Hand in Hand

I’m unashamedly a follower of Jesus, and I am unashamedly an advocate for social justice. 

You might assume that these roles go hand in hand, but in my experience, many people would prefer that I stick to one or the other.

The past few years my life has drastically changed. God called me from an upbringing that was pretty sheltered into places unknown. I began to be involved with things I never thought I would. I saw and experienced things I couldn’t ignore. I began to realize that the world in which I grew up was only a fraction of the fullness of reality. In some areas, I received a misguided and misinformed story about truth. 

Being exposed to these things I could not ignore made me want to understand more. I started being more present in issues of the day and began to listen to peoples' stories that were different than mine. I started to see a larger picture. I started to understand systemic injustices, hear stories of the oppressed, and see the needs of those around me.

As I began to advocate for social justice, I began to get push-back from many people. Much of that push-back came from people who would identify as Christians. I saw pain and injustice in the world, but I didn't see many other Christians running to those places. 

I had more experience with Christians being defensive and pushing back against my advocacy for social justice than I did with Christians who were also joining the causes at hand. I couldn't help but wonder why this was. 

Justice, mercy, and humility are what Christians are called to, but for some reason, I found that my pursuit of these things was rustling feathers. In some cases, this made some people really angry. I've been told that I've become a "crazy liberal," and that I've "gone off the deep end."

It seems that to many people, being a Christian means living comfortably. It seems to mean not engaging with issues that are sensitive, to mean having a hard heart towards the pain of injustice that others experience.

It seems, at least from where I am standing, Christians aren't showing up in messy places, in places that are too political, too dangerous, too risky. I’m unashamedly a follower of Jesus, and I am unashamedly an advocate for social justice. 

You might assume that these roles go hand in hand, but in my experience, many people would prefer that I stick to one or the other.

The past few years my life has drastically changed. God called me from an upbringing that was pretty sheltered into places unknown. I began to be involved with things I never thought I would. I saw and experienced things I couldn’t ignore. I began to realize that the world in which I grew up was only a fraction of the fullness of reality. In some areas, I received a misguided and misinformed story about truth. 

Being exposed to these things I could not ignore made me want to understand more. I started being more present in issues of the day and began to listen to peoples' stories that were different than mine. I started to see a larger picture. I started to understand systemic injustices, hear stories of the oppressed, and see the needs of those around me.

As I began to advocate for social justice, I began to get push-back from many people. Much of that push-back came from people who would identify as Christians. I saw pain and injustice in the world, but I didn't see many other Christians running to those places. 

I had more experience with Christians being defensive and pushing back against my advocacy for social justice than I did with Christians who were also joining the causes at hand. I couldn't help but wonder why this was. 

Justice, mercy, and humility are what Christians are called to, but for some reason, I found that my pursuit of these things was rustling feathers. In some cases, this made some people really angry. I've been told that I've become a "crazy liberal," and that I've "gone off the deep end."

It seems that to many people, being a Christian means living comfortably. It seems to mean not engaging with issues that are sensitive, to mean having a hard heart towards the pain of injustice that others experience.

It seems, at least from where I am standing, Christians aren't showing up in messy places, in places that are too political, too dangerous, too risky. Because of our inaction, so many people I’ve talked to these past few years have been deeply hurt by the uninvolvment of Christians; they have been hurt by what actions have been taken by Christians.

I do what I do because I want to play my part in acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly. Many call me a crazy liberal, a radical, or think I've gone off the deep end. I'm simply living the kind of life that Jesus modeled and has called his Church to live. 

The Church is called to live lives that give value to the stories of the marginalized—like the woman at the well. The Church is called to stand in the gap and advocate for both repentance and mercy, for both the sinner who feels the weight of their sin and the self-righteous with stones in hand—like Jesus with the woman caught in adultery.

Christ has not afforded us the luxury of sitting on the sidelines of justice. This is not an option for his bride, the Church. While I am certainly not a perfect example, I am a willing example of getting in the game and learning how to play my part in bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth, one story at a time.