Tag Archives: Justice

Advocacy

Eastertide

May 4, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
   He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
   he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
  for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
   I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
   your rod and your staff—
   they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
   all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
   my whole life long.

I tossed and turned when I went to bed last night because a bill in the Oklahoma legislature that would capitate Medicaid health care payments appears to be headed for passage despite all efforts, mine, and others, to stop it.  I kept running over and over in my head what else I could have done to prevent its passage. I should note that the final version was much improved over the initial draft.  My primary mentor in legislative advocacy had sent me an email that simply said Keep up the fight. I read it again this morning. Then I read my church’s newsletter where my Pastor’s article talked about being barraged with all kinds of communications that are often meaningless and hard to keep straight. He encouraged his readers to stop and take the time to read Psalm 23 and let it guide us through the challenges of our day.

And then there on my computer screen Psalm 23 was listed as the scripture for today.

I, who memorized Psalm 23 early in life from the King James Version, have trouble reading it in the RSVP or any other version for that matter. This morning I did carefully read it as quoted above. I thought that would be helpful as I turn one page of advocacy and start a new chapter.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for mentors and pastors that say what I need to hear whether they knew I needed to hear it at that moment or not. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Do We Care enough to Change?

Eastertide

May 2, 2022

Scripture Reading: Acts 9:36-43

Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, ‘Please come to us without delay.’ So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, ‘Tabitha, get up.’ Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner.

I wish helping others were always that easy.  This story was memorial enough to be shared with all of us, giving us hope and reminding us that God is God and we never face alone the principalities and powers described in Ephesians 3:10 as translated in the King James Version. Trying to help an individual can be a challenge, changing the systemic causes of the problems we try to address is frustrating, hard work bringing together diverse people with varying backgrounds to break down the barriers that prevent positive life situations for everyone.

We spend far more on health care in the USA than any other nation in the world. Health spending per person in the U.S. was $11,945 in 2020, which was over $4,000 more expensive than any other high-income nation. The average amount spent on health per person in comparable countries ($5,736) is roughly half that of the U.S.1Of the 10 other nations that are most like the U.S., The U.S. ranks last overall on the health care outcomes domain2.

Poverty is a leading cause of health problems. Yet we do little to address the fact that 43 % of the people in the U.S. and 52% of children are poor or low-income3. Greed is the primary cause of poverty. Our health care system is an excellent example of greed at work where layers of profit are weaved through every aspect of health care. The cost of insulin is just one example. In 2018, the same amount of insulin that cost $98.70 in the U.S.  cost $21.48 in Chili the next highest priced insulin4.

We need a moral revival in the U.S. to combat the greed that is killing our country.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for keeping our heads in the sand as those principalities and powers define who we are. Give us the courage to give up greed. Amen.

*https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/health-spending-u-s-compare-countries-2/#Per%20capita%20health%20consumption%20expenditures,%20U.S.%20dollars,%20PPP%20adjusted,%202019%20and%202020%C2%A0

2. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2021/aug/mirror-mirror-2021-reflecting-poorly

3. https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/140-million-maps/

4. https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/cost-of-insulin-by-country

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Forgiving/Retaining Sin

Eastertide

April 23, 2022

Scripture Reading:
John 20:19-31

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’ –John 20:19-23

Christ-followers are called to be the body of Christ in the world today. That is a breathtaking assignment, and Jesus knew that. So, Jesus breathed the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives to maintain our relationship with him. I am not sure exactly what John is trying to say about forgiving and retaining sin. Indeed, if we have the assignment to be Christ’s body that could mean doing everything Christ did. The Greek word for sin, hamartia, used here means missing the mark; hence: (a) guilt, sin, (b) a fault, failure (in an ethical sense), sinful deed * It, however, also describes the brand of sin that emphasizes its self-originated (self-empowered) nature – i.e. it is not originated or empowered by God*.  We can miss the mark every day and are wise if we recognize where we have missed the mark as quickly as possible restoring are aim with God and others. Having someone we can trust to help us address such sins is helpful.

I had to complete four hours of physical education in college. While I am a sports fan, I am not really good at any sport. The college offered one class that spent a few weeks on several different activities that were designed for those of us who needed encouragement in exercising. One segment was archery. I do not have the strongest arms and discovered very quickly that if I did not keep my arm very straight and taunt as I pulled back the bowstring when I let the arrow fly I got slapped hard by the recoiling string and rarely hit the target. It took a very patient coach to help me shoot the arrow and hit the target without bruising my arm. Walking with people striving to relate to God and perhaps serving as a coach serves others as a conduit to forgiveness of sins.

I think we must be very careful regarding our part in judging the retention of sin we deem to be an unforgivable act. We are all too human and I fear we are all capable of branding something as sin from a self-originated viewpoint. There is a lot of that going around in our world today. Jesus also said You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye. (Matthew 7:5)

Prayer: Lord, cleanse us of our desire to judge others from our perspective and guide us in helping one another follow the path originated or empowered by you. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/266.htm

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Judgment of the Nations

Eastertide

April 22, 2022

Scripture Reading: Revelation 1:4-8

John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Look! He is coming with the clouds;
   every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
   and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail.
So it is to be. Amen.

‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

I love this phrase particularly, To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom. Personally, I cannot hear enough that God loves us and freed us from our sins. The bold statement that we, you and I, and everyone else were created to be the populace of God’s kingdom is even more powerful.  Our challenge of being members of God’s kingdom is living into the perfection of God’s kingdom. At times we get it so right but at other times we pull against the grain and join those who work against a kingdom ruled by God’s love.

This summer I am going to explore the gospels particularly the Sermon on the Mount and Matthew 25 paying special attention to verses 31-46 titled in my Bible, The Judgement of the Nations. We are blessed to live in a country established of the people, by the people, for the people. I am a strong believer in the separation of church and state, but I am also a strong advocate of all the people’s best interests being the priority of our government, not just the interest of the principalities and powers. Jesus identifies the most basic needs of the people in Matthew 25 and says we and the nations will be judged by whether these priorities are met. Yet many of our leaders invest most of their time and our tax dollars trying to divide and conquer us by distracting us with issues that do not impact our lives when they should be searching for common grounds to provide for the Common Good which is fundamentally the purpose of any government. You are invited to join me in this search for how Jesus defines the Common Good.

Prayer: Lord, guide us in our decision-making as we choose the leaders of all our various levels of governance.  Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

The Impossible Dream

Eastertide

April 19, 2022

Scripture Reading: Acts 5:27-32

When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, saying, ‘We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.’ But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, so that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.’

Speaking up and speaking out is a challenge in a world where people want to bury their heads in the sand and not face the realities of the injustice all around us.  Injustice stacks the deck against many and is not limited to racism, sexism, and misogyny although they are too often present in the miscarriage of other types of injustice.   Many people are arrested for non-violent crimes who cannot afford bail and thus may be jailed for weeks or months until they are tried causing them to lose their jobs and possibly their homes. The poor do not receive the same health care as the rich.  Most hospitals are required to take necessary steps to save a life but if they cannot pay for service, they most likely will not receive treatment to return them to wholeness.

Peter demonstrated a lot of intestinal fortitude when he proclaimed ‘We must obey God rather than any human authority. How many of us would be willing to say that? Jesus does give us wise advice regarding righting wrongs in Matthew 10:16, ‘See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

Jesus was an advocate for those whose status did not allow them to be treated justly. We are called to do that also.

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
And to run where the brave dare not go

To right the unrightable wrong
And to love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are to weary
To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest
To follow that star
Ooh, no matter how hopeless
No matter how far
To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march, march into hell
For that heavenly cause*

Prayer: Lord, show us your quest for each of us and grant us the strength and courage to be wise as a serpent and innocent as doves as we carry out our calling. Amen.

*First and second verse with the chorus of the song The Impossible Dream written by Mitch Leigh and Joe Darion, see at https://www.themusicallyrics.com/g/546-greatest-musical-songs-2/7996-man-of-la-mancha-the-impossible-dream-lyrics.html

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Systemic Justice

Eastertide

Eastertide

April 18, 2022

Scripture Reading: Acts 5:27-32

When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, saying, ‘We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.’ But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, so that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.’

And so, we have another new beginning. God is merciful and just and God never seems to give up on us. Easter was observed yesterday with bright colors, beautiful music, baptisms, and celebration of the resurrection. A new day has dawned. We like the first-century disciples now must lay aside the that which holds us back and as Hebrews 12:1 states, Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.

Indeed, we must atone for our individual deviations from God’s purposes. However, we perhaps have homed in on personal sin while ignoring the systemic sin we ignore that hurts everyone. No one needs to be poor in our world today. There are enough resources to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the sick, welcome the stranger, and restore the prisoner. It does not matter what name we give to our form of governance or economic systems. What matters is that all are loved and have access to the basics of life that will allow everyone to experience the abundant life Jesus called for in John 10:10b, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” God’s abundance is not measured in dollars and cents. Such abundance speaks of healthy minds and bodies but also the fullness of love, joy, and hope we possess through our relationships with God and with one another.

As some of us sang on Easter, we do serve a living Savior and he is in the world today. There is nothing we do in service to God and God’s whole creation that is not enhanced by the Spirit’s presence and guidance, let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.

Prayer: Lord, lead us to come together in spirit and in truth to address the systemic changes needed in our world today. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Provoked to Love

Good Friday

April 15, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Hebrews 10:16-25

 ‘This is the covenant that I will make with them
   after those days, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
   and I will write them on their minds,’
he also adds,
‘I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.’
Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Our world is being pelted by divisiveness designed to divide and conquer. It works by distracting us from issues that really matter by focusing on highly emotional, judgmentally driven subjects. Abortion is probably the leading issue and the longest-lasting one. Please note that while law after law has been written to criminalize abortion few attempts have ever been enacted to establish programs to prevent unwanted, unplanned pregnancies. A few years ago, Colorado reduced its abortion rate by 40% in one year by simply making birth control available to anyone who wanted it at no cost. Abortion is closely related to poverty. Immigration is another divisive and distracting issue. The USA has needed to revamp its immigration policies for years, but it never happened. Why? Because there are a lot of people making money off the backs of undocumented aliens who do not have to be paid the minimum wage or receive mandatory benefits. That does not only hurt the migrants, it also takes jobs away from citizens for whom minimum wage and benefits are required. There are jobs in the USA for which there are not enough workers that migrants could fill but they should be paid appropriately.

These examples cross my mind when I read the phrase quoted above that says, let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds. How do we turn around a society driven by greed? Rather than provoking people to anger and violence on issues that divide us, we need to provoke people to love and do good deeds, drawing all God’s children together in support of one another.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we are distracted from caring for the needs of all people with love.  Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

God with Us in Justice

Lent

April 13, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 70

Be pleased, O God, to deliver me.
   O Lord, make haste to help me!
Let those be put to shame and confusion
   who seek my life.
Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
   who desire to hurt me.
Let those who say, ‘Aha, Aha!’
   turn back because of their shame.

Let all who seek you
   rejoice and be glad in you.
Let those who love your salvation
   say evermore, ‘God is great!’
But I am poor and needy;
   hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
   O Lord, do not delay! –Psalm 70

Justice advocates climb steep hills to make little progress.  Often when a solution is reached, the principalities and powers punish those who worked for justice by making matters even worse.  Vladimir Putin is a very public example of the marriage of greed and lust for power. That kind of narcissism lives and harms in every attempt to turn justice around.

The above scripture was a timely message for me as we deal with the challenges of our time. I pray for the people of Ukraine. The frustration I deal with and the problems I try to address are not comparable to what is happening to them. In either case, the lord is our help and deliverer and sets the example for us to be helpers and deliverers, too.

Prayer: O Lord, let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream*. Amen.

*Amos 5:24

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Our Cloud of Witnesses

Lent

April 12, 2022

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 49:1-7

Listen to me, O coastlands,
   pay attention, you peoples from far away!
The Lord called me before I was born,
   while I was in my mother’s womb he named me.
He made my mouth like a sharp sword,
   in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow,
   in his quiver he hid me away.
And he said to me, ‘You are my servant,
   Israel, in whom I will be glorified.’
But I said, ‘I have labored in vain,
   I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my cause is with the Lord,
   and my reward with my God.’ –Isaiah 49:1-4

Our world is broken in many ways. Are we each and altogether doing the very best we can to bring our world to wholeness? Isaiah, in the scripture above, may have written this poem to strengthen his commitment to following God’s call to be a prophet. He assesses his skills and talents to determine that he had done the very best he could to answer God’s call. However, he discerned that he had labored in vain, but concluded that the final measure of his work, rested with God and he took comfort in that. Did Isaiah even consider that over 2,700 years later his words would be giving encouragement and hope to God’s people trying to find wholeness?

Many working for justice in our world today have the scars of taking one step forward and two steps back. We too assessed what we could have done better, and that is important as we search for better ways to love God and love our neighbors as we love ourselves—all our neighbors, the sick, the hungry, the rich, the poor. Staying in sync with God is the only goal we can depend on to measure our contributions toward the Kingdom of God. While we may not see the success we want, in our lifetime we may have planted the seeds for our descendants in faith who continue the work to which we are called.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for our ancestors in faith who provide us hope for the work we do in your name. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Justice Is Good for All

Lent

April 11, 2022

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 42:1-9

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
   my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
   he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry or lift up his voice,
   or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
   and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
   he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be crushed
   until he has established justice in the earth;
   and the coastlands wait for his teaching. –Isaiah 42:1-4

Jesus lived, and thus modeled, Justice in his time on earth. His standing up against the injustice of powerful religious leaders ultimately got him killed. God’s demand for justice flows through the entire Bible because justice out of balance is bad for everyone even those who seem to be benefiting from the distribution of rights. For example, people who cannot afford routine, preventive health care often land in the emergency room, the most expensive health care available. These people are often in advanced stages of all kinds of diseases that could have been prevented but now require major intervention. We all pay higher insurance rates to cover the expenses of care for everyone.

The poetry of the above scripture is heartwarming. Justice is described as not breaking bruised reeds not putting out the light of a dimly burning wick. The Lord makes it a priority to care for the most vulnerable. We should too.

Prayer: Lord, help us be doers of justice. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.