What do you think about this quote by Fanny Lou Hamer? Where does this quote hit you in your body? It hits me right in my gut. I believe it with my whole self.
Jesus came to the marginalized people of his time. They were at the center of his Theology. Ever think about why that is?
I think it’s because living on the outside of society or living without one's needs being met places one in the greatest sense of vulnerability imaginable. That can lead to a kind of living on faith. Faith that the next meal will appear. Faith that the police will behave. Faith that someone will be kind and generous. Faith that one will find a way to stay warm enough. Faith that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. And, sometimes, that faith is turned to God, faith that he will provide safety, shelter, whatever is needed.
What if God calls us to answer the prayers of our fellow humans? To me, this is what social Justice work is about. In order to create God's kindom here on Earth, we must confront the structures that keep people out and create harm to our beloved co-humanity, and using love as motivation, act our way into heaven on earth.
“The disinherited will know for themselves that there is a Spirit at work in life and in the hearts of men which is committed to overcoming the world. It is universal, knowing no age, no race, no culture, and no condition of men. For the privileged and unprivileged alike, if the individual puts at the disposal of the Spirit the needful dedication and discipline, he can effectively live in the chaos of the present the high destiny of a son of God.” ~ Howard Thurman, Jesus and the Disinherited
