Living a Life of Justice

Early on this week I read the comic Batman: Earth One.  It really was a great comic book, but something stuck out at me.  In the comic, James Gordons character was portrayed as someone who gave up on changing the world.  He came into law enforcement hoping to make a drastic change on the city of Gotham, except he got nowhere and gave up.  This illustration reminds me of the practice of the church that has sought out early on to change the world.  Yet, they have given up in search for an individualistic search of God.  Church is to be a community of believers that seeks to live in a world of suffering and pain that even suffers alongside the world.

Searching through the story of Scripture, a picture of justice is painted by the early Old Testament prophets that is even displayed by the ministry of Jesus Christ.  This picture is the foundation for which the church lives for.  Another crucial aspect that is often misunderstood is that church is not done alone.  Through community, the church begins to practice true ministry.

A biblical representative for this picture is Micah who speaks to God's very people by telling them that God will be silent to them.  But, why?  We ask this question today as well.  Why does God continue to ignore the needs of a hurting world?  Does God not love, or cherish His own creation?  I believe He does, and so does Micah.  God only ignores the peoples cry for help because they themselves have not taken seriously the call to live a life of justice.  It is horrible to say, but the church has sometimes so ignored the call to live lives of justice that He even ignores us today!

I am a person that really loves the church and I love my home church as well.  I believe that many churches do good things and understand an live the way God calls them to live.  However, there is a growing sense that the call to justice is radically misunderstood in order to gain possessions and economic stability instead of a life of justice.

One scholar, who I particularly enjoy, is Walter Brueggemann.  In his book, Prophetic Imagination, he looks at the Old Testament and Jesus' ministry to see how they live with justice as their theme.  Brueggemann's book reveals a sense of suffering alongside those who are hurting.  Suffering involves listening, being a part of their lives, and willing to give of yourself to that person.  This does not mean giving every single possession to the poor.  Although, this may help us make wiser decisions in life in what we buy. 

By living in such a way that cares for one another, we become a community.  A community that seeks to provide for the needs of others, and even oneself.  Meetings ones own needs carefully and seeking guidance from the community helps give of ourselves to others in the community.  The community begins to live off one another by caring and loving each other.

There are many ways to begin living this way.  Maybe, begin by inviting neighbors, or people at church that you have never socialized with and just get to know them.  Seek to understand others and be willing to show that you care for them.  For a community is what the church is created for, and that is how the church must begin to live.