the good way

Justice & Peace

A pursuit of justice and peace in our activities

The journey of pursuing justice and peace in our activities begins with recognizing that ALL of our activities can be an expression of worship to God.

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.” Romans 12:1 (The Message)

Too often we compartmentalize our lives, and categorize our activities based on whether they seem to be ‘spiritual’ or not. God wants to have Lordship over everything that we do, so that all of our activities can be an opportunity for us to experience his presence and activity.

When it comes to biblical justice and peace, we start at the very beginning of the biblical narrative in Genesis - where we read that all of humanity was made in the image of God.

We live, however, in a fallen world where people are not treated equally. Scripture is clear that God loves justice and that God has always been on the side of the poor, the marginalized and the oppressed. As followers of Jesus we are called to pursue justice and peace.

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8

The Hebrew word for Peace is Shalom. So often we think of peace as being the absence of noise, or violence, but the true meaning of this word is not just about the absence of something but the fullness of something. Shalom is about flourishing, it’s about wholeness and completeness for all of God’s creation. It’s about bringing back together what was always intended to be together. Followers of Jesus are called to seek the shalom of the city in which they live. What does it look like for us to seek the shalom of New York City?

The pursuit of justice and peace will look differently for all of us, depending on our spheres of influence. In what ways does God want to partner with you through the word of your hands? It begins with noticing, listening and then taking action - being an ally, and learning what it looks like for us to speak up on behalf of others, to be the hands and feet of Jesus in this world.

“Never forget that justice is what love looks like in public.” Cornel West

Session video

Personal Reflection

Take some time to reflect on the following questions:

  1. To what extent do I compartmentalize my activities into those that are ‘spiritual’ and those that are not? What is God’s invitation to me in this?
  2. What work/activity am I currently feeling most drawn toward or experiencing most life in?
  3. How is the work of my hands providing opportunities for the flourishing of others?
  4. How am I partnering with God in my activities to bring restoration where there is brokenness in people or systems?
  5. What passions and desires do I have in terms of living for others?

Stories of justice & peace


Session Resources

To go further with this session, take a look at some of the following activities, readings and other resources:

Activations

Books

Devotionals

Miscellaneous resources

Teachings