I think that if Jesus’ resurrection means God’s new world has broken into the present world, then doing justice in the world is part of the Christian task (God’s future justice arriving in the present).
N.T. Wright says, "The major task that faces us in our generation, corresponding to the issue of slavery two centuries ago, is that of the massive economic imbalance of our world, whose major symptom is the ridiculous and unpayable Third World debt. This is the number one moral issue of our time. Sex matters enormously, but global justice matters even more."
What do you think?
As CRay the minstrel wrote “This is over my head.” As much as I love NT Wright (up there with Dallas W and Ravi Z), I think the weighing of moral issues, just as godliness (sin) issues is a slippery slope. How can moral economics (stuff, mammon, lust of eyes) be weightier than pornography (sex, especially with children), or pride (worship me) or murder or rebellion, etc. PS – and slavery has not been eliminated yet. Do I think the poor should be with us always? No, ay it never be.
Somehow we need to find the balance/interconnectivity of bringing justice to all, salvation to all and transformation to all as best we can, as God allows before he comes/wraps things up.
YOU POSE A GREAT QUESTION TO ENGAGE IN.
CRay’s repeative lyric is druming in my head………”this is over my head.”
I think where he’s coming from, though, is saying that there are historical times for dealing with certain issues. 200 years ago it was slavery. Was there sexual immorality back then, too? Of course there was, but the major moral issue of the day was slavery. It’s not that we stop talking about those other things, but that one issue has come to the forefront. I’m sure many 200 years ago could quote “this is over my head” when talking about slavery, too, and many did, telling Wilburforce and others that this was a complex issue, and it doesn’t have a simply answer. Well of course it was a complex issue, but it didn’t change the fact that it was dead wrong and needed to be stopped (btw, I know slavery hasn’t ended, but it’s widespread acceptance has). Just like slavery was, global economic injustice is so radically intertwined in the economy of the West that it’s often hard for us to see straight. “It’s a complex issue”, people say, but usually as a way of dismissing it. Of course it’s a complex issue, but if in the end it amounts to thievery, it’s dead wrong and we ought to stop it.
I think a lot of the sex issues deal with economic issues…at least in the 3rd world countries.
My take on Bishop Tom’s comments are acknowledging the importance of sex in the context of procreation as the method of sustaining humankind. When comparing the life generated through procreation to the death generated because of Third World Debt, we seem willing to acknowledge our past/present/future participation in sex. We hesitate to acknowledge our past/present/future participation in Third World Debt. In the same way that we must acknowledge our brokenness before we can begin healing, we, as citizens of a wealthy nation, need to acknowledge our part in econo-colonialism. We might start by becoming more aware of the ‘life-cycle’ of the items we purchase. If the Christian community is unwilling to TAKE THE LEAD in raising awareness of the role wealthy nations have played/are playing/will play in Third World Debt, we are no different than the Pharisee and Levite in the story of the Good Samaritan.
What Carol said. (done very nicely I might add)
Per information from Judges, Lawyers, Priests and Politicians; Cops, Thugs, Soldiers and Terrorists are doing ok.
Per people of the country, the Judges, Lawyers, Priests and Politicians are doing good to ok.