Yesterday
I continued a summer sermon series called, “My Favorite Scripture.” Earlier
this year I asked the people of Chain of Lakes to share their favorite
Scriptures. They shared about forty. I then asked everyone to take that list
and vote for their favorite. The top four vote getters are making up this
series.
I’m so
pleased that the congregation chose Micah 6:8 as one of their favorite
Scriptures. I had the opportunity to preach on it yesterday. The sermon can be
found at colpres.org and starts at the eighteen minute mark.
This
Scripture is a foundational one for those who are committed to social justice
ministries. I've come to believe that the ministry of a congregation goes beyond its social justice commitment. And this commitment is important for all congregations.
And full disclosure--even though I am a hundred percent committed to serving a congregation who reflects a social justice mindset and shares these ministries, I'm also a hundred percent committed to serving a congregation that brings people into a relationship with God and grows in discipleship. I want the people of the congregation that I serve to be passionate about evangelism and Bible reading and prayer and powerful worship. The numbers people will point out that two, one hundred percent commitments are not possible; however God can do amazing actions that transcend the understanding of our human minds.
I grew
up in a household very committed to social justice. Ever since Bob Burnett
preached with passion about social justice at Westminster Presbyterian church
in Worthington, Minnesota I’ve been surrounded by people committed to helping
the wider community look like the Kingdom of God. Because of this preaching my
parents moved our family to Kansas City, Kansas to live in the Inner City when I was in elementary school. For
the first time in my life, I saw the effects of poverty. I lived within a few
hundred yards of “the projects.” We had trash in the alley and some abandoned homes
close by. Not far away from our neighborhood was Johnson Country, touted at the
time as the third richest country in the United States. The contrast in neighborhoods
was jarring to my fourth-grade mind. I didn’t understand how people could live
in such wealth while people in the neighborhood where I lived experienced such
poverty.
Being
surrounded by people committed to social justice continued when I worked for
the farm workers in California just after graduating from college. I had the
opportunity to speak at churches to solicit support for the grape boycott. I
encountered many pastors, religious people, and lay folks committed to social
justice.
Micah
6:8 was our foundational Scripture.
I
shared in my sermon yesterday that this Scripture is a complete response to the
question, “what is the meaning of life?” If congregations can live out Micah
6:8 in their ministries they will grow in all sorts of way—including in their
numbers. Micah’s prophetic call is a vision for each of our lives. At my
funeral if people shared that I did justice, loved mercy, and walked humbly
with God, then my life will have been a success.
Doing justice AND loving mercy AND walking humbly with God together is key. We can’t be
complete people unless we do all three.
I think
of justice as removing that which causes suffering for those on the margins of
society—specifically the poor. Justice is going beyond helping those on the
margins—and helping is significant. Right now at Chain of Lakes we are involved
in a campaign to bring a hundred bags of groceries to pack the pantry for HOPE
4 Youth, the only organization in the Twin Cities whose sole mission is to help
youth who are homeless. Our congregation is halfway there. It will be significant
to contribute to give this much food away.
AND to
do justice means we have to ask the question of why youth are becoming
homeless. Then we have to find solutions that help youth not become homeless.
This work of justice is hard and can be controversial. But I believe that if
Jesus was living in the north Metro he would do everything he could to encourage people to create a world
where no youth is homeless.
The
work can be daunting. According to the World Health Organization, 13,000
children under five die from starvation every day. That’s one child for every
ten seconds. This is not living in poverty. This is dying because of poverty.
Such a
high number is not going to immobilize my work for justice. I just have to find
specific ways to channel my desire for justice that are effective.
The
second admonition in Micah 6:8 is to love mercy. A synonym for mercy is
kindness. This is a reflection of our heart. We are called to be kind to
others.
Kindness
is linked with justice. This is significant because when we’re doing justice
it’s easy to be angry. It’s easy to condemn people for not doing more. I
remember just a few years ago when I worked for the farm workers and I learned
about how the farm workers were being poisoned as they picked crops. I was
overwhelmed with anger. Why is this happening? Why do people accept this? Why
aren’t more people doing more to prevent this?
My
anger was righteous. But not effective. I learned over time that what Martin
Luther King Jr said that appealing to another person’s heart is the key to
justice. Appealing with kindness is more effective than appealing with anger.
Anger does have its place. And sometimes we just can’t help but be angry. But
just as Micah said to make systemic change for justice we are called to love
kindness.
Being
kind is how Christians are to be known. Christians should always be the kindest
people in the room. If we want to excel as a Christian excel in kindness. This takes
focus; it takes the ability to let go of our anger; it takes a level of
maturity. Kindness does not mean we give in. I can be kind to you and
completely disagree with what you are saying.
And
finally Micah said we want to walk humbly with God.
Micah
didn’t use the word relationship, but we can pull it out of this phrase. We’re
called to have a relationship with God. it’s a daily walk.
Recently
I was talking to someone who said that Presbyterians are good at the thinking
about God. We have all sorts of theologies and ideas about God. Thinking about
God and being in a relationship with God are not the same. A walk is not what
we think about God. It’s really how we feel about God. Jesus took this idea in
the second part of the Great Commandment when he said we want to love God with
all of our heat.
I can’t
adequately do justice without this daily walk.
I’m
glad that Micah implored people to walk humbly with God. When I go for a walk with my
wife, Amy, and I’m humbly walking with her then I’m putting my own needs aside and
focusing on her. What is she saying, what is she communicating, what matters to
her. The same applies to God. When I'm walking humbly with God I'm completely focused on what God wants.
Doing
all three together is what makes this verse from Micah one of the most
important verses of the Bible.
Doing
justice without mercy or a humble walk with God is actually dangerous. Loving
mercy without justice or a humble walk with God is the worst of Minnesota Nice. Walking
humbly with God without doing justice or loving mercy is spiritual narcissism.
We
need all three together.
Though
Micah lived about 2,800 years ago I’m so glad for his words in Micah 6:8.