The Riverside Church has recently embarked on a new social media project called Church Talk. The fourth episode was released yesterday, and focuses on social justice.
“Social justice isn’t something churches do; it is something that they are.”
Social Justice Challenge
The quote above is one of many challenging statements made by the Rev. Kevin Wright, Executive Minister of Programs at Riverside Church in the five-minute video on social justice.
Wright also reminds us that “Jesus was all about social justice. He made every effort to stand in solidarity with the oppressed and marginalized.”
So What?
Wright drives home the role of church with these words
For Jesus, the church is a living breathing example of social justice in the world that’s supposed to show other people how to behave and how to act. It’s not something that we do; its something that we are at our very core.
In short, whether on the individual level or when considering a community of faith social justice for those who follow the Way of Jesus is a lifestyle that is lived out 24/7 not an optional extra or trait that can be leverage some of the time and ignored the rest of the time. To be a disciple or to be a Christian congregation should mean to be oriented toward social justice rendering the title social justice church redundant.
- How do you define the term “social justice”?
- Is social justice such a vital part of your life as a follower of the Way of Jesus that it goes without saying? Is it central to the DNA of the congregation or community of faith you belong to or know best? Explain your answer for each.