In the last several posts I have argued that discrimination towards women may well constitute the greatest issue of injustice in the world today. Tragically, I suspect that most evangelical men are not grieved over this suggestion for two reasons. I suspect that most evangelical men in the west are simply unaware of the gravity of the situation. Unfortunately, many are too dismissive of the facts when they are presented. Many evangelicals hold to a conviction that the Bible affirms... Read more
I am relieved and I am grieved. I am relieved that a semblance of justice has taken place. I am grieved because this is only one instance of thousands and tens of thousands in which justice has not been rendered. (There would be no need for the Equal Justice Initiative if there was already equal justice). I am grieved because justice on a daily basis is still not equitable. I am grieved for the thousands of people of color that... Read more
I am relieved and I am grieved. I am relieved that a semblance of justice has taken place. I am grieved because this is only one instance of thousands and tens of thousands in which justice has not been rendered. (There would be no need for the Equal Justice Initiative if there was already equal justice). I am grieved because justice on a daily basis is still not equitable. I am grieved for the thousands of people of color that... Read more
In my first two posts on women and injustice (“women, injustice, and the Bible #1” and “women, injustice, and the Bible #2”) I noted some of the injustices women face in the US. In all reality, what I set forth was fairly mild. The global oppression of women is tragically far more grievous. In many places, young girls, often teenagers, are forced into marrying men typically much older men. In fact, one-third of the world’s girls are married before they... Read more
Psalm 139 is one of the more famous Psalms of David. In it we find the famed Psalm 139:7: Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? Other parts of the Psalm are widely recognizable to many. Pro-life advocates are fond of citing Psalm 139:13-14: For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are... Read more
A few weeks ago, I was preaching on the Bible, women, and injustice. As I was concluding the service I started to break down. No one noticed. But I was suddenly struck with grief as I contemplated my wife, my daughter, my daughters-in-law, and especially my new granddaughter who had been born the previous week. I wondered what kind of world is she going to have live in? Injustices towards women[1] It is fairly well known that women historically have... Read more
I suspect that most everyone would agree that women face unfair treatment on a global scale. I also suspect that when most men are asked to consider the injustices that women face, they will think of matters such as wage discrimination. Well, how about if I were to suggest that injustice towards women presents us with some of the greatest issues of injustice in the world?[1] The fact is: Women are far more impacted by the global practices of sex-selective... Read more
Are you willing to follow Christ even if it means ______________? Hopefully, we would all say “yes” here. But what if, like the rich young ruler, Jesus said, “go, sell your possessions and give them to the poor” (Matt 19:21)? I wonder if I would balk and come up with a reason why I wouldn’t do it: like, “I mean that I would do it if God were asking me, but I really don’t think that this is the... Read more
In the last few posts, we have been noting that any attempt to apply the biblical call to justice by directly translating what the Scriptures say into our present context may be problematic for two reasons. First, which we addressed in the post, “Doing Justice Today: what does it look like? Understanding Empire,” we noted that we often have a poor, or at least a very limited, understanding of the empires that resided behind the biblical world. In addition, which... Read more
Many efforts to discuss justice and the church fail to account for the biblical view of empire. In my view, this is a serious mistake with a multitude of repercussions. When it comes to applying the biblical view of justice to our current contexts I would contend that we have three hurdles to overcome: We often have a poor conception of the empires behind the biblical world. I addressed this in my last post. We have a poor conception of... Read more
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