In it, Not of it – Re-Gathering in an Unjust World
Social distancing measures have been in place for many weeks now. It has given us, in some ways, concentrated time by ourselves. During this time of the COVID-19 gathering restrictions and physical distancing, I’ve been studying through the book of Lamentations. The prophet Jeremiah records his lament at the destruction of Judah, Jerusalem and the suffering and forced exile of the Jewish people at the hands of the Babylonians in 587 BC. It is not easy reading. Both in the final siege of Jerusalem and the aftermath, there was tremendous suffering, violence, famine, and abuse of all manner. There was injustice.
To be fair, the nation had been warned, many times, about their apostacy, their continual sin against a holy God. They would not listen, they continued in their sin. Several prophets reminded them, begged them, but they would not change. Then judgment came, and it was terrible, but there was a glimmer of hope, of future hope.
As the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions begin to lift, and as we phase back into gathering physically together, we see that in the weeks of quarantine our world has changed, but not for the better. Just look at social media, news programming – protests, riots, looting, brutality, murder of the innocent. We live in an unjust world. Is there any real hope?
The prophet Jeremiah wrote these seemingly out of place words amid incredible suffering, both personally and nationally; “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: the steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in him. The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul that seeks Him.” (Lamentations 3:21-25).
We have an unjust world where injustice reigns because we are unjust people. We are hopelessly lost in sin that judges others, persecutes and kills. We judge others based on their skin colour, their differing beliefs, or their economic status. There is racial and economic disparity, a social and cultural marginalization that prevents us from seeing others as God sees them, as Jesus sees them today. So, where is the hope that Jeremiah speaks of? Is it merely hope for a judged nation to be restored to freedom from exile and their return to economic prosperity?
True justice is only found in the Gospel. Sinfulness and injustice in our world increases. It is a pushed agenda; it is accelerated, and it is celebrated. But the Gospel gives us new hope of justice in an unjust world. The apostle Paul speaks about true biblical justice; “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). True justice does not begin with bringing justice to the injustices in our society, it begins with us individually. It begins when we, through faith come to Christ and the war of our sin against a holy God is won and we have peace with God – freedom from war. Only then can we begin to address the injustices of our world.
As we begin to re-gather, as individual church communities, as friends and groups of people, let us that have been justified by faith reach out into our unjust world and live and speak the truth of true justice – peace with God through personal faith in Christ. The prophet Isaiah gives us some sober thoughts as we re-gather in an unjust world; “cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause” (Isaiah 1:16b-17). We serve a just God, even in a world of injustice. May we be people of justice, love, and hope!
Calling to mind the hope we have in a just God!
Rev. Bill Allan
AGC President