“to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God,” (Micah 6:8)

“seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, [and] plead the widow’s cause” (Isaiah 1:17).

So today, as I was driving up to the church two things happened.  The first was that I hit and killed a chipmunk.  I had swerved to try and miss the little creature to no avail.  When I pulled over to see if there was anything I could do, it was really obvious that a chipmunk competing for road space with my car, as little as it is, meant that there was no way the chipmunk could come out o.k.  Now I know its just a little thing, but somehow it struck me as particularly awful this morning, and I sat in my car and cried for a bit and of course, me with my brain, saw this as a moment of great meaning and I contemplated the idea of little things meeting in conflict with Great Big Things, and how it often means that little things lose out.

The second thing that happened was that I listened to a CBC broadcast about some climate activists in France who apparently glued their hands to the glass of a painting by Botticelli called Primavera.  The reason that they picked this painting was not at all clear, nor was the reason for why they glued their hands to it.  The activists were, however, protesting the use of coal and gas, and apparently had consulted an art restoration expert to ensure that the glue they used would pose no risk to the painting.  Primavera is a pretty interesting Renaissance painting, though; it’s a lush garden scene populated by figures from Greek mythology.  The CBC broadcast suggested that these activists engaged in this odd, and potentially very destructive form of protest because the issue of climate change seems to be getting less and less air time, and many of the younger generation are feeling like there is no political will to address climate issues.

So once again, little things, trying to protest a Great Big Thing, and losing out.

Protesting things has become almost a way of life.  And really, at the end of the day, I’m all over us having the right to peacefully protest.  In fact, our Bible tells us that part of our Christian responsibility is to seek justice for those who are on the margins of our society.  In the Bible they talk a lot about justice for children and widows; because those were the people who had little rights or ability to ensure  that they had housing or food on their table.  The people on our margins are a little different these days; I would name them as the people with disabilities, or who live in Long-term Care, or those who are unhoused.  Regardless – we  are called to lives that ensure that those without are given what they need not only to survive but to thrive.

And this is where things seem to get a little dicey; you see – we’ve recently been confronted by a lot of people who would also say that they are followers of Jesus, choosing to protest; not because they are hoping for justice for those on the margins, but for themselves.  I’m thinking in particular of the churches that defied public health orders and kept their buildings open; often turning into super-spreader events for Covid. Or the truckers that keep gathering, keep honking their horns and snarling up downtown Ottawa because they feel that the travel restrictions are impeding their rights.  And so protests – because of privilege?  Maybe….I’m still trying to get my brain around all of this.

Christians around the world have considered the pursuit of justice part of what they are supposed to do for, well since Jesus hung around with us way back 2000 years ago.  Except, recently that is.  Recently, some North American Christians have lost the sense of call to justice; an interesting idea since much of Protestant Christianity in North America have strong historic ties to the Social Gospel movement.  Did you know for example, that Sunday School was formed so that child labourers would have a place to learn how to read?  This, change in outlook is partly because the Greek word dikaiosunê, which appears hundreds of times in the New Testament, is translated in Latin languages (Spanish, French, Italian, etc) as “justice”, but in English as “righteousness.” Because of this focus on “righteousness” – or really “right living” we have reduced justice to something that only happens in court, and often is equated with punishment as opposed to a wider idea of restoration; restoration of people into community and into relationship with God.

But really, over and over again, our bible reminds us that we are called to love justice, and to the right use of our resources in order to ensure the well-being of those on the margins.  Not for us – not for those of us who are privileged; but for those that God loves and has called us to love. And the purpose of this justice is to ensure that those on the margins are embraced wholly into our community, are ‘restored’ to community.

I know that little things often lose out to Great Big Things, and that its easier to get mad when our privilege seems to be eroding, than it is to stand up for rights of those on the margins; but at the end of the day, we’re not called to ease and comfort; we’re called to be faithful, to enact justice and to restore those on the margins into our community.

And to love one another.  Gluey hands and all.

Blessings today and remember you are Loved.

~Rev. Lynne