The justice movement in American Christianity is a welcome change in my opinion. However, I want to raise just some thoughts and a few questions.
It seems to me that the justice movement seems to fit within the context of those who are in power. Let me explain what I mean by that..
Most people who are making a big deal about doing “justice in the world” are demographically and socio-economically those in power. We’re not struggling against an oppressive government, or scrapping for food, or fighting for clean water. We’re definitely “in power” relative to the rest of the world.
And it is in issue that finds its context generally to those who are wealthy and for those who are not the powerless. And so the question I guess I have is…
Where does justice ministry fit in discipleship for someone who is poor and part of the group of those we target as “victims of injustice”?
Does that question make sense? I guess my hunch is that the initiators of justice movements assume that justice ministry is a natural part of discipleship for every Christian. But chances are, when they assume “everybody”, they just assume the friends around them, who are probably… well-off Americans. Is justice ministry universal and therefore held responsible for, say, children in Nepal? Or for silenced women in Pakistan?
Or is an initiative by Christians who are brought up in contexts where they have power to change?
