Justice Devotional - "Who has let the wild ass go free?"

From 
Devotion to Justice
A series of devotions from the Justice table on the topics of

• Women and children
• Hunger and poverty
• Creation care
• Immigration

Creation Care “Who has let the wild ass go free?”

Job 39:5-8

The last several chapters of the book of Job offer an incredible window into God’s love of creation and of the varied, wonderful creatures God placed on the earth. Most of us are familiar with the overall storyline of Job. He thought he had lost everything, pitied himself, declared himself righteous and cursed God. Granted, Job had experienced great suffering and the entire text is, in many ways, terrifying (though one must recall that for the rest of his family and his animals, who were dead, Job was at least still alive). God responds to Job with the powerful voice of the whirlwind. And in this divine answer, human beings are, not so subtly, reminded that we are not the center of the universe.

God asks Job, and through him all humanity, a series of questions — where were you when the earth was formed? Did you create the rain? Did you give the horse strength? And as God lists the beautiful traits of myriad creatures, Job’s self-centered world begins to melt away. But something else happens as well, God’s other creatures are elevated. They do not exist for humans, they exist for the glory of God and for themselves — the other animals have inherent value, they are complete without any humans around at all. The wild ass is free, and God is the one who loosed the bonds of the ass. The ass ignores the driver (the human) and ranges the mountains. The wild ox cannot be bound. The horse laughs at fear and divine wisdom fills the wings of the hawk.

Job 39 is a divine hymn to the beauty, independence and self-worth of the animals God created. It is a reminder that humans are just one of the many amazing parts of God’s creation. If we open our eyes and ears to the beauty and richness of all of God’s creatures, we, like Job, will begin to understand things too wonderful, which we did not know.

Dr. Laura Hobgood-Oster: Professor of Religion and Environmental Studies Bethany Beach Christian Church, DE and Southwestern University, TX Creation Care Read more!

Justice Devotional - God's Love Song

From 
Devotion to Justice
A series of devotions from the Justice table on the topics of

• Women and children
• Hunger and poverty
• Creation care
• Immigration

God’s Love Song
Luke 5:16

Jesus’ prayer life was honed in the wilderness among the wild beasts during the temptation and in the wilderness he was most at home. As the Incarnate Word through which all Creation was called, Jesus had an affinity for the wild like a Seagull has for the ocean breeze or a dolphin for the waves. There he drew close to God and in God he discovered himself.
To draw close to Jesus is to be drawn close to the Creation he loved. There we come into contact with the Word in ways nowhere else available and learn lessons nowhere else taught.

The Psalmist sings, “The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech, night after night they reveal knowledge (19:1-2). Creation is a love song between the Creator and the Word. Are you listening? Creation is a window into the wonder of God’s Love. Are you looking?
The birds, animals, plants, and even the earth itself, are sacred words speaking the wonder of God; if we but pay attention and listen. Clearly, the author of Job listened to Creation speak as he concluded Job’s demand for a reckoning with the Lord of Life.


Chapter after chapter of the best of human argument failed to convince Job of the mystery of life before God. He is finally silenced in the ashes and dust of repentance by the immensity of the Master’s wisdom inescapably displayed by one wonder of Creation after another. Where human argument and reason fail; Creation succeeds. Perhaps the humbleness before the Master of Creation this sacred text teaches is something we can learn more easily than Job. We will if we enter into the wild places and there listen to the Word of Life speaking.

Rev. Frits Haverkamp: Northside Christian Church, Knoxville, TN
Green Chalice Congregation Read more!

Justice Devotional - Church and Children

From 
Devotion to Justice
A series of devotions from the Justice table on the topics of

• Women and children
• Hunger and poverty
• Creation care
• Immigration

Church and Children
Matthew 12:18


In 2004, the National Council of Churches put out a Comprehensive Policy Statement, “The Church and Children: Vision and Goals for the 21st Century”.

The statement focuses on and encourages churches to
• include children in their full worship life;
• support loving and safe families;
• advocate for access to excellent public education, health care, economic security;
• work for a violence-free society that is emotionally and physically safe; and
• nurture healthy child development by ensuring that all children have access to the arts, culture, and recreation.

So often when churches think of pursuing justice, we think of liberating those in prison, feeding the poor, pursuing peace...all very good things. But are churches thinking of how they can find justice for children? Are they taking the steps to ensure the goals stated above? If so, how? If not, why?

The study guide offered here: http://www.ncccusa.org/pdfs/churchandchildrenbrochure.pdf is a resource for congregations to start looking at the question of justice for children and what amazing implications might follow if the church embraced these goals. It is my prayer that all churches will look at children as full members of the body of Christ, that they might take seriously what children have to teach us about the Kingdom of God, and that they might strive to bring justice to children in situations where it is so desperately needed.

Rev. Olivia Stewart Robertson: Minister of Family and Children’s Ministries
Disciples Home Missions Women and Children Read more!

Justice Devotional - Release for the Captives

From 
Devotion to Justice
A series of devotions from the Justice table on the topics of

• Women and children
• Hunger and poverty
• Creation care
• Immigration

Release for the Captives

Luke 4:18-19

In this passage Jesus is reading from a prophetic scroll in the temple in his home town of Nazareth. 

As we look at the injustices in our world, this scripture should be our clarion call to action. As I studied human trafficking and more specifically the human trafficking of the more than 100,000 children who are lured into domestic minor sex trafficking each year in the United States, the spirit of the Lord came upon me. That spirit could also be called anger, indignation or a burning desire to do something about the children that are being victimized everyday by pimps and men that want to use them.

Can we bring some good news to the children who are captured in bondage? Can we arrange for their release? Can we bring sight to those blinded to the children's suffering by their greed? I say YES WE CAN! Yes we can make right this injustice.

So where do we start, we start with education, learning as much as we can about this injustice. We spread the word to everyone we know. We teach our children about these dangers. We work with an anti-human trafficking organization or group in our area. If there isn't one we start one. Let us bring the Lord’s favor on God’s people by doing what is necessary to bring justice to the children and the adults trapped in slavery. In this way, with God’s help, the "me" in this scripture will not only be about Jesus, but it will be about us, too.

Micah 6:8 ....and what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

  

LaVerne Thorpe

Vice President of IDWM, First Christian Church Mesa, Arizona

Women and Children

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Justice Devotional - Playing Favorites

From 
Devotion to Justice
A series of devotions from the Justice table on the topics of

• Women and children
• Hunger and poverty
• Creation care
• Immigration

 Playing Favorites

Genesis 37:3-4 

Jacob’s favoritism to Joseph makes my blood boil. How can anyone treat one child special; to the detriment of other children in the family, and relationships between children? It sets up hard feelings and imbalances the family. It doesn’t often end with the favored child as a prince who protects the others, forgiveness and reconciliation, and everyone living in peace and prosperity. 

A small child comes to my house every day. From our first meeting, he offered to help me clean. I imagined he was eager to get paid. It felt pushy, but “at least he had good initiative and connected work to pay.” I was warned to be wary of offers, especially to watch this child, who likes to “pick up and touch things.” I waited, other children are often with him, and I didn’t want to play favorites.

I don’t give him things to do, but he jumps in to do things for me. He offers to share things with me; a treasured piece of candy. Funny thing, he never asks for money. He asks for a piece of bread or fruit. I began keeping food “put away” because his “begging” seemed habitual. I imagined he was growing, a “bottomless pit,” an appetite you cannot keep up with.

Yesterday he asked again for bread. “Didn’t your family just have lunch?” He said yes, but he did not get any; he was sleeping and when he woke there was nothing left in the pot. I remembered his father was deathly ill for months and just returned to the fields. He is also always in bare feet or sandals, no socks. One cold day I asked, “Where are your socks?” “They are dirty.” The socks he wears with his school uniform are his only pair.

Human nature bonds us with our children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, children in our church. But God calls us to be responsible for all children in God’s family; every hungry and cold child. Justice does not allow favorites; it is detrimental to other children, and relationships between children. It sets up hard feelings and imbalances for generations. The favored child rarely becomes a prince and protects the others. Favoritism stands in the way of forgiveness and reconciliation and everyone living in peace and prosperity. May God empower us to act in love beyond our favorites.

Rev. Dr. Loletta Barrett

Global Ministries, United Congregational Church, Kalkveld Namibia

Women and Children Read more!

Justice Devotional - Only a Story

From 
Devotion to Justice
A series of devotions from the Justice table on the topics of

• Women and children
• Hunger and poverty
• Creation care
• Immigration

Only a Story

Genesis 1:1-5

What a story! God speaks and the world emerges from chaos. God narrates the sun and moon, the plants and animals, the night and day into existence. God’s Story started “in the beginning,” but it didn’t end there. From Genesis to Revelation storytelling keeps God’s generative power alive and functioning. Jesus’ primary mode of communication was parables. Today we keep faith vital by telling compelling stories. Storytelling! As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. A-men. A-men!  

It was “only a story”

         about light and darkness

         water and dry land

         seeds and fruit

         fish and birds and beasts.

God made it all up.

Such things didn’t really exist,

but in the telling

         they came to life:

“LET THERE BE LIGHT”---

                  AND THE LIGHT APPEARED.

Then God imagined another creature

         into existence.

The creature couldn’t  

         swim like the fish,

         or fly like the birds,           or run like the beasts.

All the creature could do

         was tell stories---Made-up stories.

  

         “IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT…

         “ONCE THERE WAS A MAN

                  WHO HAD TWO SONS…”

         “CALL ME ISHMAEL…”

         “IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES,

                  IT WAS THE WORST OF TIMES…”

         “IN THE BEGINNING, GOD…”

They are “only stories”

         But in the telling

                  They came to life.

And new worlds are created.  

Doug Bland: Pastor, Community Christian Church Tempe, AZ

Co-Executive Director for Arizona Interfaith Power & Light: a religious

response to climate change  

Creation Care

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Justice Devotional - Creative Justice

From 
Devotion to Justice
A series of devotions from the Justice table on the topics of

• Women and children
• Hunger and poverty
• Creation care
• Immigration

Creative Justice
Proverbs 22:6


A young carabinero (Chilean policeman) showed up to a week-day worship service in full uniform creating quite a stir in the congregation as no one recognized him nor did they know his reason for coming to church. There are mixed feelings in Chile towards policemen. Some remember the human rights abuses of the dictatorship while others appreciate their national police force known to be one of the least corrupt in Latin America.

During the sharing of concerns, he politely asked permission to speak and walked to the front of the sanctuary. "You probably don't know who I am," he began.  "I grew up in one of the roughest areas of this town. I was often hungry and cold; my father beat me. I was surrounded by alcoholics and drug addicts. When I was a small child, my grandfather occasionally brought me to Sunday school at this church. Here, I was fed, and I learned that I was important to God. I was loved no matter where I came from or what happened to me at home. I have come back today, after all these years to say 'thank you' to the woman who was my Sunday School teacher. Sister Rebeca," and he turned to the woman who has been teaching Sunday school in that church for over 30 years, "Thank- you for the gifts of dignity, respect, and hope that you gave me. Even though you could not change my home life or the social conditions around me, I chose to become a policeman so that I could do my part to make this world a little more just for children who grow up in situations like mine. Thank you for believing in me. I have never forgotten you."

Creative justice can occur when a victim cannot meet his or her needs for justice through the legal or other systems of society. One of the forms of creative justice is when the victim works to make sure that the same damage or crime he or she has experienced does not happen to others. As we struggle to make society more just for all those who are victims of systemic injustice, may we also remember that as the church, we also have unique opportunities to open the doors through which those who seek justice can find creative ways to make wrong right.
 
Elena Huegel
Global Ministries Missionary
Pentecostal Church of Chile, Chile
Women and Children

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