— Midweek Meditations:
thoughts, inspiration and encouragement
from ACF community members —
The last few years we have witnessed a global pandemic. a major war breaking out between European nations, the rise of fascism, democracy being attacked and now a war between Israel and Hamas. In all of these atrocities people are screaming for their personal rights. Many have come to believe Justice is when “what they want” is being done with little concern as to what others may think is Just. Narratives are being created that have no foundation in any truth. Justice has become a power issue, those with the most money can buy power which gives them the power to decides what is Just.
All of this makes us angry and for me the problem is so big that I myself wonder if I can make any difference at all. Is arguing, writing Facebook posts, marching in demonstrations or other public proclamations of what I think is Just, the only solution? I say no. While these things are also important, we also have a personal responsibility to live justly. Sometimes we are so fixed on the gigantic injustices we don’t see the injustice directly in front of us. Each day we are confronted with abuse of justice on the personal level. Every day we make small decisions in our response to injustice. It can be as simple as offering your seat in a crowded train to a person who needs it more. It can be also after a meal that you are deciding what to tip. It can be how we greet those working at a very crowed cash register. It can be how we re-act when someone has trouble speaking your language and you need their help. This list can go on and on. Yes, we can be practitioners of Justice when we do our best to keep our eyes open to others’ needs. Amos describes Justice as a river where righteousness flows like a never-failing stream. We can make a difference.
Not surprisingly the Bible tells us clear in the Old and New Testament what God thinks is just. Here are just a few. Others can be found if you google “Justice in the Bible”.
With what shall I come before the Lord
Micah 6:6-8
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
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.
“I hate, I despise your religious festivals;
Amos 5:21-24
your assemblies are a stench to me.
Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them.
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
I will have no regard for them.
Away with the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream!
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Matthew 7:12
The ACF Midweek Meditations
are written by a diverse group of our church members with the intention to seek God’s fingerprints in our lives. They range from somber to humorous and are inspired by all facets of live and faith. Written by ordinary people from all walks of life, they reflect a wide range of Christian backgrounds and spiritualities.
Each week’s text portrays the individual viewpoint of its author. They might not always resonate with everyone, and are not meant to be understood as representing the Anglican Church Freiburg as a whole. Yet, as a church that is aiming to ‘Build a Community of Grace’ we seek to practice learning from and listening to one another.
We pray that these humble ponderings add a small spark of blessing to your week.
Freiburg Anglican Church 