“Justice denied anywhere denies justice everywhere” (Martin Luther King, Jr.)
In Transformed Non-Conformist, Martin Luther King Jr. uses Romans 12:2 to make a biblical reference to his belief in social justice, “Be not transformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” He begins the speech with a challenge: “Do not conform”. From there he moves to making his first point, the biblical standard of nonconformity. His second point addresses the failure of the church in this regard. His third point then outlines what healthy non-conformity would look like. His thesis is that the real challenge resides not in the non-conformity, but in the transformation, “A reformer may be an untransformed nonconformist whose rebellion against the evils of society has left him annoyingly rigid and unreasonably impatient.” The speech is an incredible message of not simply being people who challenge the status quo, but being transformed by the power of Christ in such a way that you challenge the status quo by simply being who you are.
Social justice is becoming a controversial word. Glen Beck openly challenged it recently claiming that it is the same thing as socialism. Glen Beck is an idiot, but there are many highly intelligent, competent, and faithful Christians who have also begun to wonder if social justice is a truly Christian ideal. The argument being that when we come to rely on the government, which would be one of the defining characteristics of social justice- those with authority ensuring justice, then not only do we take the responsibility and opportunity away from where it belongs, the church, but that it becomes unjust. I would quickly refer to the work of Slavoj Zizek here to make a point that charity (the work of localized bodies and individuals) is important, but ultimately a necessary evil as it perpetuates the condition of the poor. His argument is that social systems have to be changed for any real change to occur as to prevent the poor from needing charity. You can find a speech that illustrates this at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpAMbpQ8J7g.
But the point I would like to make for this entry is not whether social justice is Christian or not, but that I am being to see how closely the pursuit of justice and certain spiritual gifts and individual traits are connected. For the majority of my life I have recognized that my parents were compassionate and giving people and I have observed that their particular social and political beliefs were left of center, but what I have only recently began to see is how their spirituality and personality that shape those political values. In the process I have also come to see how dynamic justice must be for it to be real. For many on the left, their ideology is shaped by just that- ideology. For many compassionate and giving people the extent of that trait is limited to (while still being something I greatly admire) to kindness. But over the past couple of years, through the ministry and openness of my parents, I have learned, although second hand, how powerful of a resource compassion can be in the pursuit of justice. Surprisingly, the delicate, yet powerful interweaving of charity and justice doesn’t ensure spiritual contentment (in fact, it may create a spiritual unrest), but it is encapsulate the reconciliation ministry of Christ.
As I have explored my recovery in Christianity I have had to spend quite a bit of time dismantling my ideas on social justice. While I value it greatly, I do see the failures that it has to systematically honor a religious belief system. However, what I am beginning to see is that it is not a issue of social justice, but simply justice and that justice is intricately linked to combination of mercy and empowerment. This year for Christmas I would like to thank my parents for the lessons they have taught me about this issue. That does include modeling a political and social activism that I pray that I am able to pass along to my children to even a fraction of the same degree. But more significantly, I pray that my kids see the same compassion that motivates them in me. While I may differ from my parents on a few religious and theological positions and while my own spiritual journey is unique, I will always hold my parents as the model of Christian reconciliation. Merry Christmas to all of you in this season that captures the message of justice greater than another other time of the year. And thank you to my parents for helping me understand what that means.
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