Transformed Nonconformists
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give . . . . I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. (Matthew 10: 5-8;16)
Every follower of Jesus is called to justice. Christians are called by God to be people who are not ok with the wrong ways thing are, but to be change agents who seek bring a new order for those in need. But, if we do not make it practical and personal this call becomes a nice platitude, an unfulfilled call. Jesus sent the twelve out to “heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy and drive out demons.”
Now, make it personal and practical:
What do the people to whom they were sent have in common?
Who are those people in our world?
How do we bring healing to them?
If you work through these questions, especially with another person, you will be able to move into your call to do justice, or at a minimum know the ways that you can and then choose to do so or not. You can also take a look at the three foci of our series on justice: 1. Human Trafficking; 2. Special Needs; and, 3. Hunger in our area and ask “how do we bring healing to them.”
Remember also that as we move into the actions of justice we need to do so in the transformation of Jesus. We need to be, in the words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Transformed Nonconformists,” and people who are both “Tough Minded and Tender Hearted.” We need to be people who allow the reality of who Jesus is to change us internally so that we can — in his strength — not be so well adjusted to injustice in the world around us. We need to be people who approach issues of justice with the compassion and peace of a dove, but with the shrewdness and cunning of a snake; these two qualities balanced within us like they are in Jesus. Click on the Tough Minded & Tender Hearted to help you figure out where you are on the continuum and the ways you need to move into a more balanced way of life and justice.
Check out the Creekside Website for more information on how we are engaging in learning about and doing justice.
Peace, hope and love
Doug