Last week, our focus was on Social Justice. We read several chapters from Exiles by Michael Frost that discussed issues in social justice and our responsibility as Christians. Our discussions centered around current issues in social justice, our responsibility to act upon these things, and what our personal response would be to the issues we see around us. We did not look at the issues that are common on most Christians’ social justice radars, such as poverty and hunger. Most people see, understand, and desire to help people who suffer in these ways. Instead, we addressed issues that are often overlooked in the Christian community such as oppressive corporate greed and environmental issues. Here are some of the things that most stuck out to me:
“This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.'” Zechariah 7:9 (Emphasis added)
First, if we truly look at scripture, we see that God is very concerned with Justice. It is repeated over and over in the Bible that God loves justice and desires it for all of His creation. He set its administration as a law for the people of Israel, the psalmist constantly discusses God’s righteousness and justice, and Jesus himself instructs us to be concerned with mercy, faithfulness, and justice over obeying the letter of the law. It stands to reason then that we, as His people, ought also to be concerned with administering the Lord’s justice while here on earth.
“The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.” Psalm 103:6
Second, Corporate greed in the Western World, but especially in America, is accompanied by many undesirable and oppressive effects. The capitalist economy and the consumer culture among which we live are driven by greed that demands the maximum profit. Corporations serve as machines to generate profit while, because they operate legally as an individual with no more existence than a name on a piece of paper, shielding those involved from accepting personal responsibility for the decisions made by the corporation. Because of this greed and lack of responsibility of those involved, many corporations are causing social injustice in the form of underpaid and overworked laborers in foreign factories, denying benefits to their own employees domestically, environmental pollution, and engaging in unfair trade. (If you would like more information on how this consumer economy works, please check out a short film called “The Story of Stuff” with Annie Leonard). A perfect example is Wal-Mart, or even Target. I do intend to go into more detail here (for obvious reasons), and I do not mean to say that we all ought to jump on the anti-Wal-Mart band wagon, but perhaps we should educate ourselves so that we can at least make an informed decision as to where we shop and what we buy. You can do research on corporations at Responsible Shopper and a few other online resources. I do not think that is too much to ask. However, what is our response when we learn of this injustice? Perhaps it is to not shop at stores that violate human rights. Maybe you look for products that are produced in environmentally friendly ways. Maybe you will only by fair trade coffee. Maybe all of these; maybe none. At the very least, get informed. Let God lead you to the appropriate response, and follow through on that decision.
“…And God said to them, ‘…fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'” Genesis 1:28
Finally, here in Genesis, we are given a mandate to have dominion over the earth. We have tended to misinterpret this command. It is not a license for us to exploit creation for our own benefit or selfish greed but rather an explanation of the responsibility we bear to care for and maintain Creation. For many of you who, like me, do desire to help with many of the environmental issues because you see the need to do so as a follower of Christ, the challenge becomes finding a manner in which to join the modern environmentalist movement without being alienated. Much of the current movement in the U.S. is rooted in very leftist and extremist politics, which makes us wary to join this group of people in any manner. But, we do still bear this responsibility, so we must find a way to act upon this responsibility, even if it implies partnering with those we have little else in common with (and who knows, it could be a wonderful ministry opportunity?!). Michael Frost puts it this way, “If we are to develop a genuinely Christian expression of environmentalism, it should arise from an informed, thoughtful, and faithful consideration of environmental concerns from the perspective of the Christian faith…exiles know that caring for their environment is not based on any particular brand of politics; rather, it springs from a theology that sees the intrinsic value of nature, not just its instrumental value…acknowledging God’s ownership of the universe motivates exiles to respect, nurture, and care for that which is God’s.”
So, what is your response?
