Justice

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. He is trampling down the mansions where the wealth of men is stored. He has heard each cry of widow, orphan, refugee–ignored! The Lord is marching on! Refrain: Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah! The Lord is marching on. I have seen Him in the eyes of migrants in a holding cell. I have heard Him in the songs of slaves whose joy could not be quelled. Though His throne is found in heaven, He has walked with them through Hell! The Lord is marching on! ...

Re-dedication? Cease exploitation! Dedicate yourselves To defend the low-stationed. Rededicate? I hate your “fasts.” Won’t hear your supplication Over the cries of those you’ve chained To stop illegal immigration. Oh, you’d like a Christian country? Then try this rededication: Sell all you have And give it to the poor across the nation. Take every gun And melt it to a plow to fight starvation. Make every congregation Known for love, not condemnation. Rededicate? Until widows, orphans, refugees Are cared for, there’s no point. Unless you turn in dust and ash, I will never anoint All you’ve dared to claim My Name for I won’t spare your greedy land I won’t bless your “Christian” country Til you open up your hands To feed the hungry, House the homeless, Clothe the naked, Serve the Lord, Bless the migrant, Love you neighbor, Or else, what’s a nation for? So, if you dare, rededicate Your nation to the Cross, But, take care, before you do Repent! And count the cost.

I keep seeing the same rhetorical move, and it’s making me furious. An ICE agent shoots someone on video. The administration lies about it in ways that would make Orwell blush. And the response from certain Christian commentators? “Let’s not fan the flames.” “We shouldn’t rush to conclusions.” “There are extremes on both sides.” This posture has the appearance of wisdom. It sounds mature, measured, above the fray. It positions the speaker as the reasonable adult in the room while everyone else loses their heads. ...

I commend the entire interview series that Ed Stetzer recently did with Esau McCaulley. Among many highlights, I appreciate McCaulley’s following answer to the question of negotiating the differences between protests and riots. Again, read the whole interview and series, but here’s a key section related to concern about rioting and lawlessness: [Ed Stetzer] We both agree: Protests are good. Riots are not. Unpack that for us from your context. Esau: There is a cycle of what happens. There’s a racial incident. African Americans protest. Some of those protests from people inside and outside the community turn violent. People say, “Hey, look at this. Why aren’t the Christians who are speaking out against the racial injustice equally strong speaking about the riots?” ...