The upside of truth and anger

Justice. How are Christ followers called to justice? How can we create a system of justice and seek justice in our own communities in the midst of strife and injustice inside our own walls. The world oppresses and in turn the church oppresses. In my lifetime and I believe probably since the Medieval church rose to power, the church, a large majority of the time, has accepted the status quo. The status quo being an acceptance of the systems that govern our societies. While we have always said our MORALS are different, giving us a certain air, we have not too often said our way of governing time, money, others, or our way of viewing the political and social system was defined as countercultural. Often subcultural in nature Christians will create a mirror image of society at large and call it Christian, because well, Christians are a part of it. Not that it is “Christ-like.”

How is it faith when it is not lived out and breathed out everyday. Are we really having faith or we living by fear? If we don’t know Jesus we have to know we will never desire to live like him. So if we are wondering where our compassion is, where our goodwill or right living is, we have only our relationship with Christ and others to examine.

The question is: Do we, as Christ followers, really want that? Or would we rather live from the fear of going to hell and continuously fulfill ourselves with empty pleasures and the extreme highs, lows and crashes that come with that. Do not misunderstand, everyone, regardless of lifestyle, will experience difficulty. But when you are going through these valleys, will you look out on desolation and gray sky, or will you be wrapped in the arms of your Father, seeing at least the hope of a light dawning?

I think my deep longing and question lies in not being able to penetrate this understanding into the Christians and so-called Christ followers surrounding me. There are sunny days I see hope. I believe that I am being granted a pure moment of joy when I discover other like minded people, but in the morning rain might be falling and the bombardments of worldly people, Christian or not, sits on my soul like a dark cloud.

How does the belief in justice change this? How does belief in Christ shape this belief? Examine the minute details that exist in your life that might accept the status quo. Houses being built on your street for $500,000 to keep diversity away…the political system that accepts and allows and desires minority groups to depend on the system. As long as you are dependent you lack the power to change things. Dependence causes a mindset, sometimes even subconsciously. Humanity, at least the ones who are aware, need to step up and step out of the shadows to raise awareness about the self interests everywhere, especially lying in the wake of American imperialism, that groups and peoples do not even know they have, because they do not even know it cannot be different. Well, it can. Jesus died, and with that he took away the division that the world still holds onto. What are we doing still grasping it like our security blanket?

What are you going to do about it??? Whatever you have conviction about, seek justice in that conviction. Seek the life giving justice that Christ so readily gives. And then thank Him for being able to…