Grappling with Social Justice

“In the Christian obsessed with “social justice” it isn’t easy to discern whether charity is flourishing or faith is expiring.” – Nicolas Gomez Davila

Plain and simple: I grew up poor. From a young age, I questioned the social order and welfare systems of the USA and the world. When my mother had to work three minimum wage jobs to feed her four children, I knew there was something wrong with our social system. After I became a Christian I read the teachings of Christ and felt compelled that something, if not everything must change in society and as a follower of Christ, I have the responsibility to advocate and work towards such change.

As I entered college, I felt a greater calling to rise up and do something. Sitting in a theology class, I heard the words “social justice” and “social gospel” for the first time. I could finally put a cause to the angst I felt internally.  Now I am at a point where I am grappling with these concepts. I am a large advocate of changing our society down to the systemic levels. I believe in the saving power of Jesus Christ. I believe in showing the love and compassion of Christ through works (a cup of cold water in Jesus’ name). What I am struggling with is finding a balance between evangelism and social justice. I have been reading Rauschenbusch and others and I recognize that the pendulum can’t sway too much to one side. One must not give up the message of the saving power of Christ when leveling out society. But one must not keep people from eternal hell by failing to meet their needs to keep them for an earthly hell.

Don’t think I’m a heretic. I think believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven (John 14:6), but I also firmly believe that Jesus calls Christians to help save people from the hells of this earth; poverty, disease, abuse and addiction to name some. My question is, why can’t we as Christians find a balance (myself included)? I see there are some denominations that have a social justice emphasis while others strictly evangelism. This debate splits moderate and conservative Baptist. I don’t think this will be settled overnight, but I thought I would share my struggles.

Texas Loses Another…

Sunday was the last time in the pulpit for Brett Younger at Ft. Worth’s Broadway Baptist Church. I’m sad to lose a great moderate preacher in this state. I admit that I’m a geek that downloads his sermons every week. I was quite upset when a friend of mine went to visit Broadway without me.

What is most sad about Younger leaving is that it is based around controversy. Last year around November, to celebrate Broadway’s 150 anniversary as in custom in many churches, they wanted to make a picture directory of church members. However, what is not custom in most churches (well Baptist churches) is Broadway’s congregation has been welcoming to homosexuals. The question was then brought in front of the church as to how, if at all, homosexual couples should be photographed and displayed in the directory. This led to a large debate within the church, a vote that was postponed until February. A decision was made that no one would be photographed individual or in family units, rather the directory would have pictures with groups of church members in church activities.

The discussion did not stop at with the directory controversy. This ignited a firestorm of controversy in which a group was formed named “Friends of Broadway.” They started a website and sought to persuae that Younger had destroyed Broadway and an argument over photographs was only the tip of an iceberg of problems. The church took a vote to remove Younger, with the ruling in his favor. However, in the calm of the storm, Younger threw himself overboard as wished by the congregation and resigned from Broadway to take a job as a professor of preaching at the McAfee School of Theology.

I don’t know if I should be disappointed with Younger or not. Certainly I can’t imagine being in his shoes and the amount of pressure and maybe even hatred he faced from his congregation. I don’t know his heart or intentions, but they seem suspect to me. With all respect, I admire Younger, but it seemed as if he meant to stir the pot only to leave it on the stove. I have to question in my heart if he intentionally caused controversy because he knew he was leaving. Surely this job was not offered and accepted overnight… In such cases I feel it was wrong on his part to cause such strife and dissension in the church for something he is nothing going to continue to fight for. But maybe I’m just a conspiracy theorist or just jealous because first Julie Pennington-Russell leaves for Atlanta, and now Brett.

I will also take this time to give my opinion about the directory issue. I have mulled over this or the last eight months. It has caused me to think about what I would do in a similar situation. I guess in my mind I am not sure what the big deal is. I can sympathize with the church for struggling over loving the sinner but hating the sin. Members of Broadway did not want a homosexul lifestyle endorsed and thus why they did not want to photograph couples. I get that. But if that is the case, then why stop there. Why is homosexuality the only sin they don’t want endorsed? Why did no question the photographing of couples living out of wedlock. Or what about divorced members that remarried? Are these not lifestyle sins too? I am simply advocating consistency. No sin is greater then another.

The church is made up of humans. Our very basic theology tells us that humans are sinful. If humans are sinful, then the church is made up of a bunch of sinful people. The is none righteous, not even one. I am not saying to condone sin, but as a local churches and teh universal church we must reconigze that we all sin. I think this is just one more example people have included in their arsenal to excuse their bitterness toward churches and Christians. How sad.

Goodbye Brett Younger. Texas loses another. I will have to find something else to do for those 20 minutes on Sundays.