Behold, I Make All Things New – Br. David Vryhof
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Transforming Unjust Structures: The Fourth Mark of Mission
For the past several weeks we have been considering the Mission of God in the world by looking at the Anglican Communion’s “Five Marks of Mission.” We have been asking ourselves, “What is it that God is doing, in our lives and in the world? What is God’s mission and purpose? What does God care about most passionately?” This evening we examine the Fourth Mark of Mission, which is “to seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind, and to pursue peace and reconciliation.”
Transformation is at the heart of the Gospel message. God is transforming us individually, making each of us a “new creation” in Christ (II Cor. 5:17). But God is also transforming us collectively, along with the whole Creation: “Behold, I make all things new,” says the One seated upon the Throne in the book of Revelation (Rev. 21:5). God’s work of transformation, then,is personal and spiritual, and it is communal, social and political.[i] God cares about us as individuals, but God also cares about our life together.
The Bible has plenty to say about God’s passion for justice and about God’s vision for our life together:
It speaks of the goodness and order of God’s Creation (“God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good”-Gen. 1:31), and of the rebellion and disobedience that plunged us into the bondage of sin. It holds out to us God’s promise to restore the Creation and reconcile all things in Christ (Col. 1:20)
The pivotal story of the Exodus reveals God’s compassion for God’s people, and God’s desire to free them from oppression. We read that the Egyptians were exploiting the Israelites’ labor, restricting their freedoms, and rendering them powerless; this is what dominant political and social systems do. The liberation God wins for the people of ancient Israel is political and economic, as well as religious.
In the giving of the Law, God establishes communal norms that protect the poor from exploitation and limit the power of the rich. God’s laws are designed to create a common good, and to allow it to flourish.
When the people stray from these laws, God sends the prophets to challenge their unjust social-political structures and to re-focus the attention of the people on God’s vision for them. The prophets cry out against the human suffering created by unjust systems imposed by the wealthy and powerful.
Similarly, the Good News preached by Jesus is not only personal and spiritual, but also communal, social and political. Jesus comes announcing that “the kingdom of God has come near” and urging people to “repent and believe in the good news” (Mark 1:15). The repentance he requires is not just a turning away from personal sin, but the transformation of social and political systems that elevate some at the expense of others. “Kingdom” is a political term, and although Jesus could have spoken of the “family of God” or the “community of God,” he chose to speak of the “kingdom of God,” a kingdom that stood in stark contrast to the kingdoms of Herod and of Caesar, with which his hearers were very familiar. He taught his followers to pray that God’s kingdom would come “on earth” as it already is in heaven – he meant right now, in this life, not just in the after-life.[ii]
In this kingdom, this transformed community, the powerful are brought down from their thrones and the lowly are lifted up; the hungry are filled with good things while the rich are sent away empty (Luke 2:52,53). In this kingdom, the poor are blessed and those who weep learn to laugh (Luke 6:20,21). Jesus tells us that it is for this reason that he was sent into the world: “to bring good news to the poor,” “to proclaim release to the captives,” “to let the oppressed go free,” “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18,19).
Jesus not only teaches about this new kingdom, he embodies it by befriending “tax collectors and sinners;” by associating with the poor, the sick and the marginalized; by challenging the religious and political powers of his day. It is no wonder that his followers proclaimed Jesus as “Lord” – not Caesar or Herod or anyone else. God’s Son had come to establish a new kingdom on earth, a kingdom marked by justice, mercy and compassion rather than by violence, oppression and greed.
Why is that radical mission and message of Jesus so often overlooked, neglected or ignored by Christians? Theologian Marcus Borg suggests several reasons for this:
One reason, Borg says, is that, since the 4th century, Christianity has, in many places, been associated with the dominant culture. Beginning with Constantine, the “powers that be” – in the West, at least – were usually Christian. Politically oppressive and economically exploitative systems were legitimized by religion, which often affirmed that the social order reflected the will of God. Society’s elites saw their privileged status as sanctioned by God and as a sign of God’s blessing. “So long as the wedding of Christianity and dominant culture continued,” Borg writes, “Christians seldom engaged in radical criticism of the social order. Instead, personal salvation in the hereafter was the primary message, an emphasis that continues to this day in many parts of the church.”[iii]
Second, Borg maintains that there has been widespread misunderstanding of the meaning of the term, “God’s justice.” Often,he says, the term “God’s justice” has been used to refer to deserved punishment for sin, the opposite being “God’s mercy” or the forgiveness of that sin. If this is what is meant, who wouldn’t prefer “God’s mercy” over “God’s justice”? But in the Bible, most often, the opposite of “God’s justice” is not “God’s mercy,” but rather “human injustice.” God’s justice stands opposed to human injustice. “The issue is the shape of our life together as societies,” writes Borg, “not whether the mercy of God will supersede the justice of God in the final judgment.”[iv]
A third reason Borg gives for why Jesus’ teaching about the Kingdom of God and God’s justice is so often ignored has to do with individualism, which is a core cultural value in our country. Although there is much that is good about individualism – “the value it gives to individual lives, the importance of individual rights, individual choice and opportunity” and individual “freedom” – it also leads to “a way of seeing life that obscures the enormous effect of social systems on the lives of people.”[v]
“Individualism stresses that the primary factor responsible for our well-being is individual effort,” says Borg, a belief that minimizes the negative impact of political, economic and social systems on human lives. It has long been true, for example, that people of color and women do not have the same opportunities or advantages in our society that white men do. Political systems, economic systems, and cultural attitudes and values can be, and often are, oppressive. They favor some, while presenting obstacles for others. The Bible consistently challenges the systemic injustice of the kingdoms and empires that dominated the biblical world. It passionately advocates for an alternative social vision that does away with oppression, exploitation and exclusivity; values the dignity of every human being; and pursues the well-being of all.
Why does God care about politics and about systemic injustice? Because God cares about suffering, and the biggest cause of unnecessary human suffering has been and continues to be unjust social systems. The mission of God is a mission of transformation. It seeks to challenge these unjust systems, it stands in opposition to violence of every kind, and it strives to establish God’s reign of justice and peace on the earth.
How can we join God in this mission and help make it a reality? One thing we can do is to try to speak and live prophetically. We can draw attention to the injustices of the world’s systems and live according to a different standard. For example, one of the challenges that this country is facing is the widening gap between the rich and the poor. In his book¸ Wealth and Democracy, Kevin Phillips reports that:
In the twenty-year period between the late 1970’s and the late 1990’s, the percentage of total wealth owned by the wealthiest 1 percent of our population nearly doubled, increasing from 21 percent to just over 40 percent.[vi]
During this same period, the economic situation of the majority of Americans worsened. In real dollars, both the annual income and the net wealth of the bottom 60 percent of our population actually declined.[vii]
The trend has continued, unfortunately, in the time that has elapsed since Phillips’ report. Are the gains experienced by the wealthy 1% the result of greater effort on their part? Not at all. The widening gap is the direct result of the way our economic system is structured. Obviously, the system has been heavily influenced by the wealthy and powerful to work to their advantage. What will we do to rectify this situation? Speaking to these injustices and choosing to live in ways that challenge these discrepancies is one way of joining God’s mission.
Participation in God’s Mission calls us to raise our awareness and the awareness of others about issues such as health care for the poor, care of the environment and the challenge of climate control, effective gun laws, issues related to economic justice, and the question of how our nation wields its power on the world’s stage. Borg writes, “A politically engaged spirituality affirms both spiritual transformation and political transformation. The message of Jesus, and the Bible as a whole, is about both.”[viii]
God is passionate about justice. How will God’s passion become our passion, too?
[i]Borg, Marcus J.; The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a Life of Faith; (San Francisco: Harper Collins, 2003), p.127.
[ii] For an excellent discussion of the Bible’s teaching on God’s justice and on mission as transformation, see Kenyan theologian Irene Ayallo’s article, “The Fourth Mark of Mission: To Seek to Transform Unjust Structures of Society” in Life-Widening Mission: Global Anglican Perspectives, Cathy Ross, ed.; (Oxford: Regnum Books International, 2012), p.57-73.
[iii]Borg, p.127.
[iv]Ibid.
[v]Ibid, p.128.
[vi]Phillips, Wealth and Democracy: A Political History of the American Rich; (New York, Random House, 2002); p.123.
[vii]Ibid, pp. xviii, 111.
[viii]Borg, p.146.
Thank you, Brother David, for the clarity and cogency of this much needed message which is as relevant today as in 2016. Some would want to keep their politics and religion separate but your reflection dispels the illusion that these could be separate. Thanks also for the summary of Borg’s reasons which help prompt my further thoughts.
Our acts of compassion in concert with others in our faith community are what is most important in bringing forward the beloved community.
A wonderful sermon still and what wonderful comments. It is our hearts that must be loving. And love is an active verb. Trust the Holy Spirit to place you in those situations where your love is most needed.
…any comment about the Tower of Babel and HaShems’ take the ‘one collective mind’
Thank you David, for continually bringing before us God transforming work n the world, in all of creation, and urging us to discern how we can join what God is doing.
Your sermon was powerful in 2016 and our struggle continues five years later. We need to strive to live God’s mission by this different standard you describe— not by the standard set by our dominant culture. Respectfully, Craig K.
Dear Br. David, Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I don’t know how I missed this sermon before.
PREACH ON Brother, PREACH ON.
The Kingdom of GOD is a kingdom not a constitutional monarchy or a democracy.
It’s abiding principle “Love one another” has no boundaries. It applies to everyone.
It is our ceaseless task to work out what it means and bring it about.
Margo
We have a critical opportunity to share with the world the gospel teaching that EVERYONE matters. That no collective identity like race, or ethnic origin can determine our value since God counts every sparrow. That judging people as guilty based on skin color is the same sin as judging people inferior based on skin color, because it denies the unique worth of every human being, regardless of skin color. Both attitudes violate our baptismal covenant to “respect the dignity of every human being”. God loves our neighbor infinitely just as He loves us, and it is our joy as well as our duty to do the same.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali grew up in Somalia as a Muslim woman in a culture that views women as inferior beings. She speaks eloquently on the dangers of tribalism, because only recognizing injustices done to “my group” and hoarding resources to “my group” leads to a cycle of each group seeking power, and when they get it, exploiting and seeking revenge on the tribal group that previously exploited my group, which leads to that group in turn seeking power to get revenge. So tribal societies based on ethnic identity are permanently dysfunctional.
As Christians we need to address current social ills, not seek to avenge the past. We need to work to change rules that hold people back and change monopoly institutions like failing public schools that middle class people can escape by moving or paying to avoid, but that are much more damaging to the poor. And we need to do it with our personal time and personal outreach, just as our Lord did. Do we volunteer in underserved communities? If we have abundance do we share not only our financial assets, but do we offer our time to teach the skills we used to acquire our assets to those who did not have our advantages in the learning those skills? The most basic skill needed to succeed in our country is literacy, yet there are public high schools where no graduating senior can read at the 8th grade level. Why do politicians representing those areas permit this to happen? Do we go door to door in poor neighborhoods advocating that people vote for school board members who will reward good teaching and hold poor teachers accountable? If we live within driving distance of such a school, are we volunteering to teach reading? I am a health care worker in one of the poorer counties in the United States, where the population happens to be about 97% white. Before I moved here, I worked in an inner city environment that was also very poor, and where most people were of African ancestry. The problems are very similar, and the single biggest determinant of whether people are able to escape poverty and despair is whether they believe they are helpless victims who can only be rescued by some human agency outside themselves, or whether they believe they can succeed. And the biggest determinant of whether people believe they can succeed is direct exposure to a person who cares personally about them and will help them learn that they can overcome. This requires us to enter environments that people from privileged backgrounds are often uncomfortable in, but seeing Christ in every person requires it. And the blessings that we receive when we personally work with those in greatest need, or personally do the human interactions needed to create more just institutions not by signing a petition from the comfort of our living rooms, but by direct human interactions with those who have power, help us to spread justice and mercy in our environment.
I keep asking and do not get an answer on why God allowed over six million Jews, his chosen people, to suffer and die in world war two. They suffered greatly. Just wonder as I here quoted so many times that God does not allow believers to suffer. Had to be some true believers in the six million.
I share this today after re-reading your good message from 2016 — it was included in Richard Rohr’s message ‘Wisdom in Crisis’ written by Brain McLaren ….
“Maybe this is also an opportunity for us to become enlightened about some other viruses that have been spreading and causing even greater damage, without being acknowledged: social and spiritual viruses that spread among us from individual to individual, from generation to generation, and are not named. We don’t organize against them, and so they continue to spread and cause all kinds of sickness [and death]. Social and spiritual viruses like racism, white supremacy, human supremacy, Christian supremacy, any kind of hostility that is spread, based on prejudice and fear. What would happen if we said, as passionate as we are about being tested for coronavirus, we all wanted to test ourselves for these social and spiritual viruses that could be lurking inside of us? And then, when I come into your presence, I, in some way, inflict this virus on you. I make you suffer. What an awesome opportunity for us to say and begin to pray that we would be healed and cleansed, not just of a physical virus, but of these other invisible viruses that are such a huge and devastating part of human history. . . .”
Brother David,
I quoted a recent devotional of yours in my latest book: “The Voice of Harriet Tubman: An Artistic Tribute”
Will send a copy to you!
Would like to know your definition of systemic,
And some clarification on the ‘systems’ you are calling out. What country or countries?
Thank you for your thoughts on justice, a wonderful reminder for all of us, and to speak with Marcus Borg, how we can be passionate believers today, reminding us at the same time to care deeply about social justice as Christians.
Thanks for reminding us of the definition of gospel justice.
Not only are we fighting against injustice and all the above but we are fighting a whole new generation of dystopian attitude. Our media, or books, our culture is saturated with pre-apocalyptical cynecism. Zombies, vampires….movies depicting young adults fighting for their lives as kiling becomes the only way to live. Magic, sorcery and over the top superheroes have become our children’s must go-to opiate to live in a world of hurt and pain seemingly larger than they can bear. Check out the YA reading matter of your childrens’ library. What started as a fun drip is now a torrent of not so hidden angst.
This is a cry that needs to be heard in the light of the Lord.
The importance of the Holy Spirit changing hearts and giving everyday courage to stand up to real and imagined danger and horror is stlll key to dissolving this dystopia affecting everyone and everything everywhere. The God of life and light is still the answer to all things dark. Prayer and donning the whole armor of God is still worthy and applicable symbolism. We need to be shielded and armed with the whole gospel of love and peace to be able to join this real war being waged all around us, everyday, by our good Lord and His angels. To feed the hungry we must eat the food our Lord provides and work hard to provide what our neighbor needs. For it is our neighbors, our community, a new generation of our children bearing the burden of our lack of energy our lack of faith and our fears over our inability to move even the smallest of mountains. With Gods help all things are still possible, everyday. Our lord asks ‘ when He returns will He find faith?’
Amen brother…..amen. “God is hiding in the world. Our task is to let the divine emerge from our deeds.”.
Abraham Joshua Heschel
Doesn’t seem to be all that profound really. And Moses had to deal with the very human capacity to whine about a present discomfort while puffing up the ‘good old days’ by simply ignoring all that was terribly terribly wrong about them. Gone was the memory of brick making without straw, and the pain of the lash while the memory of the taste of meat washed over their senses.
Had to argue for a long hard road while people are distracted recalling the lip smacking micro memory of sense pleasures.
“No wonder you can’t get anybody to sign up for operation long hard road!” Moses never said. But he did a good job of pleading for one more chance.
But what to do when church or community starts acting like Pharaoh owned and operated! With quotas, and divisions and all the Pharaoh-esque trappings while the sign out front reads… Christian.
There is a marvelous fellow named Walter Brueggemann… in his wonderful book Peace who in chapter 3 (?) has this thumbnail sketch for recognizing when you are working in a brickyard.
Being vulnerable, lots of days church is more brickyard than community.
Some years ago, while in a slump such as this, I came across a prologue to an Elie Weizel book. It went something like this. A Rabi would walk the village speaking out daily about the need to live closer to the Word of God, to be a beloved community. Over time, he would miss a day or two and then after a while, he simply stayed at home.
A young boy came to ask what was wrong. Rabi why have you gone silent. We no longer hear you reminding us.
Dear Son, there was a time when I thought I could help to bring change, reflection, even repentance to the world. Now, it will be enough if I simply do not let the world change me.
and so it was written, and so it was said…