Stumbling Through Life

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Please, God – Don’t strike me with lightning! I’m just trying to figure this world out. Sometimes I think and say things that are stupid. But sometimes, too, You tell me things that are so meaningful that I simply have to write them down. This blog is nothing more than a diary of some of these thoughts.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Social Justice – Them’s Fightin’ Words

When you read the word "love" in the bible, what do you think of? Romance? Fondness? In the new testament, the word is usually translated from the Greek word "agape." In the King James Version, the Greek word "agape" is translated sometimes as "charity," sometimes as "love," because it's a bigger word than we can easily conceive... just as God is bigger than we can conceive. God is love, (1 John 4:8) and God intends for us to have that selfless, committed, all-consuming love for all people, just as He does.
Jesus said, "'Love (agape) the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love (agape) your neighbor as yourself.' All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-40)
This is the Greatest Commandment! How is any Christian unsure of what it means???
But wait. Because the people who were listening didn't want to love everyone, someone asked another question, hoping for an "easy out," undoubtedly expecting to hear that he didn’t really have to love everyone. He asked "Who is my neighbor?"
Jesus defined "neighbor" in a story. He used an example of the most hateful person they could think of, (to them; a Samaritan) he defined love as going out of your way to care for a hurt person, touch them (ick!) give them money, and make sure they're in good hands before moving on. And, insult of insults, he had the (icky) Samaritan doing all this to a good Jewish person!
What is this, if not social justice? How can we not believe in social justice? Social justice should be our passion!

What are we really afraid of? Cammunism? Nazism? Or are we simply afraid that our taxes will go up if the words "social justice" are used more?
I'm not a proponent of "pure communism," (which, for the record, is different from totalitarianism, the failed government of the USSR that people are so afraid of.) I don’t think idealized communism would ever work for long, because of human nature. But I think Christians should live as close to the bible as possible. And I can’t justify my own greed when I read this passage:
All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. Acts 4:32-35
Anybody who says their church practices "1st century Christianity" needs to start living communally, or admit that they’re lying.

Someone I know brought up a good point; the government shouldn’t have to force us to give to the poor... that's for the church to do. And if the church were doing an adequate job, I'd agree. But it's not, so we have social programs, and we're taxed to keep them (barely) working, and we fight over where our hard-earned money goes. If Christians really lived as "1st century Christians," there would be no need for taxes.
I urge all Christians to freely help all people in need; because that’s what Christian love is.

Peace, Love, and Charity

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