Social justice … interesting (and loaded) topic. But what, exactly, is “social justice?” I think that we need some definition and clarification. What some people view as “social justice,” other faithful believers may not recognize and understand as such.

But, however one defines “social justice,” I think that Pastor Dan may be“missing the boat” by elevating and equating the words of celebrities (i.e. Bono, Christian bands, or pop stars) with the ministry actions of the churches. (And could we even include mega-churches like Saddleback within the status of “celebrity?”) Perhaps it is simply the fact that those who have a celebrity voice have finally chosen to use it. Their voices are loud. Their words are heard. They can get on the “news.” But do their actions always match their words, or are they just talking?

Perhaps Pastor Dan and I just live in different worlds, but where I come from, our churches have been and remain engaged in ministry to the poor and the outcasts of our communities. It is a part of our church life … always has been. But we don’t feel the need, nor do we have the opportunity to go in the “airwaves” and talk about it. In recent days the church that I pastor has taken four teams to serve on the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast, rebuilding homes for people who could not afford to do so on their own. We have “adopted” a single mother and her children in our community who lost everything they owned in a tragic fire. We operate an ongoing food and clothing ministry. We have entered into a long-term partnership to minister to an unreached people group and plant a church within that group in a foreign land. The ministries of our little, new church are almost too many to mention. When we are made aware of needs, we do our dead-level best to help meet those needs. Obviously, we do not operate on the grandiose scale of a Saddleback Church, or even a pop-star like Bono. But, then again, that’s okay. We know that we cannot make a difference for every single person who is suffering. But we can make a difference for a few … one person and one family at a time.

So, if for some of our churches ministry is nothing more than a trend, then shame on those churches (and their leadership). For those who are now speaking out, I am thankful. But I am just as thankful (perhaps more thankful) for those quiet, faithful, godly churches and Christians who minister without press releases, news interviews, or self-promoting videos. Their work is just as real and just as important.

http://www.missionmpossible.net
http://www.missionmpossible.blogspot.com

Sorry Dan, Time will not tell us anything different than what it has already told us. All our good works accomplish nothing unless our heart is filled with love for Jesus because of what he did for us on the cross. The reason these fads don't last is beacuse they are a result of guilt rather than gratitude.

I think some of the bandwagons mentioned are not passing fads, but stuff that becomes normal as it is integrated into the life of the church. Or it provides a launching pad for the next development. It hasn't passed, we just don't notice it anymore or has developed further.

If this is the case, then maybe we can hold out some hope that social justice isn't just a trendy passing fad. I'd like to think the church of Jesus Christ is deeper than that.

Will this current interest in justice be just another trend? "Only time will tell...?"

Well, I'd say time, and the willingness to establish ongoing personal relationships and to build or connect with institutions...

The relationships piece is key here, in that just doing the practice of raising funds or awareness is likely to "stick" much better with folks if they are also forming relationships, and preferably partnerships (not just "us" helping "them") with persons we're hoping to help both locally and internationally. Putting real faces and real stories with "issues" makes it all much more likely to last more than a few weeks or months.

But for it to last more than months and into years and decades, it'll be important to build or connect with institutions that help to facilitate relationships and keep funding, assistance and partnership mechanisms viable. This is what denominations have done for the past 200 years in the United States and worldwide... built the institutions to start, support, maintain, and where possible expand missionary presence locally, nationally, and worldwide. Institutions for social justice work (from relief to advocacy) have been present in the mainline Protestant denominations since the middle of the 19th century, and in the Roman Catholic Church through the work of religious orders for centuries longer than that. While for Protestant missionary work the "mission" was largely understood as "evangelism" in times past, it has grown to include a much more wholistic vision that centers around incarnating the kingdom of God-- or coming alongside what God's kingdom is already doing-- that includes feeding the hungry, drilling wells, developing appropriate technologies, establishing effective health care systems, dealing with disasters and recovery from them, and yes, dealing with poverty and AIDS. Today, denominational, ecumenical and parachurch institutions are up and running everywhere, generally have many years of experience and loads of expertise, and you don't necessarily have to be part of that denomination to support or partner with the work they do.

Trends may happen with the ebb and flow of "mass interest." But if you form personal relationships of mutual interest, and then if you build or connect with institutions that can sustain the work of these interests, you'll begin to move the "trend" from a momentary focus into the DNA of the people-- and thus see it sustained for generations to come.

Peace in Christ,

Taylor Burton-Edwards

I enjoyed this piece immensely, and I think more attention needs to be brought to the issue of what social justice is and is not.

my fear is that there are still some anti-Rauschenbush people in the world who fear that allowing social action into Christian praxis might take the emphasis off of "spreading the gospel." I take issue with that simply because I think the distinction between social action and the gospel is totally unfounded and arbitrary. It is a theological move based on a forgotten polemic to say that social action is "nice" but tangential to the Gospel.

I applaud those who would see social action not only as part of the gospel but central to it's reality in the present age.

be well.

An important conversation to be sure -- here are a couple thoughts to throw in the mix...we can talk all we want about "social justice" or whatever better descriptor we come up with but what is even more worthy of our attention is the question preceeding all of this and that is the why are we even doing it and even better from what part of us (or not us) is the action coming from. The following quote although not directly related to the topic has its foundation in this pondering:

“There seems to be an epidemic of activism that keeps most evangelicals from truly lingering in the presence of God. Instead of finding our greatest joy from the worship of God, we are finding it in the service of God. Many of us confine our spiritual disciplines to the to the ‘quickie devotions’ fostered by the ‘one-minute’ Bibles and devotionals that are so popular today. Christian serenity and a true depth of security in Christ comes to those who wait on the Lord and by so doing renew their strength.”

Ajith Fernando, The Supremacy of Christ

I am also reminded of Henri Nouwen in the Wounded Healer when he talks about there being three ways:

1) the way of the mystic -- i.e. the contemplative, etc.
2) the way of the revolutionary -- i.e. the reformer, the one involved in "social justice"
3) the way of the Christian -- the mystic who can't help but be revolutionary

what if it isn't a trend, but truly signs of the Spirit taking hold of churches, shaking them up, and setting them loose on mission? hasn't that been the aim of our talk about getting on mission? doesn't powerful, passionate, awe-inspiring worship gift us to be Jesus-servants in our world? doesn't that two hours of worship with the gathered church each week equip us to be disciples of the scattered church who live into their calling to spread God's justice, shalom, and love into the world through their everyday lives?

we could sit and ponder about whether social justice is a trend, and be fearful of the future. or we could, like Jesus says in this week's lectionary of Mark 9:38-50, celebrate that even a cup of water given in Jesus' name is a sign of God's kingdom on the loose in our world. if it's a trend, let it be a trend, but still Jesus is accomplishing something here.

It's a trend, whether we like it or not. The ministry du jour is AIDS and Africa. Tomorrow it will be something else.

First, Bono is not a Christian. This is not a judgement on my part. He has said so himself.

Second, Bono has had zero effect on the churches with which I associate. Those churches are too busy pursuing the Great Commission to pay any attention to Bono.

Third, justice is getting what you deserve. Thank God He gives us His grace and mercy instead.

Dan,
Thanks for a great article - I'm always grateful for your nuanced thinking. I've been involved in social justice issues for ten years or so, and so has one of my new friends and we've both lamented the apparent "trend" of social justice in churches.

I'm encouraged though. There is a wave of dissatisfaction with inaction in our churches that is long overdue. The wave will one day pass, but in the wave will be some great and much mediocre effort. (Much like the wave and fad of the modern worship movements. Lots of average output there, but many real gems as well.) The problems that social justice seeks to address are so massive that it needs all the attention it can get. My concern is less the trend and popularity, which like other trends will pass onto the next fad. My greater concern is that we don't approach this issue with too much arrogance.

I hear much talk about how social justice used to be top down and is now grass roots, and I'm a big fan of grass roots. But these issues are so complex and have been around for so long that no one generation can eradicate the problems. Our job is to learn from the past, do the best we can, and see how God teaches us and uses us. The fad will fade, but in the mean time many will be helped and the world, I believe, will be a better place.

Wow, the variety of responses is great.

First, I would like to say that worship involves many aspects. Action is a part of worship, and some people will worship best by what they do. Never confuse them as believing that this is their salvation. Sure, there are those who believe such nonsense, but there are many others, who copying Jesus washing feet and touching lepers, worship God in their actions to those around us.

Second, what is a fad? It is our sinful and materialistic world attempting to prevert that which is good. Missions has its fads. "Least reached people groups" are one of them. When I was in Africa I met a Southern Baptist couple commissioned to investigate these alleged fields. What they often found was a group of people with an christian presence not of the usual denomination. Moreover, does all work in a difficult field stop because there are a few churches? I can just see the same thing happening in social justice areas. Names of organizations are evocative, which blinds people to true needs. Fund raising is more emotional than anything else. Yes, emotions are supposed to help decision making, but they cannot be the sole basis.

God Bless

Great conversations.

First of my comments, humanitarian "social justice" amounts to pity, which tears down people.

Second, seeing Christ in others and serving them as serving Christ builds them up, err.. rather places them above ourselves. (Matthew 25:31-46)

As I understand it, Bono is pursuing humanitarian social justice. It's not bad in and of itself, it's just not enduring. But the good news is, that since he has teamed with the Church on many issues, the church leaders have impressed how important it is to establish local churches to create a vibrant Christ centered community to develop life transformation and not drop off the box of food and leave.

The important thing would be for the Church to serve out of a love for Christ and the great commission, and not get entangled within the humanitarian social justice issue at large.

IMHO

Positively, I don't think it has to be a fad - and indeed I hope it is not. Warily, based upon what is observed of our often fickle evangelical history, I do have my reservations. A very wise man, Robertson McQuilken, once said, "It is far easier to go to a consistent extreme than to stay at the center of biblical tension." We are typically a people of extremes. We like to get on band wagons -- and then jump off to find another one, when it loses its allure. I pray that this doesn't once again happen.

I must respectfully disagree with Pastor Kimball for two reasons:

1) Kimball notes other fads that have come and gone: small groups, being seeker sensitive, Vineyard worship music, using the baseball diamond for assimilation, or the breakouts of laughing in the Spirit by certain types of churches, and radio preaching.

Kimbal is correct, these are, in fact, fads. The call to helping the poor, the sick, the outcast--"Social Justice" if that's what we want to call it--is not a fad. It is a fundamental part of what being a follower of Christ is all about. To describe it as a “fad” is a commentary on how far our churches have gotten from the focus on this minitry element.

2) The call to social ministry is undoubtedly rooted in Scripture. The OT Law spoke extensively to taking care of the poor and outcast. Remember Amos chastising the women of Israel—“you cows of Bashan”—in part because they had gained riches by exploiting the poor? The New Testament speaks to it as well. In Acts 10 an angel from the Lord extols Cornelius for remembering the poor. Acts 24 we see Paul talking about how he set aside gifts for the needy.

We are called to be the hands and feet of Christ to the outcast, the downtrodden, to make a biblical analogy, to those “outside the camp”: “And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.” Hebrews 13:12-13

Let us hope this is not a fad, but that the pendulum is swinging back in the other direction.

"He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God."--Proverbs 14:31

In serving in a small town/rural environment, social ministry is not necessarily faddish, but an essential part of the ministry framework of it. Churches are seen as part of the social framework of the communities in which they exist. I find that I can build partnerships with the judicial system, law enforcement, social service agencies, and the school systems that have resulted in efforts to help those in need in a wide variety of ways. It has opened a new avenue of life and ministry for me. I believe that it will continue to be this way until Jesus returns

Is it a fad? Fads happen when people remain "on the surface" and don't dig in and "get dirty"...whatever it is they are doing.

Obviously there are many committed people and leaders in the church, but what I have seen all too often is they are not effective at transferring the vision for the "get dirty" part. The more immature Christian jumps in, puts "X" on their to do list (never really absorbing the reason) and a fad is born.

Before anyone slams me over these comments, I should say I DO believe good is done in the name of God through these endeavors. My question is how much MORE effective for the kingdom might some of these more shallow participants be if we could help them steer their lives into the track God has planned for them instead of just doing what everyone else is doing/thinks they should do?

I must say that I am intrigued by the thought of social justice as a fad, if by social justice we mean responding to the needs of the impoverished and those less powerful than ourselves. The concept never occurred to me.
I have served in mostly African-American or integrated congregations and we have always thought that the "trend" that Pastor Dan reflects on was always an integral part of what it means to be a Christian, lest we fall into the "us four and no more" kind of mindset.

gp2