If you are among the common citizens of America, just getting up every day, going about your work, looking after your home and community as you happily try to raise your children and influence your grandchildren to live out true values; you might feel that the true definition of “social justice” is a bit fuzzy sometimes.
It really shouldn’t be; but sometimes in this culture the definition of everything gets foggy. The scriptures even tell us that in the last days men will call good evil and evil good.
Social justice is a good thing; isn’t it?
Perhaps you catch yourself asking this question often as you go about your day, especially in the month of January when we celebrate Martin Luther King Day in America.
If we all went outside and asked the common people in the streets of our neighborhoods and cities what their definition of “social justice” is; they would probably tell us that social justice is a movement started in the 1960’s by Martin Luther King Jr. which gave the black population of America equal rights.
This is only half-truth though.
Those things DID happen, but there are also many other sides to this concept called “social justice.” The movement by Dr. King was only one incident in a whole world full of people groups and cultures seeking social justice.
Each case and every circumstance is different. You cannot compare one with the other because their causes and the things they deal with in this world are not the same; they do not compare. You must declare true “social justice” in a case by case way; or it will not always work.
The subject of “social justice” is so much larger and wider than the movement that happened back in the 1960’s; and it involves so many more cultures than just the black population of America.
Still; this is what instantly pops into our heads when the two words are mentioned, and maybe this is because of the vast amounts of media coverage given to Dr. King’s honor over the years. Yet; an educated person quickly grasps the fact that the subject of “social justice” deals with so many more issues than segregation and equal rights. (Even though those ARE two huge issues of social justice.)
The issues would depend on whether or not you were thinking globally; or just within the context of the citizens of your own country, or even more locally within the context of your own community. Americans tend to think of The Civil Rights Movement, but there are also many other American issues where social justice is at work and/or an issue that needs to be addressed.
Yes; it was a popular political machine that Dr. King used as means to an end to accomplish his life goals. This theory or concept of “social justice” WAS very successful in helping to accomplish the elements of Dr. King’s dream; but will it do the same for other dreams of other world leaders who wish for a more utopian type of civilization? If so; can the concept also be used for abuse and misdirection of cultures, leading them into places they never wanted to go?
We must consider all sides of the possible results.
Social justice has many trip-wires, and if you are not careful with your understanding you will find yourself making irreversible mistakes in judgement whenever it is used in administration of laws.
When we come to the subject of social justice in today’s culture in the United States of America, there are so many questions that are unanswered or vaguely defined in the minds of the general population. Most are never considering the whole big picture, just their little part of the world.
These unanswered questions are fueled by vague, much too general concepts which often turn into torn and divided bits of shredded but faded evidence in the minds of the general public.
Yet; science has proven over and over again, if a butterfly flutters it’s wings something all the way across the globe will probably eventually be affected, and often no one knows or understands the total outcome of such an action until it is too late. Social justice can turn out that way; or not. Contrary to popular positive thinking; It has been used as a form of deception to change people’s opinions as well as a form of a platform for righting wrongs and changing injustice.
Let’s throw some of those “social justice”questions on the table and see what true answers are available.
I will prayerfully give my thoughts on the answers to each question in future articles under our PIECES OF THE PUZZLE topics. These topics are usually reserved for clarification into religious issues instead of political ones; but I do believe that if Christians do not involve themselves in the politics of both their own country and the politics of the whole globe; they become luke-warm and ignorant.
The bible clearly points out these facts when the scriptures tell us “my people die from lack of knowledge” and “I will spew the luke-warm out of My mouth.”
God doesn’t want luke-warm people who run off and hide and call it “being a separate and peculiar people” or “coming out of the world.” That is not what the scriptures mean. We come out of the world when we stand up to the evil in the world, and we separate ourselves from the ungodly by being a voice for God in the streets.
I believe today’s Christians need to grasp a clear understanding of the term “social justice” and begin to see how it has often been twisted into something else; something that God would not approve of or condone. We must take a stand on the knowledge furnished in the holy scriptures; and that journey begins by learning the truth about “social justice.”
I’ll also warn you; this is an intense subject and it cannot be covered in simple, easy to follow words and terms. Be prepared to consider all angles of this discussion and try to read all of the articles before making a firm decision as to your stance on the issue. These questions will be addressed in the articles to come in this blog in the near future:
- What exactly is social justice and how should it be used in our nation today?
- Is social justice useful or harmful to a society that employs it?
- How has history defined this conceptual ideal?
- Who has the right to define how social justice is used and why would it be necessary in a government established on foundations of liberty and freedom?
- How has social justice evolved and changed over the years and where should we be going with this evolving concept in 2020?
- Is social justice a godly pursuit; and should Christians actually be involved in this area of politics as it is now being presented to our nation?
- How is social justice being portrayed by our schools, our churches and our communities and local governing bodies? Are these true presentations?
- Have we closed our eyes to the ways that social justice IS being presented today due to nostalgia and ignorance of the whole concept or the whole story?
- What goes on behind the scenes when the public is presented with a new form of social justice?
- Are there any hidden agendas operating under the guise of this widely accepted and applauded theory called “social justice” How can we know and what can we do?
This blog will attempt to explore and provide answers to each of these complicated questions mentioned above, but we will answer each question within separate articles. These articles will come forth in the days ahead.
This commentary is merely one person’s opinion; and it isn’t to try to sway anyone from their own opinions; but it is the hope of the author by giving discussion points to ponder that we can peacefully come together into a workable, common consensus that if nothing else; we can begin to communicate our differences and have compassion for one another with love; even if we never reach total agreement.
My main concern, like Dr. Martin Luther King’s long ago, is to bring some element of hope to the next generations by helping them to understand more details of the past and helping them to find a better way to pave the road for the future.
If no opinions are ever expressed to them; how will they form their own opinions?
If each voice that contradicts another voice is forced to silence; will we suddenly have all of the answers?
Let’s talk.