can build an authentic relationship. I will invite black families or other minorities into my home to eat and go to theirs. I will be glad when my children build relationships with black/brown children even with the possibility that they might date when they grow up. I will invest in an international student at a local college or university. I will be open to move into at-risk, under-resourced neighborhoods to walk with and experience the injustice first-hand. I will be open to sell everything and move to another country to make Jesus known. I will fight for the rights of unborn children. I am open to leave my predominantly white church and become a member of a predominantly black church. I will sponsor refugees coming from other countries who are black or brown helping them get adjusted to a new life and culture? I will provide opportunities for the undocumented community to find resources, learn English, provide shelter, whatever they need to be empowered. I will stop talking negatively about undocumented, black, Hispanic, middle eastern, or Asian people who look different than me? I will stop turning these image bearers who are created in the image of God into political issues and start turning them into Love my neighbor issues, embracing them as fellow image bearers. I will use any power or influence that I have been given, to help those who have little to no power or little to no influence.
Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). At the end of the story He did not say, go and tell this story, it’s a good one. He didn’t say go and tweet it, Instagram it, or share your feelings about it on Face Book. He concluded with, if you want to be neighborly,
“GO AND DO THAT.”
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