micah 3 starts with the horrifying accusation: ‘you know God! shouldn’t you know justice!?’ (3:1) like much of the prophets and the gospels, this text lands justice and God’s heart and salvation and righteousness squarely in the same category. there is not the spiritual gospel and the social gospel. there is the whole gospel. love the LORD your God. love your neighbor. shouldn’t you know justice?
in our current context, a strong sense of justice (even indignation at the lack thereof) must be a driving element in our mission. with corruption and greed and civil war and disease and poverty leaving hundreds of millions of widows and orphans alone, the church must answer this compelling call in order to have anything of value to say. the prophet micah makes this clear.
this accusation is answered by the admonition to ‘do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with the LORD your God’ (6:8). this is the great commandment of the old testament. violence and loneliness are replaced by community and wholeness. the images of ‘swords into plowshares… spears into pruning hooks,’ and the lame and exiled and afflicted gathered and assembled give us a glorious picture of God’s kingdom (4:3-4, 6)
this is the compelling call of compassion.
Nice to meet you. I am very interested in orphans, I have added you to my typepad people list, and I will be back periodically to read :)
Cheryl
Posted by: Cheryl Tevis | October 09, 2007 at 10:56 AM