No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream. -- Martin Luther King
"We Shall Overcome" speech excerpt
"We Shall Overcome" song sung by Joan Baez
Many of us have been concerned with social justice our whole lives. Perhaps it is because our hearts go out to those who have been oppressed and imprisoned. Perhaps it is because our people have been oppressed and imprisoned. Perhaps it is because we have been oppressed and imprisoned ourselves. We pray about what we hear in the news. We cry when learn about the pain of others. Our hearts are broken by how the world treats us and those we love. Sometimes we feel that the evil in the world is too much to withstand. We look for a way out from the misery we see all around us.
If we stay stuck in the bad news about the state of humankind: war, hunger, famine, oppression, slavery, rape, abuse, violence.. we prime ourselves for relapse, we deepen our depression, we forget that we have a Savior with a solution.
So, we don't look away from the truth of injustice in the world, but we also look up to God for answers. Dr. King referred to Amos 5 in his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. In that chapter of Amos, our God says, "Seek Me and live... Seek the Lord and live... Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you." Like the writer of Psalms, "I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth." Psalm 121: 1 and 2
So, we don't pick up a drink or a drug when we are overwhelmed by evil in the world. We need not eat over it or act out in any other way. We realize we are not alone and we take the advice found in Romans 12:14-21: "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord. On the contrary: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Let's pray that God will focus our eyes on Him and our energies on His will.
"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next. Amen."
--Reinhold Niebuhr
