Called to Seek Justice – Isaiah 42:1-7

Lectionary Readings for January 12, 2020
Isaiah 42:1-9
Psalm 29
Acts 10:34-43
Matthew 3:13-17

Any time I preach or lead a group, regardless of age, I start the same way. I’m going to say three short sentences. Please repeat each sentence, with enthusiasm.
God made me.           God loves me.            God has plans for me.

Coming from the Israelites of the 6th century BC, today’s Scripture reading describes a Savior-figure in terms that we – modern citizens of the most powerful nation in history – might find contradictory.

This powerful person (or community) “will bring justice to all who have been wronged, give sight to the blind, and set the captives free,” yet will not raise their voice or crush weak grass.

This walking contradiction will never “lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth” which implies that justice-making is a universal issue that will take a long time to accomplish.

But we’re 21st century Americans! We want action, we want results, and we want them NOW!

Which is why it can be difficult for us modern Americans to really wrap our heads around the life-long commitments of people like John Wesley, Mahatma Gandhi, Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King Jr., Harvey Milk, Mother Theresa, Cesar Chavez & Dolores Huerta, and Nelson Mandela to mention just a few.

Much like Jesus, these modern-day liberators each devoted their entire lives to the causes in which they deeply believed.
Much like Jesus, they led by example with focused, deliberate action.
Much like Jesus, they each inspired thousands (if not millions) of people to sit, walk, and serve alongside them.

We know the names of famous leaders. We’ll never know the names or faces of the millions of people who led their families, friends and communities in the hard work of pursuing justice.

That multitude of leader-followers (they served in both roles) were relatively helpless on their own. But working together, centuries of fundamental social injustices were brought out into the light for all the world to see.

And through decades of work, systematic changes have occurred and continues today through the work of countless churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, as well as non-religious organizations around the world.

Let us not succumb to the notion that the loudest voice wins.
Let us be inspired by the belief that God has called us to actively work to overcome the social injustices of our time and in our communities.
Let us take heart knowing that the work – our work – to overcome injustice is an ongoing work worthy of our time, our talents, and our treasures.

Why? Because everyone needs to hear, know, and believe that (repeat after me):
God made me. God loves me. God has plans for me.

God calls us – has plans for us – individually and as a faith community to be leader-followers in our homes, in our church, and in our local communities.

In many ways, you may be already living out those plans. This year I want us, individually and collectively, to prayerfully reconnect with God and discover how God would like us to create “Kingdom of God” moments and environments in our lives, our homes, and our community.

To aid you in this process, today’s bulletin insert (click here to download the PDF) includes some “prayer prompts.” Remember, this is a journey, not a race. Together, let’s see where God leads us, and how we can grow and work together in response to God’s call for us to be vessels of healing, peace, and freedom.

Amen? Amen!

Click here to learn more about prominent Civil Rights Activists from the past 200 years.
Click here to learn more about the history and context of the book of Isaiah.