Protests and the Drive for Social Justice

Portia White: A great Canadian Opera Singer; 

One of the most difficult decisions for a Christian is living in a complex modern society. Yes, we want to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. His words continue to stir our hearts. We love to worship our Triune God. Sharing the Gospel is a privilege, something that we wish to do more often. 

After leaving a marvelous, heart-warming hour or two with the congregation, we head back to our homes. The TV gets turned on, and the events from the wider world flood into our consciousness. It seems that over the past decade, there have been no shortages of "causes" or motivations for protest. 

There is a common element throughout these marches. "We want justice!" people cry out.

In Canada, the most recent concerns concern accusations of sexual impropriety among the top leaders of our military. There is a steady drip of discouraging news from our nation's highest officials, men, and women. One person was recently heard to say, "How can we trust anyone anymore?" It seems only a few years ago that cities across North America were flooded with millions of women protesting the "Me Too" movement.

The causes cross national borders: racial inequality, racist attacks against persons of Asian heritage, and Anti-Semitism. Right now, voices are raised for and against the great divide between Israel and Hamas. Violence in large urban areas in the USA came after countless Black men were killed by police. Ongoing court cases do nothing to diminish the fervor of protests, largely motived with the phrase "Black Lives Matter." Endless hours of TV bring the lives of previously unknown people into our minds, so we talk more about a deceased person a thousand miles away than about our neighbor next door, whom we barely greet, and about whom we know nothing.

As Christians, how do we respond to these daily events? Should we shut our eyes, saying in the quiet of our homes, "I wish all this would just go away!" Should we look at things generically: "Lord, we pray for world peace." Or, are there other ways to understand these happenings and other ways to respond?

Portia White overcame incredible obstacles.

What is the basis for our response? Should we, as followers of the Lord Jesus, avoid talking about these events? Should we get involved in any way? 

In the following blogs, I want to address some of the issues of living in a fallen world. For a start, I want to quote the words of Jesus Christ on the night before he was killed on a cross. "I have told you these things so that in me you will have peace. In this world you will have trouble But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33