04-19-26

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
April 19, 2026
There is a lot of talk these days about justice, and though some are quick to dismiss it as if it were unbiblical, it is in fact one of the most central concepts within scripture. Now there is the justice that is done in the courtrooms of our country, but the justice spoken by the Prophets and Jesus himself is something far more profound and transformative. Justice in scripture does not seek simply to retaliate or compensate the injured, but to create space for confession, reconciliation, healing, and lasting change, both individually and systemically. It goes well beyond superficial alterations. It is in fact a metamorphosis within the whole system, down to the DNA of the body. As followers of Jesus, it is our task to continue to ask the hard questions about why, even when the answers cause us discomfort. We need to remember what Isaiah said in the early verses of the first chapter, “...learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow” (1:17). Jesus knew those words and then he did everything possible to embody them for a world that knew way too much injustice. 

Holy God whose justice and righteousness are fully manifest in the ways of heaven, we pray today as we do each Sunday for your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Our request is not empty words, but an acknowledgment of how each of us is called to the work of your kin(g)dom. You give us both a vision in the life of Jesus and a mentor in your Holy Spirit. We offer our words in the name of the Living Christ. Amen.