FOCUS: Being a person of faith demands balancing spiritual pursuits with action. In a society which is often
unjust, inequitable, and whose very structures are responsible for generating untold suffering and poverty, we are compelled to pursue social justice as an expression of hope in realizing a better world.
The Call to “Meddle”
“Talk about justice? Hush this!Speaking an authoritative word from Yahweh, the prophets of Hebrew scripture stood in judgment over the political and religious leaders of the people. Today, the popular notion of a prophet has been gutted of any suggestion of spiritual or moral insight in favor of the image of a prognosticator of sensational and superficial coming events.
We’re not supposed to discuss this – we gotta hide it in a song.
Gotta keep things quiet – they don’t want us to write about it.
Gotta make like nothing’s wrong…”
– Victor Wooten, “Justice”
But the call to pursue social justice has deep roots in the Biblical tradition and has been at the heart of efforts to address social, environmental, and moral injustices around the world. Theodore Parker, the great Unitarian preacher and activist, believed that the significance of religion in the first place was in its active
“meddling” in public issues and "everything that affects the welfare of [humanity]." In a society which is often unjust, inequitable, and whose very structures are responsible for generating untold suffering and poverty, we are right to wonder, “Is there any word from the Lord?”
To receive a complete copy of the text used for the session, please contact Pastor Marj at daytonfirstcong@gmail.com. It will be sent as an email attachment for your perusal as opposed to printing multiple pages, a stewardship practice. Because of copyright law, we are not able to make the materials available here. Another option would be to purchase a copy of Felten and Procter-Murphy's newly-released book, Living the Questions: The Wisdom of Progressive Christianity from your local bookseller.
Questions to be considered in light of the video and readings:
What are some of the characteristics of justice as “God’s own will for us as we live together?”
How might the ideas of caring and “being comfortable” conflict?
List the characteristics of “prophetic theology:”
How does fixating on the “virtue of individuals” legitimate the social structure?
Compare and contrast “procedural justce” with a “justice of the common good.”
What are the implications of people of faith being aware of the notion of “systemic justice?”
How did the writing of the creeds change the fundamental tenets of Christianity?
How does Jesus’ call to liberation and justice conflict with the values of the dominant culture then and now?
How was Jesus’ strategy different from that of the prophets of Hebrew scripture?
Sr. Prejean suggests that the justice Jesus demanded is expressed in a “preferential love for poor people, for prisoners, for battered women, for children who are in poverty.” Explain.
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