A Call for Justice

Isaiah 58-59

            The prophets often lambaste Israel for the injustice of their society. Isaiah is no different; Israel is to share food, provide shelter, clothe the naked (58:7). That list reminds me of Jesus’ parable of the sheep and goats in Matthew 25.

            The core tension is that religion that is merely ceremonial has missed its point. “Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves?” (58:5) I’m reminded of Luther’s 95 Theses, in which Thesis 1 says, “When our Lord Jesus calls us to repent, He calls us to a life of repentance.” Religion is supposed to change lives, make us more like Christ.

            In their book, Stuck, sociologists Todd Ferguson and Josh Packard tell stories of clergy who have left their ministries because of their disillusionment that the church is not more involved in social ministry. One leaves the ministry to open a coffeehouse; one leaves and gets involved in anti-sex trafficking work; one becomes a probation officer. As I read, I concluded that each of them misunderstood the church at some level. They wanted the church to be involved in that work, but as I see it the church prepares Christians to do that kind of work. The message and programming of a congregation supports the work of transformation that the gospel works in individual lives. A church may or may not have a food pantry on its site, but even if it doesn’t, it reminds its members to make helping at a food pantry a priority.

            So, the church is not a social service agency, but it proclaims a Gospel that empowers individuals to make a social difference.