Salvation, Justice, and the Heart of God

(These are pieced together exerpts from a paper written for 'Pentecostal Perspectives On Justice, The Church, and Society  Class.)

"The struggle for justice began long ago in a garden that now resides in antiquity.  A man gave in to temptation from a snake, a woman ate a fruit, and humanity was removed from the garden.  Separation from God began.  The struggle for justice is as old as time itself, and it is helped along by the broken nature of our humanity that was altered in the garden.   We had been made in the image of God, created by His very hand, and it was His breath that brought us life.

The garden represented all that was good and right.  In the garden there was hope.  There was hope in the future, in our creativity, and in the endless possibilities that lay before us.  In the garden was peace.  There was no war, nor injustice, or prejudice.  There was found harmony with God and each other.  In the garden was relationship.  There was relationship with man and woman, relationship with man and nature, relationship with man and God.  It was good, and it was right.  All of this was lost after the fall.  Since that time, God has been working to bring about the redemption and restoration of man.  Our search for  justice is our search for redemption.  It is a search for a hope to make things right; to return back to the time of the garden.

The tragedy of the Garden was that man was now in bondage to sin.  Sin is separation from God.  Sin works against the nature God intended, and works against all that is good and right for humanity.  Since the Garden man has fallen in to terrible disarray.  Men have ruled over other men unjustly.  Men have sold other men for profit.  Women have been raped and sold for pleasure.  Children have worked long hours for little to no wages.  Sin has worked in to the very core of our nature and has brought us far from the beauty of the Garden

God’s love for humanity and his hatred for injustice caused him to send His Son Jesus to bring about our ultimate redemption.  In His desire for relationship with us, Christ died on a Cross to restore what we had lost in the garden so long ago.  Jesus stated  in Luke 4:18 his purpose best when he said “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” .  Christ came to bring our redemption from sin and to set men free.  He came to set us free, not just beyond death, but here and now.

In order to know social justice, we must know the heart and nature of God.  We understand God to be the embodiment of love.  In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul writes a beautiful explanation of love.  He describes it as being not boastful, not envious or keeping any record of wrongs.  The nature of God is patient, kind, and does not dishonor others.  “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:6,7, NIV)  This is the nature of God.  Scripture teaches us that we had made in his likeness- his image.  We were meant to reflect these attributes as well.  The Bible goes on to teach that God is Father, Son and Spirit.  We will focus on the Spirit for a moment.  We read in Galatians that the fruit of the Spirit, the product of his nature, is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, selflessness, and so much more.  If this is the nature of God, and this is who we were intended to be, then the work of social justice works to restore these qualities.  Salvation works to accomplish this.

If salvation brings redemption, then do not our acts of love, kindness, and goodness begin to display the full redemptive work of God through social justice? If faith without works is dead, then do our works of justice become faith that has come alive, that therefore reveals the nature of God to a world that is dead in sin?  Justice works to bring the dead back to life.  When we fight to restore families, we bring goodness. When we give a cup of water, we show love.  When we fight to end war, we bring peace.  When we act against slavery we bring hope.  When we do not boast, show pride, or elevate ourselves, we work against the power schemes that have kept men in bondage.  “Turning the face of the church outward, giving its resources away, blessing the community, unleashing the gifts of laypeople to serve – this is what our living God desires for his church.” (Lewis 2001, 115)


Christ was the “good news” sent to earth.  But what was this good news?  Was it just being kept from the flames of Hell?  Was there more to this plan of salvation?  Jesus said he came so that we would have life, and more abundantly.  He went on to teach that salvation was to be transformative and would work to reverse the curse of sin on humanity.  And it did just that.

We know that fulfillment of all things came through his Son Jesus and he brought with him the Kingdom of God to earth.  While we come to understand that the Kingdom of God is present, and actively present at that, it is not a full complete coming of the Kingdom.  There exists an element of the “not yet” that still is yet to come.   This culmination will be at the end of the age with the arrival of the ‘not yet’ upon Christ’s return, and with it will come the full reality of God’s justice and judgment upon evil.     We see Kingdom of God working against accepted norms of society, even present within the Church.  Christ went so far as to say to love your enemies, bless those who curse you, and do good to those who hate you.  He came to bring a dramatically different way of living.  The Kingdom of God became present to be the change agent of a world corrupted by sin.    It actually works against all that is destructive to humanity.   This Kingdom invades the ordinary life and brings transformation.

God has called the church to act.  We work to elevate the human condition.  We have the endless possibility of transforming our world.  By doing this, we are not only helping our fellow man, but we are doing as unto Christ.  We work to advance the kingdom of God here and now.  The church must act in powerful tangible ways that bring about long term change, not just band aid solutions.

The beauty of Pentecostalism is the natural marriage that can exist between justice and Pentecostalism.  The movement thrives on the power of the Holy Spirit to change lives. There is a great appeal to the Pentecostal movement that can empower our movement to justice.

God’s heartbeat is justice. God’s purpose is redemption.  Salvation works to bring redemption and elevate humanity to a level of dignity God intended.  The end of all things will find us not in a Garden, but in a holy city.  And really it isn’t an ending, but a restoration of all things.  It will be the beginning of all things made new.  We will find ourselves in a city where the God of Justice has set things right and made us whole.  It will be His ultimate act of mercy.

For All Eternity

Diverting all our days

We live in momentary ways

For we have been caught up

In a temporary world

We did not know.

We have played charades

Of how to live and let die

In a poor fleeting life,

Found in a distant place

Not called our own.

Amid our borrowed masks,

We wore them to blend in

With a fallen broken world,

We had so long thought

Was not meant to be home.

We became pretenders

Of a shallow existence,

Holding fast to our comforts

And Longing for reception

In a place we don’t belong.

How have we so forgotten

That we are the children

Who are born of redemption,

Anticipating and longing

For a time without end?

We are the messengers

To a world weighed down

By transgression and iniquity,

Who long for a sacred hope

From all they have known.

A narrow path has been laid,

So rarely traveled down,

Calling us live a different way

As strangers and refugees

looking for an unending home.

Brevity of Life

In the brevity of life
we hold to few things
that remain dear to us
at the end of our days

The ambiguity of time
and the frailty of hope
leave us distant still
from what we long to love

Enduring pain we suffer
that lingers in moments
that happen so quickly
Keep bottled up inside

Yet we hold out for more
in moments of anguish
We are moved to believe
There still is more to this

The shadow of our souls
reminds us light exists
just beyond the sorrow
that we have held on to

The memories  we carry
Resound an eternal echo
That reminds our heart
Of a Hope beyond this life

For Grace extends to us
Freedom found in mercy
Setting us free from pain
That has bound our heart

Christmas Time

A nation cries, mourning
A kingdom torn apart
The Promise left undone
By the sins they bore

Rachel is heard weeping
Her children are no more
Taken from her this night
Swallowed up in despair

Voices loud can be heard
Crying out for redemption
From all of their souls
Chained down by iniquity

In a calm and silent night
Fulfillment will be found
Through a prophesy foretold
Long ago in ancient days

Kings of a far off land
Would follow a distant star
To discover the sacred truth
To all they were searching for

And angels sing aloud
Of one sent from Heaven
As shepherds watch in awe
Hearing of a newborn king

In a near little village town
Far from lofty palace walls
An infant child born tonight
In a stable made of hay

And in this holy moment
A shadow would be cast
Leading to a wooden cross
Salvation born for us all

Christmas Reality

(this was written a couple of years ago for a Christmas production, keep it mind it was written to be orally presented!)


I remember watching the Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and hearing a word I had never heard.  Superfluous.  Did you ever wonder what superfluous meant? I did, and I looked it up.  It means: exceed what is sufficient and necessary; excessive. It seems that at times we have become a society of excess.  We want more, and don’t seem satisfied with what we have.

A while back I asked people in my local community “If you could have anything, what would you want for Christmas?” I remember hearing some of the responses we received when we asked some people in our community. For some their responses were for things they wanted: money, toys, and things like that.   For others it brought up the ideals that we dream of: peace, love, hope, happiness.   For many however, it brought up the painful reality of their current situations:  families split up, jobs lost, dreams vanished.

I was recently driving to my family’s house for Thanksgiving just a few weeks ago.  On my way, I looked over to the street corner, and there was a man, standing there with a sign that said “homeless, need food.” Here he is, standing there, hungry; begging for food, on a day when we will consume more food than any of us could ever need or want.
How often do we see this?  What goes through our minds as we see them standing there?  How do we respond?  What goes through his mind as we pass him by?  How does he feel?

I am sure as a child he didn’t ever think he would be someone who would have to beg on a street corner.  I’m sure he had greater hopes and dreams; passions and ambition.  But somewhere in this life, his hopes and dreams slipped away…

As we sat eating tacos at Jack in the Box, Dave talked about the hole in his head, the wife that left him for another man, the move to California from Kansas, and life as a homeless man for four years.  As I dropped him off and drove on to eat really good food, I said “God Bless You.”  His respond stuck with me, “He already has through you…”

How often do we find that Christmas is not a time of joy, but of sorrow, stress, and frustration? Maybe it’s a mom and dad, with bills piling up on the desk downstairs. Maybe it’s the single mom, with a low-paying job,  2 kids to take care of. Maybe it’s the older gentleman who waits in the rest home, hoping his family will come by to visit him on Christmas day.   We sing of peace on earth, but don’t talk about the turmoil in our own hearts.

When did this season of joy become a season of parties, recitals, gift exchanges, Christmas programs, specials, shopping, Christmas caroling, travelling, decorating, wrapping, and get-togethers?  The list never seems to end!

For many of us, the rush hides what we may not want to deal with, our present reality.   Christmas too often reminds us of love that has been lost.  A family member no longer with us, or a strained relationship we would love to make right.  Maybe it is the painful reality of the son or daughter who won’t be spending Christmas with you this year, whatever the reason may be.

So we step back and ask ourselves.  What is Christmas all about?  What is it that we really want for Christmas?  What does a homeless man want, who struggles to simply find food for that day?   What is a wife looking for, when she has just lost her best friend after 40 years of marriage?  What does the father really want, who is losing sleep at night over unpaid bills, and unmet needs?  What does the mother really want, whose son is away at war?

When it is all said and done, when the gifts have been opened, when the money has been spent, and when the parties have subsided, where does it leave us, where does it leave you?

“There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”

The message of hope was announced!  And it wasn’t brought to the insiders, but it was first announced to those who felt like outcasts, the overshadowed, the despised, and the ones who had no home.  (Maybe today, he would have appeared to a homeless man.)

Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, Judah territory— this was during Herod's kingship—a group of magi arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They asked around, "Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We're on pilgrimage to worship him." Instructed by the king, they set off. Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time!  They entered the stable and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh.

God revealed himself to those who didn’t even fully understand what was taking place.  They had simply seen signs in the heavens that spoke of a king being born.  In their uncertainties they clung to the prophetic promise they saw in the sky, and worshiped Him.  They hold on to the hope  of promised redemption.

The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they were married, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn't know that.) Joseph determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.

While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God's angel spoke in the dream: "Joseph, son of David, don't hesitate to get married. Mary's pregnancy is of God. God's Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus, which means God saves, because he will save his people from their sins."
I am sure Joseph faced many uncertainties about his future.  Joseph had questions about how he was going to provide for his new wife and child, wondering what would become of this little boy that he was going to raise to be a man.  But when the angel visited him, he had peace that God was in it all. (Maybe not unlike a father today trying to take care of his own family.)

The beauty of  Jesus is that this miracle connects his birth to the very struggles we face day in and day it.  He didn’t come as a King or in power, but he came as a helpless infant and right in to the middle of our brokeness to bring redemption.

It brings hope to the homeless man with questions of meaning.  It brings peace to a mother who's son is at was.  It brings love to a widow who is lonely, and it ultimately brings redemption to a broken humanity who's only hope is found in a Cross.

WIllow Tree

Meet me by the willow tree

Where stars dance around

And the moon smiles back

Let us find our way through

This journey of laughter

that brings us  here tonight

For life prances around
from  joy that surrounds us
Spun like a merry go round

Yet it lasts for a minute 

Splashing across the sky

Then quickly fades away

So run through grass fields

Where time disappears

Into a river flowing swiftly

Where fireflies light the way 

In the deep blue twilight 

Caught up in the moment

Hold fast these memories

Buried deep in our hearts

That linger on for eternity 

All TheseThings

songbirds sing

Sounds of joy

To celebrate

morning's new

Symphonies play

Bow and string

To echo loud

Majestic pageantry

Laughter caught

In but a moment

To share pleasure

Of a happy heart

Ballads capture

The melodies

Of romance's

beautiful agonies

And these Things

Reflect to us all

The image of God

Who made us