A message from the series “Breaking the Chains.” This week, we focus on the Palm Sunday story, with its focus on liberation and justice. We consider how Jesus’ view of what it meant to be King and Savior differed from that of Rome and common Jewish expectations. We also consider the challenge to follow Jesus’ way of consistent, self-sacrificial love in the context of social justice.
A message from the series “Breaking the Chains.” We live in a polarized society, where even the phrase “social justice” is a divisive and politicized term. We are bombarded daily with news about injustice and oppression. And we lead busy and exhausting lives that leave little time and energy to engage in weighty societal issues. All of this can lead to guilt or a sense of obligation: rather than breaking chains and celebrating liberation, we could end up adding to the heaviness of life!
But it needn’t be that way. Jesus calls all who feel burdened to find rest in him, and to share his easy yoke (Matthew 11:28-30). Our involvement in action flows not from guilt but from love—from our connection to the Love that holds the universe together. We are invited to partner with God as the justice and mercy of the kingdom of heaven are gradually, but relentlessly, established on earth. This week we celebrate the opportunity to use our unique personality, gifting and experience to help make the world a better place in a way that makes us better, more fulfilled, and hopeful people.
A message from the series “Breaking the Chains.” We want to address injustice in society—but which form of injustice? There are so many! It is easy to become overwhelmed by the scale, depth and complexity of the issues, and decide to disconnect from it all, or get stuck in our own emotional responses. This week, we consider how we can stay involved, without giving in to hopelessness. To do so, we need to remember that we are not the solution to the world’s problems: we are partners with God, called to be faithful in our daily lives. We can find joy and peace in knowing that we are not alone in the work of healing and reconciliation, and that ultimately love will triumph.
God has given us skills and passions that we can apply to justice issues in ways that are uniquely our own. This doesn’t mean we will always be comfortable as we engage in these difficult issues, but it can mean we view engagement as an opportunity, more than an obligation. By remaining focused, partnering with and learning from others, celebrating small successes, and remembering to take time out to rest and relax, we can create a sustainable way to contribute to important societal challenges. To ensure a continued connection between contemplation and action, we need to regularly and prayerfully reassess our motives and attitudes, remembering there is no “them” and “us.”
A message from the series “Breaking the Chains.” Winston Churchill famously said, “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” This week, we look at how to hold the difficult conversations that engaging in social justice involves. Poverty and hunger, racial justice and immigration, and environmental issues have the biggest impact on society’s most vulnerable members; and as followers of Jesus, we are called to speak up for those who are marginalized and oppressed (Proverbs 31:8). Such conversations are often heartfelt and passionate—and this is a good thing! We are talking about important issues that impact thousands or even millions of people created in God’s image. At the same time, emotions can sometimes prevent us from listening, or lead us to be uncaring or unloving in what we say.
We want to follow Jesus’ example of really listening to people—seeking to understand their viewpoint and underlying story. And we want to respond lovingly, with humility and graciousness, believing the best of others. We want to learn from one another, and can often learn the most from those who are very different from us. At the same time, we also want to be willing to challenge ideas and attitudes that do not contribute to justice, healing and reconciliation. We do this, not because we want to win an argument, but because we understand that we are partners with God in bringing more love to the world around us.
A message from the series “Breaking the Chains.” In this first week of the series “Breaking the Chains,” we look at the interconnectedness of contemplation and action, as illustrated in Jesus’ life, with a particular focus on the story of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness. We seek to create space for inward reflection on how the current political climate affects us emotionally, psychologically and spiritually, as well as reflection on our outward responses in this current climate. The objective of this week—and for the series as a whole—is to foster a sense of hope, and develop practices to engage in action for social justice in life-giving ways.