Deepening the Soul for Justice

…when a justice movement loses its roots of formation in Christ and yet continues wildfire growth for a season, justice itself can be turned into a commodity for consumption by the very people passionate to pursue it. The commoditization of justice is a sign that we have begun to purse justice more as a means toward our own self-actualization rather than a means toward the true end of freedom and transformation for those who desperately need rescue form violent abuse.

Seeking Justice begins with seeking God: our God who longs to bring justice; our God who longs to use us, every one of his children, to bring justice; our God who offers us the yoke of Jesus in exchange for tings that otherwise leave us defeated.

At the end of the day, if our attempts to seek justice do not first begin with the work of prayer, we will be worn and weary. And our weariness will not be that deeply satisfying, joy-filled tiredness that comes from the worthy battles of justice, but rather a bone- and soul-crushing weariness.

…prayer by its very nature is, in a primary sense, an unloading of the heart. When our hearts are so heavily taxed that we feel we can no longer truly pray, God leads us back to himself by telling us simply this: Pour out your heart; pour out your heart before me.

Contrary to what might seem logical, Sabbath stopping is not meant primarily to help us "rest up" so we are ready for the next challenge; it is not meant to be pragmatic toward another end. The resting and stopping of Sabbath are intended as being good in and of themselves—complete.

Justice is the work of community. It cannot be pursued alone. Justice is a manifestation of Christ's body working at its very best. Just as we need to intentionally open ourselves to God and Gods leading, we need to open ourselves to doing justice in community.