I’m a Social Justice Christian
I am honored to be part of a Public Service Announcement titled “I’m a Social Justice Christian.” The PSA was produced by New Name Pictures, a film production venture co-founded by my friend Ryan Bell, pastor of the Hollywood SDA Church.
You can learn more about the project at www.socialjusticechristian.com. There’s also other resources for the “I’m a Social Justice Christian” campaign on their website. I’ve included the PSA in this post, as well as Brian McLaren’s response. Please pass the word about the project. Good work Ryan!
Poverty, Social Justice
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Hollywood SDA Church, I'm a Social Justice Christian, New Name Pictures, PSA, Ryan Bell, Social Justice
Themocracy
Thanks, Jeff, for being a part of this! We’re very excited about this message and hoping for this to snowball into a little movement of social justice across the country.
Hang on!
[...] I’m a Social Justice Christian (Jeff Gang, Suburban Pastor, 5 Mar 2010) [...]
it certainly is an interesting ad. Although I am not sure there is robust biblical evidence that Jesus died for fairness and equality- sin, a lot of evidence, but not the main thrust of this ad.
Hi Erik
Jesus died so that his Kingdom of justice, righteousness and equality could come. The good news is we can all be a part of it – not just the Jew, or the most holy, or the most powerful, or rich, or wise etc.
He died for sin so that we might be able to enter into it. As sinners, unjust, unrighteous in ourselves, and accepting the earths order that the powerful and rich and educated etc should receive the most, and the poor should be receive the least -in these clothes I could not enter. But washed clean of these, and receiving new life, and a new Holy Spirit breathed vision, I can enter. In this respect therefore Jesus did die for justice and equality.
I don’t believe his death ought to be reduced to any one issue, (or formula we commit to).
Does this help? – sorry, I wrote this very evangelically, but I have a feeling from your note you are a fellow evangelical in the fray.
A point I meant to say in the last piece was that I think this movement is very important as it offers a perspective on Christianity that is often missed – that we are for others more than ourselves. I will place my own video up later.
[...] production venture co-founded by my friend Ryan Bell, pastor of the Hollywood SDA Church …This Blog Cancel [...]
Dan,
I agree, well said, and balanced too.
Jeff
Dan,
I am an evangelical, and I thank you for your frank and thoughtful response. I am actually on board with a lot of the social justice movement. But I am not on board with people calling themselves “social justice” Christians- as to separate themselves from other Christians.
I think Paul’s words are quite useful here: I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas[a]“; still another, “I follow Christ.”
I do not argue with you that Jesus believed in issues related to social justice- no argument what so ever. But for one to then take that issue and make it the core of one’s belief system is incorrect. We are for Christ alone, of which one calling is social justice. I believe some have fallen into the rhetorical trap of distinguishing themselves from other christians based on this issue.
Indeed, if we are only for equality and fairness we have no need for Christ; Marx will suffice. But we did need a savior who could conquer sin and bring us back to the father. People are dying in sin and our response is to talk about “fairness” and “equality”- issues that are of the world. I am not sure this is the right path; i don’t think we have a fundamental agreement, but one in degree-
(thanks Jeff, great website by the way)
Hi Erik,
Thanks for the reply…
I can quite see why you have made the points that you have and, I really cannot disagree.
I guess it is a matter of how we view the movement. I don’t see it as describing my faith holistically, but simply in part. As it’s a movement that is responding to a single issue, I have articulated my beliefs on this issue as part of my faith…in that respect, I am a social justice Christian, but I am not saying I am ‘only’ a social justice Christian by taking part.
Also, i would argue that in calling myself a social justice Christian, I am not separating myself from other Christians, I am saying that the recent comments made against people like me, are that some Christians have chosen to separate themselves from me. I don’t like them representing their brand of faith as the only version of it, so I want to go on record and say, “hey, what you say is so evil, thats what I am!”
Nevertheless, the dangers you have reflected on are real, so as with anything, this movement will have its floors and we must be mindful of them too. Thank you for bring them to my attention helping me think through them more clearly.
Blessings -DSB
http://www.sacredpolitics.com
“Cultured conversation, not cultural war…”
hi!
Hi! Great website! keep up the good work, and thanks for doing justice in Jesus’ name–we appreciate you!
Do you think you could link to us at http://www.ChristianVolunteering.org?
ChristianVolunteering.org is the largest online directory of Christian volunteer opportunities, with 5,500+ volunteer opportunities from over 4,000+ ministries, and since 2007, we have matched over 12,000 volunteers. ChristianVolunteering.org is a part of the Christian nonprofit TechMission, which also runs City Vision College (formerly Rescue College).
We also have a lot of urban ministry resources at http://www.urbanministry.org . Maybe these would be useful to you!
Thanks,
Social Justice is not Christian Justice… Sin is our main enemy and not hunger. Well fed people have done very horrible things through out history. Sin is the real problem.
I think this Social justice thing is not what most think. It is a way to manipulate the masses into a global government against their will. Once the government is created, then Christianity will be outlawed. This is all part of the Globalist New World Order. The bible predicts a one-world system that wreaks havoc on the entire globe. It is ruthless, and I think we are seeing the seeds of this “Tower of Babel”.
Mankind is always seeking ways to get more power.
The Christian’s task is to send the gospel out to the world. Sin is our main enemy and not hunger. Jesus said that you will always have the poor with you. This is because much is self-inflicted by sin, War, greedy Government, selfishness, irresponsible behavior, laziness, corruption etc. All of these are the main contributors to poverty. All have a base in sin…
If we eradicated hunger and war in the world and missed people’s eternal soul, we have lost the most important thing. Jesus said, “What good would it do a man is the possessed the entire Cosmos and lost his own soul. What would you give in exchange for your soul?”
Our commission is the Gospel, not Heaven on earth…