If “compassion means justice” as Eckhart insists (and the
Jewish prophets of old insist), then to do justice in the midst of injustice is
to bring the Divine back to history and culture. It is to bring love back since “God is love”
and compassion is another word for love.
And justice is another word for love.
Matthew
Fox (Daily Meditations)
______________________________________
when I was young we used to sing
love, love, love, love
Christians this is your call
love your neighbor as yourself for
God loves us all
it is more than that
God is love
and if we participate in the Sacred
if we are permeated with the Sacred
we will love
and love is not passive
love welcomes
love accepts
love embraces
welcomes, accepts, and embraces all people
all
not just those like “us”
not just those who are our color
embrace our creed
our culture
but all
and welcome acceptance, and inclusion
are not possible
without justice
without equity
without compassion lived out
how is it then
that some, in the name of Jesus
have embraced injustice and inequity
have pursued domination and coercion
have opted for exclusion and even eradiation
rather than love?
I supposed we should not be surprised
read a prophet, almost any prophet
and you will see there the ancestors of those
who today would oppress and hoard
those who today would dominate and control
punish
exclude
destroy
those they have decided
are not children of God
Micah predicted woe on such people
“Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil
on their beds!
At morning’s light they carry it out because it is in
their power to do it.”
We could come up with a lot of woes!
Woe to those who accumulate and leave others hungry
Woe to those who neglect the poor, the ill, the
vulnerable
Woe to those who do not welcome the stranger
Woe to those who throw away transgender people
Woe to those who try to create a “Christian” nation
through oppressive and cruel legislation
Woe to those who think guns are more important than
children
Woe to those who think profits are more important than
the planet
Woe to those who think they are superior to others simply
because of pigmentation
Woe to those who minimize and marginalize women
Woe to those who push hate and fear for political power
The list could go on
None of us do it all right
all of us have ways in which we violate love
what do we do when we struggle to love those who do not love?
my thoughts about a certain political party and certain
political leaders are not very loving most days!
I admit it
but the fact is we must try love
and love requires justice
and justice must be equal
and for all
not just for some
love, love, love, love
that is our call
and we must live it out
and living it out is not just a matter of how we treat
our neighbor
(although it is that)
but it is a matter of the systems we support (or don’t
support)
the people who choose to listen to
and the people we vote for
to return to Micah
“What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and
to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
we must get out of our egos
we must fight for justice
we must be kind (to all)
it is as simple and difficult as that
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