Let me share with you something I ran across recently. The book is Deep Justice in a Broken World: Helping Your Kids Serve Others & Right the Wrongs Around Them by Chap Clark & Kara Powell (Zondervan 2007). The authors juxtapose (compare & contrast) service and justice with intent of pointing Christians to pursue "deep justice." (pp. 15-16)
Service makes us feel like a "great white savior" (or black or brown or other skin color) who rescues the broken. Justice means God does the rescuing, but often he works through the united power of his great and diverse community to do it.
Service often dehumanizes (even if only subtly) those who are labeled the "receivers." Justice restores human dignity by creating an environment in which all involved "give" & "receive" in a spirit of reciprocal learning & mutual ministry.
Service is something we do for others. Justice is something we do with others.
Service is an event. Justice is a lifestyle.
Service expects results immediately. Justice hopes for results some time soon but recognizes that systemic change takes time.
The goal of service is to help others.The goal of justice is is to remove obstacles so others can help themselves.
Service focuses on what our own ministry can accomplish. Justice focuses on how we can work with other ministries to accomplish even more.
Service is serving food at the local homeless shelter. Justice means asking why people are hungry and homeless in the first place - and then doing something about it.
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1 comment:
Great post. Loved it. Deep justice is what I'm pursuing.
JG
PS Thanks for being an example.
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