There Goes My New Car Again – Scriptural Challenge
Posted on Mar 06 2006 | Tagged as: faith, faith in action, justice
This weekend Steve and I trekked up to Seattle to take part in an International Justice Mission Justice Advocate training program. Through a series of God orchestrated connections I was able to communicate to their Education Program Manager what Westside is planning on doing in Thailand, and she invited the two of us to be a part of the program.
I have been praying for humility for the past six weeks. God is so faithful to bring about that quality in me as I spent a weekend with passionate, humble, yet very gifted lawyers, Ivy League graduates, employees of think tanks, etc. It is inspiring to be around people with a tremendous passion coupled with a humble spirit.
One of the most confirming elements of the weekend was the presentation of scriptural support challenging Christians to act on behalf of the oppressed. Over the past year my eyes have been opened to see the importance of compassion, justice, humility, loving people, seeking truth and working to model my actions after Christ. This weekend my new revelation was primarily the issue of justice. (I will write more about this later)
It is like that experience when you have bought a new car and begin to see how many are on the road. It is not that the car didn’t exist before you purchased it, but you just never noticed. Now I see these issues in my Christian walk around every bend in the road. The following samples of scripture convict and compel me to seek justice, demonstrate compassion, and act on behalf of the orphans, widows, and the oppressed.
A Scriptural Challenge:
Psalm 10: 17-18
17 You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, 18 defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.
Luke 4: 14-19
14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. 16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Hebrews 13:3
3 Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
Micah 6:8
8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Isaiah 1:17
17 learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.
Psalm 33:5
5 The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.
Amen!
on 06 Mar 2006 at 3:04 pm 1 Steve said …
Amen…Both true and real. I am challenged to think both internationally as well as locally. I see the car too.
on 06 Mar 2006 at 5:54 pm 2 Jon Knapp said …
Right on! I heard some about the confrence you went to through Steve. Wish I could have been there. It is exciting to see how the Lord is working in your lives! I am excited to see that you guys have started blogging! Keep it up!
on 06 Mar 2006 at 11:01 pm 3 WCHS Parent said …
…But the bigger picture, as you have said, has nothing to do with Remember Nhu or the sex trade. How would God have us bring his truth and love and compassion and… from their(our students) heads to their hearts… to the point that they would be moved to action in their lives. Involvement in this ministry sure seems like a good fit to this bigger picture.
Andy, this summer I was praying about a ministry I am involved with at church. I was asking God for direction and he gave me the word “freedom.” When I asked him how to create an experience of freedom, He told me that it starts with me. As I experience freedom, I will be able to bring others to it. I can see God working this process in you. You cannot create an experience for high schoolers that will open their hearts unless you are willing to have your own opened and show them the way. It is one thing to talk about it. It is another to model it – although this is much more vulnerable. Though our years at Westside are ending in June, I am thankful for your willingness to become the person who can lead the leaders to a place of an open heart and then you all can lead our kids there. Keeping the big picture in mind when the details threaten to obscure your view of it is a challenge. But I can see that you are still seeing clearly. God himself has given you a direction and it encourages me to see your faithfulness to it.
on 06 Mar 2006 at 11:58 pm 4 Andrew said …
Thank you all for writing. God is working and it seems like such a privilege to be a part. I am so thankful that He allows us to join Him in ministry. The blessing is beyond description. Let’s keep the conversation going!