DOING JUSTICE: 5- Doing Justice Today

FRIDAY, January 31
HOW DO I MAKE IT RIGHT? Doing Justice in a Broken World 
by Tracy Young
Chapter 5: Doing Justice Today - Charity and Justice

Galatians 6:2 CEB
Carry each other’s burdens and so you will fulfill the law of Christ.

"Charity is a much needed and God-pleasing task.  But too often in our commitment to charity we have neglected to ...locate and address the root causes of suffering.  If justice is about confronting the wrong, speaking up and out, and working for restoration and right, then charity alone isn't enough.  Love mercy, says the Lord, and do justice! (TY-93)

     There is no denying that charity is necessary.  It is the front line response to need.  It is taking care of the initial crisis.  But justice goes beyond simple charity, a monetary donation or volunteer experience, to right the underlying cause of the problem.  Many of us are good at the charity end.  But are we advocates for change?  

Chapter 5: Doing Justice Today - Advocacy Action
Isaiah 1:17b  GNT
See that justice is done—help those who are oppressed, give orphans their rights, and defend widows.”

Our voices are a tool for justice when we use them to speak for those whose voices are not heard.  And when we use our voices to declare, "A change must be made!" our voices are much more powerful than when we shrug and say, "What could I possibly do?" (TY-96)

     We feel our one voice is so small and insignificant.  We don't realize when that one voice has combined with many others to turn the tide.  We may not think our letter will make a difference, but we never know when God will leave it in view of just the person in authority to initiate action.  This is my personal challenge for the year ahead.....I am good at charity, now it is time to become an advocate.  Now it is time to speak up!  



SATURDAY, February 1
HOW DO I MAKE IT RIGHT? Doing Justice in a Broken World 
by Tracy Young

I am speeding through the last chapter of this book so I can finish it before Rick and I leave for Hawaii! 

Chapter 5: Doing Justice Today - Considering Our Choices

Luke 9:24  MSG
Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you?

"..live life with an attitude of justice.  The result will be a more intentional, aware life in which we seek to follow Jesus in our everyday choices about food and clothing and money.  And like a painting created with an attitude of prayer, a life lived with an attitude of justice is beautiful to behold." (TY-99)

     Author Young uses the metaphor in this daily devotion of an artist who creates in an attitude of worship. The result is a glorious reflection of the Creator God.  If we daily live with an attitude of justice, (not just a one time event here and there), we can create more change than we think possible.  Little acts add up when done by many people!  What kind of little acts?  Simple living that resists monetary goals, shopping fair trade, microloans, advocacy are just a few examples.  

     I read through the list...and my first thought was. .... Hey, we do that.  We support KIVA, we  shop Fair Trade, we live beneath our means.  Great!  I'm off the hook.  I'm doing everything she mentions!  Whew!  That's a relief.  I was afraid this book was going to make me change!    Can't do that.  There is always more - something that pushes me beyond my comfort zone into speaking out more.  And if I LIVE with the attitude of justice, whatever that more is will become clear.  

Chapter 5: Doing Justice Today - God's People in the World
Matthew 5:14-16 MSG
You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. ....... Now that I’ve put you ......on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

     I love Peterson's translation of this passage from the Sermon on the Mount: light, God-colors of the world!  The thought that I can reflect God-light, God-colors, is so beautiful!  

     "As justice seekers, we are a part of a global Christian community and part of local church communities.  Though we can take individual actions and make individual choices that put us on the path of justice, we must never forget that we are not alone in our pursuit of righteousness.  One of us can make some noise, but many of us together are awfully hard to ignore." (TY-101)  

      "Jesus reminds us that his kingdom begins as a mustard seed - the tiniest of seeds.  When cultivated and cared for, that little seed takes root and grows into something great. (Mark 4:30-32)  Our efforts may seem insignificant at first, but as we meet together, pray together, and act for justice together, that little seed will grow and transform."   (TY 101)

     This made me think of Open Door and Backpack - social justice programs that began within our church and have expanded to include more of the Baker church community.  The seed is growing!  

     We can't change everything at once.  But we can focus our attention on a few issues desperately in need of an advocate and get started.  We may discover new friends and colleagues along the way!  



SUNDAY, February 2
HOW DO I MAKE IT RIGHT? Doing Justice in a Broken World 
by Tracy Young
Chapter 5: Doing Justice Today - All Things New

Revelation 21:3-4 MSG
I heard a voice thunder from the Throne: “Look! Look! God has moved into the neighborhood, making his home with men and women! They’re his people, he’s their God. He’ll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good—tears gone, crying gone, pain gone—all the first order of things gone.”

     Every day that we commit to live with an attitude of justice, that we challenge ourselves to act on behalf of those who suffer, we are a part of the promise from Revelation.  We are making all things new and bringing in the Kingdom of God.  We might not see the final results, but we are part of the transformation.  As teachers we often don't see the 'end product', but we lay seeds and hope they will bear fruit.  There is nothing more rewarding than to meet up with a former student years later and have them say, 'your class made a difference in my life'.  Such it shall be with the Kingdom of Heaven.  Someday we will see the change.  

    Oscar Romero, slain Archbishop of San Salvador, wrote:

"We plant the seeds that one day will grow.  We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.  We lay foundations that will need further development.  We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities.  We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.  This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.  It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest." 

     Our small, individual acts of justice, may be those doors through which God will enter.  What a marvelous thought!  Is God waiting for me to crack the door of injustice?  It is time to get busy.  It is time to put the book down (I've finished it!) and get started.  Amen and amen!!  

DOING JUSTICE: 4 - Justice As Relationships

SUNDAY, January 26
HOW DO I MAKE IT RIGHT? Doing Justice in a Broken World 
by Tracy Young
Chapter 4 Justice As Relationships: With God


James 1:22, 27 MSG

Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! ..... Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.

"Seeking justice is good for our neighbors, good for our communities, and good for our world.  It's also good for our own faith, because seeking justice has very much to do with our personal relationship with our Creator." (TY-71)

     DOING means everything to God.  DOING improves our relationship with God.  DOING demonstrates an active faith that is more than rote Sunday attendance.  

     It is said that when you are struggling with life circumstances and questioning God's presence, the best medicine is to volunteer, to take the emphasis off yourself and on to others.  Notice the remedy isn't to hole yourself up in more scripture and meditation to 'find God' - the remedy is to DO God work!  

     God/Christ is in the people we help.  Relationships are empowered when we work together for justice.

MONDAY, January 27

HOW DO I MAKE IT RIGHT? Doing Justice in a Broken World 

by Tracy Young

Chapter 4 Justice As Relationships: No 'Us and Them'

Philippians 2:5-8  MSG

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human!   Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

"If one struggles, we all struggle."  (MLK)

 "The point is, it's not 'us' and 'them'; it's simply 'us'.  We need one another.  We depend on one another." (TY-75)

"Our coffee, other foods, clothing, raw materials and consumer items have connections to producing or laboring communities that do not enjoy the opportunities or protections that we take for granted in our own work.  Those who end up with the shortest straw are often the ones who had the least to begin with." (TY-75) 

     Christ had reason to 'elevate' himself above the commoner.  He WAS God!  (We just THINK we are!)  But with Jesus, it was never a us and them.  It was simply humanity together.  And when we realize this, we move beyond a quick fix relief to lasting equality, transformative change.

      Hmmm...back to Fair Trade Coffee, what kind of factory do my clothes come from?  Am I supporting abusive corporations or governments through my purchasing power?  Sometimes justice comes in the form of small changes we make in our daily lives....changes that have a greater reach than we think possible.

  

TUESDAY, January 28

HOW DO I MAKE IT RIGHT? Doing Justice in a Broken World 

by Tracy Young

Chapter 4 Justice As Relationships: Justice and Ourselves

Luke 6:42 GNT
How can you say to your brother, ‘Please, brother, let me take that speck out of your eye,’ yet cannot even see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite! First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will be able to see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

     Specks and logs!  I love the analogies here - the visual images that come to mind!  Yet what are the logs that prevent us from doing justice?  The logs that inhibit our relationship with God and hence our acts of transformation?
     Our western culture provides plenty of logs:  consumerism, emphasis on beauty and looks, disregard for the environment, a USER society!  What part do we have in this?  Are we constantly in search of more and better?  Do we know the history of what we purchase?  Do we measure success by the haves?  I write this today somewhat 'tongue in cheek' as we leave in just minutes to drive across the state to purchase a new vehicle.  In what kind of fair factory was the vehicle made?  What kind of culture?  Is my purchase contributing to injustice somewhere?  
      These are tough questions with hard answers!  But a close look at our own actions can free us for justice action elsewhere.  

WEDNESDAY, January 29

HOW DO I MAKE IT RIGHT? Doing Justice in a Broken World 

by Tracy Young

Chapter 4 Justice As Relationships: Speaking Up and Out

Proverbs 31:8-9  (CEB and MSG)

Speak out on behalf of the voiceless,
    and for the rights of all who are vulnerable.

Speak out for justice!
    Stand up for the poor and destitute!”

     When something is wrong, how often do we mutter to ourselves, rant in the bathroom, or complain behind closed doors.  We speak, but we don't SPEAK OUT!!  We don't speak where it will make a difference or enable change to happen.  Donations of money is necessary and needed, but often what is really important is the donation of our VOICE!!

     Speaking up for justice can be hard.  We face rejection or ridicule.  But the call of Christ is clear - it is our duty to God.

"Beyond using our voices to share the stories of those who face violence, oppression, or poverty, we can use our voices to plead for justice on their behalf.  We can speak to those who can enact change.  We can send up a holy racket and agitate for something new."  (TY -78)

     I like the phrase 'send up a holy racket'.  It implies persistence.  Shake things up for the sake of justice in the name of another.  Write letters to those in control.  Speak up on behalf of others.  Don't sit back and allow injustice to continue unchecked!

THURSDAY, January 30

HOW DO I MAKE IT RIGHT? Doing Justice in a Broken World 

by Tracy Young

Chapter 4 Justice As Relationships:Right Relationships

1 Corinthians 12:26 GNT

If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it; if one part is praised, all the other parts share its happiness.

     The whole world as one is the body of Christ.  We all suffer when one part of the globe endures injustice.  The author uses a metaphor of knitting a garment.  Our world is woven from a single thread of yarn - our commonality as Children of God.  When we fail to knit with attention, holes and mistakes appear that we must attend to and correct.  

Seeking justice is not an isolated, occasional endeavor.  It is ongoing and utterly communal.  It requires examining and re-examining how things are done.  It is about relationships between people and between people and God.  It is about working to make those relationships right in order to reflect the beauty of God's perfect love for us. 

CHAPTER 4 - REFLECTIONS AND ACTION
Focus Statement:  Most people agree on this basic view of justice: It's about God and it's about people, and it's about getting right with both.  But as we've dug a bit deeper this week, we've learned that pursuing justice isn't always 'basic'.  Sometimes we're asked to do difficult things like speaking up for someone, even at the risk of ridicule, rejection, or hatred.  Sometimes we're called to confront established social, political, or economic structures when we see that injustice has crept into them - and that usually puts us in an uncomfortable place, at odds with a whole lot of people.  And sometimes we need to turn our focus on how our own actions, habits, and desires may legitimize the oppression of another person or people. (TY-83-84)

The Bible is filled with stories of champions for injustice:  the midwives who bucked Pharaoh's order to save the babies, Jesus and the money changer tables, Nathan who challenges King David with his transgressions.  The task is rarely easy.  

ACTION.  On a personal level, Rick and I have already taken one of the actions suggested - switching to Fair Trade Coffee for our home use and encouraging the church to do the same.  Church World Service has "Speak Up" Alerts that can come to our email in-box - opportunities for timely moments to advocate for the oppressed and how to go about doing it.  I should investigate this and sign up.  I can educate myself more on issues of concern for me - perhaps the timeliness of the Israeli-Palestinian issue would be a good start.  

DOING JUSTICE: 3 - Jesus, the Center

MONDAY, January 20
HOW DO I MAKE IT RIGHT? Doing Justice in a Broken World 
by Tracy Young
Chapter 3 Jesus the Center:Jesus' Announcement

Luke 4:16-19 MSG

He came to Nazareth where he had been reared. As he always did on the Sabbath, he went to the meeting place. When he stood up to read, he was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written,

God’s Spirit is on me;
    he’s chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor,
Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and
    recovery of sight to the blind,
To set the burdened and battered free,
    to announce, “This is God’s year to act!”

     In Chapter 2, we looked at preparing for Christ and the ACTION involved in the preparation.  Author Young calls this exercising our justice muscles and uses the analogy of showing a young child pictures of family members to prepare them to recognize an aunt or uncle upon meeting.  

"The more we exercise our justice muscles, so to speak, we're training ourselves in the way of God.  The more we engage with our neighbors, the more we look to the least among us, the more we'll be able to see Jesus in the faces of those around us.  We will recognize him."

      Jesus stood and announced to the people how to recognize the Messiah.  And then he did it.  When we 'do justice', when we act on behalf of the least of these, we become more familiar with the face of Jesus each time.  

"Like little children who are taught to recognize family and to sound out the names of loved ones, we learn to recognize Jesus through our actions on behalf of people who are hungry and hurting.  The more we practice, the more familiar Jesus will become."

Lord, may I put on my work clothes today and do a little justice exercise.  Heart, head, and hands - may I work all the muscles! Amen!



TUESDAY, January 21
HOW DO I MAKE IT RIGHT? Doing Justice in a Broken World 
by Tracy Young
Chapter 3 Jesus the Center: Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 7:12 MSG
“Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God’s Law and Prophets and this is what you get."

    I like Peterson's translation in The Message: it seems to be more proactive.  Think ahead.  How do you want to be treated.  Take the initiative!  Go do it! However translated, the 'Golden Rule" sums up OT law in how we should treat each other.  It is a good way for those of us blessed in life to consider the issue of justice for all.  If we aren't in the business of doing justice, then we are part of the problem.  We aren't treating people how we would want to be treated.  
     This excerpt from the Sermon on the Mount is one of many of Jesus' teachings we find hard to put into action.  Much of the Sermon seems to be too hard to act upon - some say it is meant to guide our attitudes only.  That would be the same as only talking the talk, without walking the walk!  We must regard the Sermon on the Mount as a challenge for what we do! 

"Jesus' requirement 'Do to others what you would have them do to you' is more than a handy summary of the Law...It is also the challenge and opportunity of a lifetime. ....Applying the Golden Rule to our lives allows us to show the world that God is transforming it into a kingdom of justice, mercy, and peace."  (TY-54)

Lord, challenge me to act on behalf of the least.  Help me to seek out ways to make a difference and treat others with mercy and justice. Amen.





WEDNESDAY, January 22
HOW DO I MAKE IT RIGHT? Doing Justice in a Broken World 
by Tracy Young
Chapter 3 Jesus the Center: The Least of These

Matthew 25:44-45 MSG
‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?’

45 “He will answer them, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.’

"Here's where it gets challenging: often 'the least' are not the people we want to be around.  Sometimes the least are pretty wretched.  Sometimes the least are people we prefer to judge, ignore, or punish....Jesus asks us to treat [the least] as though they were Jesus himself.  But are we able to see Jesus in the face of a criminal?....The least and the lost are all around us: in the hungry, the thirsty, the sick, the stranger, and the prisoner.  How would our response to them change if we saw the eyes of Christ looking back at us in their faces?"  (TY, 57-58)

But, Lord. 
They have lice. 
They are unwashed.
Their clothes are rags. 
They live under bridges.
They drink. They smell.
What difference would I make?
      My face is their face.
      I am reaching out. 
      Feed me.  Cloth me. 
      Shelter me.  

But Lord,
They are profane.  
Their language is abusive. 
They steal and hurt others. 
I don't like them. 
I don't understand them. 
They scare me. 
     Look in their eyes. 
     See the pain. 
     Look hard. 
     That's me.  Help me. 

The lonely, the lost.
The hungry, the poor. 
The homeless, the imprisoned,
The criminal, the immigrant.
The terrorist, the man next door.
Faces of unrest. 
Faces of need. 
Faces of Christ. 
Jesus himself. 
Waiting to be served.  

Lord, help me look beyond first impressions to see your eyes in those who hunger for righteousness.  Help me respond as if it were you.  Amen. 



THURSDAY, January 23
HOW DO I MAKE IT RIGHT? Doing Justice in a Broken World 
by Tracy Young
Chapter 3 Jesus the Center: The Good Samaritan

Luke 10:29 MSG
Looking for a loophole, he asked, “And just how would you define ‘neighbor’?”

     We finally picked Luke up yesterday after a three day trip home from Israel/Palestine.  He was exhausted after 'sleeping' the night in the SF airport, after tense hours waiting liftoff from NYC in a snowstorm, after an hour of interrogation leaving Israel when going through customs.  (He had 'questionable books' in his backpack!)
     But the story he was anxious to share was his story of the Good Samaritan.  Luke, traveling in a foreign country hostile to his political and religious beliefs, found himself at the mercy of a "Good Samaritan" on the road to Jericho.  
     On their own since the rest of the peacekeeper delegation had left, Luke and two of his female YAV friends found themselves on the shores of the Dead Sea.  A series of complications had left them nearly shekel-less and in a bit of a quandary over how to travel back to either Jericho or to the border checkpoint outside Jerusalem.  They wanted to go to Tel Aviv.  No ATM to convert more US money to shekels.  It was the Sabbath - public transportation was nil.  The afternoon was growing closer to evening.  Options for help were closing.  And finally....they asked the guide of a South America tourist group visiting religious shrines.  No, we can't.  Ask in the little store.  The man says ask the tour group.  So Emily asks again .... fortunately her Spanish is pretty good!  The guide falters, but some of the guests encourage him to take these young stranded Americans!  He calls his boss.  And the boss' reply? (This Mom is pretty sure that God intervened in the phone call!)  "I can't think of a better example of the Good Samaritan on the road to Jericho than to rescue these American youth.  Take them to Tel Aviv!"  Luke recounts they were welcomed, joined in singing and praise on the bus.  It was a highlight of his trip.  
     The tour company boss knows who is his neighbor.  And he wasn't afraid to act.  Can I say the same day in and day out in the little moments of Jericho road that come before me??
(My apologies, Luke, if I got a few details wrong in the summary of your story!)

Father, may I walk each day on a Jericho Road looking for those who are seeking help.  I may not know them, share their beliefs or lifestyle, but they are my neighbors.  They are your children and hence my brothers and sisters.  Amen.  
FRIDAY, January 24
HOW DO I MAKE IT RIGHT? Doing Justice in a Broken World 
by Tracy Young
Chapter 3 Jesus the Center:  Servant King

John 13:13-15 CEB
You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you speak correctly, because I am. 14 If I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you too must wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example: Just as I have done, you also must do.
    
      Author Tracy Young describes a homeless shelter where the men were each treated to a foot spa by the volunteers.  A luxury granted to the privileged!  

"You also should wash one another's feet," says Jesus.  That could mean a foot spa in a homeless shelter.  However we follow Jesus' command, it means we willingly drop our status to serve someone in a 'down and dirty' way.  It means picking up someone else's mess, wiping the runny noses of someone else's children, stepping into someone else's painful circumstances."  (TY-63)

     Jesus' description and image of justice is one where the least are put in a position of honor and dignity.  Our job is to serve, regardless of our personal opinion about the person, regardless of their politics, odor, cleanliness, or body piercings.  If they are among the least, our role is to serve.  

Lord, the call to justice is a call to service.  It is not always pretty or safe.  Guide me to trust and follow; to answer your call.  



SATURDAY, January 25 
HOW DO I MAKE IT RIGHT? Doing Justice in a Broken World 
by Tracy Young
Chapter 3 Jesus the Center:  REFLECTION

"Jesus' ministry challenged the categories that people used to separate themselves from one another: Jew and Samaritan, male and female, adult and child, righteous and wicked.  Jesus does not permit us to see ourselves as better than another else." 

     When we separate ourselves, it is so much easier to close off one segment of society and forget about them.  But when we enter into their world, it becomes OUR world and the desire for justice becomes oh so much stronger.  Part of the PPF delegation to Palestine's purpose was to enter their world and experience the injustice.  I also finished reading the book Blood Brothers yesterday by Elias Chacour, a Palestinian Christian.  He has spent a lifetime of service in the region of Galilee to build up Palestinian villages and restore dignity and self-worth among the people, while seeking peace with his Jewish neighbors.  At one point he left the country (after a terrifying experience with the PLO...which ultimately proved to be a supportive encounter) to live in Europe and promote peace through speeches, visits, fund raising, etc.  Then he realized that justice is 'down and dirty' - he had to get back to a direct relationship with his fellow countrymen.  
     What can WE do....one person in a country that isn't making good choices in this arena?  We can stop being silent.  We can stop lending our tacit agreement.  We can write our congressmen.  We can boycott and support divestment.  
     When we 'step into the circumstances of another', we will becomes advocates for justice and change.  May I continue to look for ways to walk in another's shoes.  

DOING JUSTICE: Chapter 2 - Preparing the Way

WEDNESDAY, January 15
HOW DO I MAKE IT RIGHT? Doing Justice in a Broken World by Tracy Young
Chapter 2 Preparing the Way - Mary's Song

Luke 1:52-53 MSG
He knocked tyrants off their high horses,
    pulled victims out of the mud.
The starving poor sat down to a banquet;
    the callous rich were left out in the cold.

     Mary.  Ordinary.  Humble.  Young and overwhelmed.  What in the world was happening?  God in her?  Yet Mary didn't let all this go to her head.  She didn't get an inflated ego or think SHE was God.  And we can tell from her song of rejoicing, she realized early that her offspring would be a different kind of king:  a leader of justice and mercy, a champion of the downtrodden and the forgotten.  She is an unexpected agent of change - change that will come in unexpected ways.  Because that's how God works!

God uses a young, unmarried woman - probably a teen - to help change the course of history....Mary has no great significance in the eyes of [her] world.  But through her servanthood and her joyful obedience to God, she ushers in the One who brings healing and salvation.  She rejoices in the God who turns the tables of power and influence to lift up the weakest, the poorest, and the least.  (TY)

     Is there a 'Mary' inside each of us?  One who can be an unexpected agent of change?  One who can turn the tables of injustice and champion those on the edge?  If we open ourselves to the power of God working through us, what are the possibilities? 

Lord, today may I live the Light, may I walk the words, may I BE what I write.  Amen.  


THURSDAY, January 16
HOW DO I MAKE IT RIGHT? Doing Justice in a Broken World 
by Tracy Young
Chapter 2 Preparing the Way -Joseph

Matthew 1:18-21  GNT
This was how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. His mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they were married, she found out that she was going to have a baby by the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph was a man who always did what was right, but he did not want to disgrace Mary publicly; so he made plans to break the engagement privately. 20 While he was thinking about this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife. For it is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived. 21 She will have a son, and you will name him Jesus—because he will save his people from their sins.”

     Joseph.  Righteous.  Honorable.  One who 'does right'.  Yet Joseph is

Gaulli's painting: Joseph & the Infant
Christ
Is this what obeying God looks like?

caught in a situation not of his making.  An uncomfortable situation that will bring shame to his family.  A situation he can quietly avoid.  

     Yet Joseph doesn't do the expected.  He does what God asks.  He obeys.  Despite what his culture says is right.  He takes the infant on as his own to nurture and love.  So much is written about Mary carrying God's child, I wonder if we fail to acknowledge Joseph for his sacrifices. 

      God often calls us to make such sacrifices to honor his call for justice.  He asks us to obey and sometimes go against the grain of culture and expectations.  Is there a Joseph inside of me, willing to buck the comfortable and easy, willing to obey?  

"Joseph claimed this child as father to son because that was what the Lord expected of him.  The path of Jesus often cuts right through cultural expectations and societal norms, calling us to cast aside our own notion of what is right and good in favor of what God calls right and good."  (TY)

Lord, today may I live the Light, may I walk the words, may I BE what I write.  Amen.  


FRIDAY, January 17
HOW DO I MAKE IT RIGHT? Doing Justice in a Broken World 
by Tracy Young
Chapter 2 Preparing the Way -Zechariah and Elizabeth

Luke 1:13-14 GNT
But the angel said to him, “Don't be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son. You are to name him John.14 How glad and happy you will be, and how happy many others will be when he is born!

      God can make incredible things happen.  No doubt about it.  Zechariah, while of an affluent and priestly nature, was in the dumps because he was childless.  God said it would happen.  Zechariah's initial response?  'No way, God!  Not possible!'   But he obeyed.  And John happened.  

     Our initial response to our individual power to do justice?  Our belief that we can make a difference in a very troubled world?  'No way, God!  The mess is too big!'  Not gonna happen!   But that is the big picture that we cannot see.  God simply needs our faith and obedience.  God simply needs our hands and voices in which to work.  

     Am I a bit of a Zechariah at times?  Do I doubt my ability to be an agent of change through God?  Do I doubt God's ability to make it happen?  How 'happy the world will be' when we obey and let God go to work!  

Lord, today may I live the Light, may I walk the words, may I BE what I write.  Amen. 
     
SATURDAY, January 18
HOW DO I MAKE IT RIGHT? Doing Justice in a Broken World 
by Tracy Young
Chapter 2 Preparing the Way -The Announcement

Matthew 2:1-3 CEB

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the territory of Judea during the rule of King Herod, magi came from the east to Jerusalem. 2 They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We’ve seen his star in the east, and we’ve come to honor him.”

3 When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and everyone in Jerusalem was troubled with him.

     Herod.  Rich and mighty.  Powerful.  He has been challenged and threatened by the news of a royal birth.  Poor Herod.  He has no idea of just how challenged he is!  He has no concept of the scope of this birth.  God is at work through the usual God channels: unexpected and lowly, foreigners. Shepherds and magi.  The magi/kings traveled by star light.  They traveled on hope and a vision of something new.  They did not expect a tiny baby of humble birth any more than Herod.  

     What are my expectations?  God announced the coming Messiah to peasant farmers and shepherds; foreigners and immigrants.  The Messiah of justice and change.  Am I ready to listen?  Am I ready to act?  Am I ready to obey?

Chapter 2 Preparing the Way - John the Baptist
Matthew 3:1-3 MSG

1-2 While Jesus was living in the Galilean hills, John, called “the Baptizer,” was preaching in the desert country of Judea. His message was simple and austere, like his desert surroundings: “Change your life. God’s kingdom is here.”

3 John and his message were authorized by Isaiah’s prophecy:

Thunder in the desert!
Prepare for God’s arrival!
Make the road smooth and straight!

     And finally....John the Baptist.  Eccentric with strange clothing.  Eater of bugs! A hermit! One who shouted 'Repent'!! Picture the corner homeless man in a big city with his signs of doomsday.  Yet people flocked to hear John, while we avoid the peculiar and odd behavior of street folk. Why??

     While John preached repentance, he also preached action.  God didn't want just the words.  God wanted DOING.  And God still wants this today.  Our words aren't enough, we must live them.  

Lord, today may I live the Light, may I walk the words, may I BE what I write.  Amen. 

SUNDAY, January 19

HOW DO I MAKE IT RIGHT? Doing Justice in a Broken World 

by Tracy Young

Chapter 2 Preparing the Way: Contemplation and Questions

Isaiah 11:1-5 (portions)  MSG

A green Shoot will sprout from Jesse’s stump,
    from his roots a budding Branch.......
He won’t judge by appearances,
    won’t decide on the basis of hearsay.
He’ll judge the needy by what is right,
    render decisions on earth’s poor with justice.......
Each morning he’ll pull on sturdy work clothes and boots,
    and build righteousness and faithfulness in the land.

     This was one of the suggested discussion scriptures for today.  My favorite line is the way Eugene Peterson translates verse 5: 'He'll pull on sturdy work clothes and boots, and build righteousness...."  Justice can be a full time job.  It isn't pretty or easy.  It doesn't 'just happen' - it is constructed piece by piece.  Sounds like a Habitat build.

     How often do I cynically voice the "No way, can't be done." philosophy in regard to what appears to be an impossible task?  How often do I avoid the uncomfortable or unconventional because I don't want to hear it?  Or perhaps most frequently, how often do I talk the talk and let it stop there?  

PREPARING FOR JUSTICE:  Heart, Head, and Hands....
Heart:  Scripture study, meditation and prayer 
Head:  Educating myself on justice issues and their causes
Hands: Volunteer!  Write letters!  Physically get involved.  

OPTIONS FOR PERSONAL ACTION
1.  Go through the newspaper or listen to the news attuned to stories that focus on a person or group who may be struggling for justice.  PRAY for them.  ASK if there is a way to advocate on their behalf....a letter?  Phone call?  

2.  Learn more about The Micah Challenge, a global Christian movement to overcome extreme poverty.  Something to join and support?  Find out!  I have pasted one clip from the website below.
www.micahchallenge.org

8 MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS (MDGS)

In 2000, 189 nations made a promise to free people from extreme poverty by 2015. This promise turned into the 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). We're the international hub of Micah Challenge representing a global coalition of Christians holding governments accountable for these promises to the poor. We seek to empower Christians to speak out for justice and to turn compassion into action.

eradicate extreme poverty
AND HUNGER

ACHIEVE 
UNIVERSAL PRIMARY 
EDUCATION

PROMOTE GENDER 
EQUALITY AND 
EMPOWER WOMEN

REDUCE 
CHILD 
MORTALITY

IMPROVE MATERNAL 
HEALTH

COMBAT HIV, 
MALARIA AND 
OTHER DISEASES

ENSURE
ENVIRONMENTAL 
SUSTAINABILITY

DEVELOP A GLOBAL 
PARTNERSHIP FOR 
DEVELOPMENT

ADDENDUM from Sunday Worship

The text for this morning’s sermon was Matthew 3:13-17, the rest of the Baptism story of Jesus.  When John protests that he shouldn't be the one to baptize Jesus (but rather the other way around!) Jesus replies,  “Let it be so for now. For in this way we shall do all that God requires.”  (GNT) The key word that Pastor Katy emphasized was the WE.  Jesus is including all humanity into the call for righteousness.  WE are all part of the charge to do justice.  In light of the rest of my studies this morning, that slant on the text jumped out at me.
Lord, today may I live the Light, may I walk the words, may I BE what I write.  Amen.