June 19th, 2018

Love’s Response to Injustice

“So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets. Honesty cannot enter.  Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.  The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice.  He saw that there was no one, He was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so His own arm worked salvation (rescue!) for Him.”  Isa. 59:14-16

There are 400,760 foster children in the United States and 13% are missing.  That equates to 52,099 children who are missing every year.  So many run away, and are vulnerable to traffickers.  They can end up being trafficked and, if arrested, in a juvenile facility.  For the aged out population, those who end up being trafficked will often be arrested, convicted, and sentenced.  These children and adults go from one form of bondage to another.

There is good news: God cares about each life and He sent Jesus to show us the way to respond to this Biblical call for justice.  Isa. 59:14-16 states, “So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets. Honesty cannot enter.  Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.  The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice.  He saw that there was no one, He was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so His own arm worked salvation (rescue!) for Him.” 

Whether we are called to play a role in this heart cry and hand up to those being trafficked through prayer, through rescue, through aftercare, through perpetrator accountability, through demand reduction, through awareness, or through prevention – make no mistake, the body of Christ is Biblically called to respond.  Isa. 58:6-12 describes the kind of fasting God desires – loosing the chains of injustice, untying the cords of the yoke, set the oppressed free, break every York, share our food with hungry, provide the poor wandered with shelter, clothe the naked, not turn away from our families, spend ourselves on behalf of the hungry, satisfy the needs of the oppressed.  When we do this, our light will break forth like the dawn, healing will come quickly, our light will rise in the darkness, ancient ruins will be re-built, age-old foundations will be raised up.  We will be called the ones who repair broken walls and restore streets with dwellings.  God wants to work through us to loose, heal, restore, love, meet, feed, clothe, and hold.  This is the gospel of Jesus Christ.