Women Alive

When it comes to social justice, most Christians have a fairly solid knowledge of what the Bible calls us to. The prophets of the Old Testament and Jesus in the New Testament often state the foundation of biblical social justice: provide for the widows, care for the orphans, protect the foreigner among you, treat your neighbour lawfully. Job defends his personal social justice:

Whoever heard me spoke well of me,  and those who saw me commended me, because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist them. The one who was dying blessed me;  I made the widow’s heart sing. I put on righteousness as my clothing; justice was my robe and my turban. I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. I was a father to the needy;  I took up the case of the stranger. I broke the fangs of the wicked and snatched the victims from their teeth. (Job 28:11-17)

The Bible even gives various instructions on how to accomplish this; a common instruction is to leave the leftover harvest in the field for the widows to gather for themselves.

So, when we consider our own society here in Canada, we might think we are doing well. Everyone who pays taxes is doing these very things. We pay the government our tax, and the government provides welfare cheques for the widows, foster care for the orphans and many services and fair treatment toward immigrants and refugees.

Are we then fulfilling our call to social justice?

I would argue that if Christ were to visit our communities and churches, he would draw our attention to several groups in the Church who are socially ostracised, not only by the world, but also, too often, by the Church. These persons may have financial help from the government, but they have critical social, emotional and psychological needs for belonging, self-worth, love and community.

What do I mean by this? Well, take those in our community and church who are socially awkward. We all know them from a mile away. They usually talk too much and too loudly. Often, about “boring” topics. They may dress in poor clothes, with little care to style. They may smell and wear dirty clothes. When they start walking toward us—and they have this way of easily spotting us in the crowd—we start devising our exit plan. We are suddenly too busy to talk, just leaving, about to pick up the kids—any excuse to remove ourselves from the awkward situation.

These socially awkward types know the drill well. They receive the same treatment from the secular world. And yet, they are so starved for love, attention and belonging that they continue to try to force their way into our social groups.

How can we demonstrate social justice in these situations? How can we emulate Christ? Can we reach out to the socially awkward in love and acceptance; listening with genuine interest; picking them out of the crowd to go and talk to, instead of waiting for them to come to us; inviting them—heaven forbid—to our homes?

For some, the idea of this is very threatening. We work hard to establish a place in our careers, we take on a certain leadership role among our friends, we want to be respected at church, we create a certain fashion style so that we can emulate a certain type of person. A socially awkward, poorly dressed member of our church does not fit into the persona we are creating for ourselves. We want to look like we are at the top of our game, that we move in the best circles. Thus, association with a ‘lowly’ social outcast is a threat to everything we work hard to build.

Why? Sadly, many Christians buy into the message of the world. We participate in systems and structures that inherently ostracize those who do not conform. We constantly classify people based on judgements of what we see—clothing labels, gender, age, position, status…dare I say, even ethnic background, colour of skin or religious alliance?

In the culture we live in, is it even possible to see a young, beautiful, slender fashionista with long, flowing hair and Prada sunglasses, and not almost unconsciously jump to some conclusions about her? Equally, is it possible to see a tattered, poorly dressed, mumbling woman carrying multiple bags and pushing a stolen grocery cart and not make judgments?

It is so easy to judge and classify people because it is constantly done in the media. A simple example: We have become so used to the dumb husband and know-it-all wife in commercials that the stereotype is not humorous anymore. We are bombarded with the images of the haves and have-nots, the winners and the losers.

So, is there escape? Can we break free from participating in a system that leaves the have-nots behind?

I believe that it is possible, but it requires a decision to revision ourselves. First, we must stop judging ourselves. At our base, we are human. If we choose to see ourselves solely as children of God, sharing our humanity with those around us, we will begin to similarly accept others.

Such a view stands in stark contrast to a world where there is such a strong desire for beauty, youth, status and power. It sends the message that we are all equal in God’s kingdom. There are no losers, no superstars, no poor, no rich, no haves, no have-nots. There are no Walmart shoppers, no Prada shoppers. In God’s kingdom, all are accepted. All are loved. All deserve our time, our attention, our grace.

Is such a kingdom possible in our churches? Our communities? Our homes? Can we defy the kingdom of this earth, with it’s labels, judgments, classifications?

It will take a conscious decision first to perceive ourselves in a whole new light, and second to perceive those around us in their simple, basic humanity, as worthy and loved children of God. Then, it will take a lifelong commitment to continually check ourselves and where we are placing our value.

What a powerful impact we can make if every social outcast that crosses our path feels the love and belonging of God, not from pity, but from a genuine equality in Christ. And how greatly we would be transformed if we no longer saw economic status, fashion style, weight, social status or power.

Lord, gives us eyes that see as You see us!

Let’s end, or rather, begin, with an admonition from James 2:1-5:

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favouritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?