Social Justice:
The Calling of Every Christian
A meditation based on 1 Peter 5:5b-11
Beloved:
Clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another.
It is not humility that keeps us silent
when we see injustices, abuses, and the mistreatment of others.
It is selfishness. It is the desire to protect ourselves from the Way of the Cross.
For God opposes the proud but bestows favor on the humble.
God has no hands but our hands,
He has no voice but our voice.
He opposes the proud through us.
So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.
Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.
Though we may be rejected and criticized for speaking up when others are put down,
God will honor our efforts to take a stand against injustices.
God will raise us up every time we are crucified for what is right and holy and true.
After all, it is only His opinion of us that really matters.
Be sober and vigilant.
Your opponent the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour.
Our true enemy is not the persons we stand up to in the name of justice,
it is the evil one,
and Christ wants to rescue
those who are the hands and voices of injustice
and He wants to rescue
those who are the targets of injustice.
God has no hands but our hands,
He has no voice but our voice.
Resist the Devil, steadfast in faith,
knowing that your brothers and sisters throughout the world undergo the same sufferings.
It is not humility that keeps us silent
when we see injustices, abuses, and the mistreatment of others.
It is the sin of selfishness. It is evil of protecting ourselves from the Way of the Cross.
The God of all grace
who called you to his eternal glory through Christ Jesus
will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you
after you have suffered a little.
To Him be dominion forever. Amen!
|
