Equity and Justice
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 -- Week of Proper 28, Year One
Hugh, 1200, and Robert Grosseteste, 1253, Bishops of Lincoln
Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 992)
Psalms 97, 99, [100] (morning) 94, [95] (evening)
1 Maccabees 3:25-41*
Revelation 21:1-8
Matthew 17:14-21 *found in the Apocrypha
"See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away."
As we near the end of the Revelation of John, we see a vision of the union of heaven and earth in a new creation. God gives to the thirsty water from the spring of the water of life. The effect of God's presence is justice, healing and peace.
We read of a similar vision from the psalms. Psalm 97 declares that the foundations of God's reign are righteousness and justice. God upholds the truehearted and delivers the saints from those who do wrong. Psalm 99 praises God directly, saying, "O mighty Ruler, lover of justice, you have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob."
Justice is at the heart of the vision of God's reign. God is love. Justice is the social form of love. The opposite of justice is human injustice. It is human injustice that brings the oppression and tears that need divine healing and peace. There is something fundamentally egalitarian about justice. Justice and equity are deeply related. When justice reigns, righteousness is upheld and human injustice is inhibited.
Those who would live in right relationship with God, which is what righteousness means, are those who uphold God's values, who strive alongside God for God's purposes. God promises ultimate vindication of the righteous.
Equity, peace, healing, and justice -- these are the cornerstones of righteousness. Inequality, violence, discord, and injustice -- these are the fruits of unrighteousness. Insofar as our power is exercised in ways consistent with the values of God, we are participating in God's reign. But God's judgment reaches out to frustrate the false ways of pride, greed, oppression and violence.
These Biblical words have social, economic and political consequences. Unjust political, economic and social systems create systemic injustice and human suffering. From the time of Moses, God has called us to oppose systemic injustice and to work to create systemic justice. The prophets of every age speak truth to power and call us to a high calling on behalf of God's justice.
From the Biblical perspective, the focus of justice is always on the poor. If you want to know what God wants, ask from the perspective of the poor. "Forgive us our debts" and "give us today our daily bread" are petitions from the poor.
Our political and economic system in this nation tends to be structured from the perspective of the wealthy. I ran across another example yesterday. It is not a criminal act if an employer withholds payment from a worker. But if that same worker, denied a paycheck, writes a hot check to buy groceries for his family, that's a crime. Stealing labor from a worker is a regulatory offense that rarely is prosecuted and results in a slap on the wrist. A hot check provokes quick police action, and not infrequently, jail. That's a system structured to favor the wealthy, those who can afford to employ others.
Equity and justice. The social form of love. Viewed from the perspective of the poor. "Thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." These are the things we talk about every day in our headlines. Will health care be available to all? Will everyone have the material essentials of life? Will our systems defend the poor or simply be manipulated by the most powerful and wealthy?
Christians have a vision of God's reign. We are to live by the values of that vision now. God's judgment will be based on those values. Will we be on the side of righteousness or on the side of injustice?
Lowell
_____________________________________________
Audio podcast: Listen to an audio podcast of the most recent Morning Reflections from today and the past week. Click the following link: Morning Reflection Podcasts
About Morning Reflections
Morning Reflections is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.
Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117
An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html
The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.
Visit our web site at www.stpaulsfay.org
Our Rule of Life
Lowell Grisham, Rector
Audio podcast: Listen to an audio podcast of the most recent Morning Reflections from today and the past week. Click the following link: Morning Reflection Podcasts
About Morning Reflections
Morning Reflections is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.
Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117
An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html
The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.
Visit our web site at www.stpaulsfay.org
Our Rule of Life
We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.
Lowell Grisham, Rector
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
posted by Lowell @ 7:57 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Just a few question Lowell.
1. Define healthcare. Seriously, what do you consider a acceptable definition.
2. Define material essential? What the the bare minimals here in America?
3. What verses are you using to defend "God's judgement will be based on those values"?
thank you
1. I know that Oregon has had a healthy conversation about basic health care. They have chosen to set some limits with regard to experimental, untested and expensive procedures, and some limits on treatments that are unlikely to be successful. The most controversial, as I recall, was to limit chemotherapy in cases where the likelihood of success is less than 5%.
I think those are good conversations to have. Where would public health care be limited? It's the same question every insurance company answers as they set limits on what they will or will not cover. Only, those conversations are usually not public conversations and have a profit margin as a higher priority than what is best for human health.
2. People should not be hungry. People should not be without shelter. Every person should have an opportunity to work.
3. Start with the prophets and continue through the Beatitudes. The easiest answer is "Love your neighbor as yourself." That's God's ethical norm. That's what we're expected to live into. Or maybe James' practical word: "If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,' and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?
It was great to see the questions already posted... I had essentially the same questions just perhaps posed in a different way... I Twitterd the other day about Safety = Maslow Heirarchy of safety or Feeling safe and secure...
Our Country is at such a crossroas with people unemployed, underemployed, children hungry everyday.....The no health care is scary what can be provided and not rationed. New guidelines on breast care is CRAZINESS....
Finally, if Washington DC Catholic Charities... in which I am a huge fan... does not want to accept city money to care for the poor and unwanted because that means they can NO LONGER DISCRIMINATE than where are WE as a Church... why are we not stepping in and offering refuge to those who need the care.... They have such a wonderful reputation for their givings... yet full of hypocracy and discrimination..... where are WE?
Thanks. PS. I'm always a day behind in my readings....
1. I wasn't talking about chemo and cancer, i was just referring to healthcare in general. First you said "basic healthcare" and then jumped straight to the big job of cancer treatment. If we are going to have a serious and healthy discussion, don't you think you can give a definition that at least you can live with?
2. So when the Dali Lama goes on a hunger strike, that is bad right?
3. where is the limit of giving then? I have 2 kids, am I to give their food and shelter too? That doesn't seem to practical. What about when the needy out number us 'lucky' ones.
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