Intolerant to Injustice

Every now and again I’ll just drive around in my car, open up Spotify, choose a playlist, and turn my stereo all the way up. I dunno, for me it’s therapeutic.

Last night I was doing just that, aimlessly driving around Princeton, doing my thing, and I began to think about the injustice in our world, Like

The fact that we live in a world that treats someone who is rich and guilty far better than someone who is poor and innocent.

The fact that we attend churches that are far more worried about “proper doctrine” than the equality of man or woman.

The fact that in America one’s ethnicity determine’s their likelihood for future incarceration.

And most disturbingly – many of the Churches I have been personally involved with could care less.

As I was driving, and thinking through all of this, I started to feel overwhelmed.

With no words

Overwhelmed with anger and frustration

I cried…

I sat there in my car, and cried.

I don’t think I was upset about the injustice, so much as I was broken up about the fact that many of the Churches I’ve been a part of, the future pastors here on campus I’ve talked to… seem to care less.

It was this feeling of hopelessness.

Eventually – I began to realize how depressing this whole scenario was… you know, sitting alone, at night, in a vacant parking lot crying, yeah…

And so I asked myself why I even cared. I asked God why I couldn’t just be like everyone else, and sponsor a compassion child and then just wipe my hands clean from the blood of the oppressed (like see – right there, why do I have to be so dramatically intense about this?).

I realized:

One, because it is that intense.

Two, because, when I look at those who are suffering, who are oppressed, or treated with inequality… I see myself. 

I ask:

If I was a female not allowed to “speak in church” how would that make me feel?

If I was gay and therefore rejected and ostracized by my church community because of this, how would that make me feel?

If I was poor, or of darker skin complexion, physically “disabled”, and made fun of because of these things, how would that make me feel…?

You see I can tolerate almost any theological difference, but one thing in which I cannot tolerate, is the theological malpractice of one claiming Christ yet oppressing his beloved! 

Post my lonely cry session in that vacant parking lot – theres been some hope, though it’s only a single ounce of hope, it’s still yet hope.

All in all, I will confront those who are terrifyingly current/future pastors, but yet bigots, within our church. I will fight for justice and inequality, I will daily repent of my own personal ignorances and injustices… and I will pick up my cross and carry it despite the costs.

I do all of this because I’m broken just like the disenfranchised listed above… and even in my brokenness God has still yet loved, received, and died for me. I’m not sure how – but because of this love from Christ, I too will die and give my life for others…

Wanna come with?