Prayer and Justice by Alana Wiens

Alana Wiens, March 8th, 2010

The other day I was killing some time in a local charity shop and ran into an old friend.  As I looked through the stacks of books I came upon “Bono on Bono: Conversations with Michka Assayas”.  My much loved copy had been missing since relocating from the US to the UK two years ago.

More than just an “old friend” it was reading this book back in 2006 that took my long held campaigning heart and tied it firmly to my faith.  Since I was a kid I had been involved in issues and in politics.  I often found myself burned out and frustrated at my inability to create the change I looked for.  I also often found the church uninterested in soiling its hands in the dirty nature of politics.  And suddenly here was a rock star telling me that my faith and heart for justice were always meant to be together.

The book also opened my eyes to a world of inequality in Africa:

“What Africa says about Europe and America is withering.  It says we’ve built our Houses of Parliament and government on sand, because if we really believed the things we say we believe, we would not let 23 million Africans die of AIDS.”

That sentence (along with others in the book) started me thinking in new ways about justice.  For years I had campaigned to right wrongs and help those less fortunate, but I hadn’t given a lot of thought to the difference between charity and justice.  Staring in the face of the AIDS tragedy it was hard to avoid it.  What does community mean in an age of globalization?  When it comes to earthquakes in Haiti, are we just giving them crumbs from our table? Are we really treating them as if we believe they are our equals?  Am I creating separation between me and an AIDS victim by thinking my sin is lesser than theirs?

In the years since I first met this book I’ve read many others and met lots of interesting people that have continued my justice education.  I’ve learned about questions of mercy and justice (who am I to determine who deserves my help?) and looked again and again at the issue of inequality.

Bono has been brilliant for his ability to shake an indifferent Church with his message about extreme poverty and his reminder of how much of Jesus’ message is about how we treat the poor.  However, if this goes no further than a vague feeling of guilt, then it has accomplished little.  The message of justice must drive us first to prayer and then to action.

So, from my own journey over these last few years, here are a few steps:

Pray - This may seem obvious, but too often we move straight from an idea into action.  Don’t just pray for God to bless what you’re planning to do.  Pray for a heart for justice.  Pray to see injustice.  Pray about how you act on injustice.

Get Educated - Take the time to learn about an issue before jumping in.  Look at the many sides of an issue.

Check Your Heart - Are you looking for glory in this?  Is this about you, or about God?  Are you fixing something or bringing God’s love to a situation?

Check Your Life - Are you continuing injustice in your life?  What do your buying habits say about your belief in equality?  Are you addicted to cheap things that continue a cycle of extreme poverty for the producers?  Are you making bad choices and ignoring your role as a steward of creation?

Act - It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the possibilities or worn out by the sheer amount of injustice in the world.  Remember that this is never about you changing the world.  It’s about you joining with God to bring one tiny little piece of His Kingdom to earth.  Choose an injustice (even a small one) and act on it.  Write a letter to a local politician.  Work with a charity.  Or find people on your own street that are victims of injustice.  Don’t start out trying to fix everything, or you will fail.

Pray - As you act, continue in prayer.  So often there may not be a concrete action that we can do to intervene in a situation (or we may not see it yet), but we have a very powerful tool in prayer.  Intercede for the hungry, the broken and the lost.  Luke 11 teaches about the persistent neighbour asking for bread.  Persist in prayer for those with no voice.

This month 24-7 Prayer is launching it's online course on Justice.  Topics include biblical approach to Justice, loving the poor, mercy and justice, Jesus and justice, social engagement, human trafficking, liberation theology and how we move forward in justice.  Please see the Virtual page for more information on how your group can be part of this justice course.