Justice and Compassion
“He has shown all you people what is good. And what does the Lord
require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly
with your God.” Micah 6:8
God has clearly given us his mandate when it comes to our response to injustice and to those in need of compassion and mercy. Not only here in Micah, but throughout Scripture, we see God’s character coming through. He stands up for those in need and his heart is moved in compassion. We want to follow his example as women across Canada both in responding to immediate needs of compassion, and also in the sometimes long process of intervention in issues of injustice.
Kara Powell, Executive Director of the Fuller
Youth Institute and expert in helping the church engage in
justice/compassion issues, defines the difference between justice and
compassion like this:
“Compassion
is a step on the way to Justice. ‘Compassion,’ or ‘service’ , is giving a
cup of cold water to those who are thirsty. Justice goes farther by asking
these tough questions: Why are there people who are thirsty? What can we
do about this problem? Who do we need to speak to about this? How can we
make change happen? Once we have found the answers to these questions, we
can go out and make impactful change.”
Our founder, Dr. A.B. Simpson, entered the lives of the
marginalized regularly. He would have expected this ministry to be
part of who we are and what we do today. While we have responded
globally to justice/compassion issues through our International
Projects, we have not always done so locally. Would you
prayerfully consider how God wants to use you to act justly and love
mercy in your community? Let us know what God is calling you to. Your story will spur someone else on.
There is much to learn as we work to understand justice/compassion issues.
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Explore these links to inspire you and spur you on to develop your own ministries.
Resource List on Justice/Compassion
1.
DVD Interview with BONO from the 2006 Willowcreek Leadership Summit
– available at some of our District Churches
2. Rich
Christians in an Age of Hunger
Ron Sider
3.
Companion to the Poor
Viv Grigg
4. Urban
Ministry
David Claerbaut
5. The
Urban Christian
Ray Bakke
6.
Walking with the Poor
Bryant Myers
7. The
Church of Irresistable Influence
Robert Lewis
8. Good
News About Injustice
Gary Haugen
9.
The Irresistible Revolution
Shane
Claiborne
10.
Everybody Wants to Change the World
Tony Campolo
11.
The Truth About Canada
Mel Hurtig
12.
Half the Sky
Nicholas Kristof & Sheryl Wudunn
13.
Under the Overpass
Michael Yankoski
14.
Sex + Money A Global Search
for Human Worth
A Voice for the Voiceless
15.
Not for Sale
Dave
Batstone
16.
Disposable People
Dave Batstone
17.
The Slave Next Door
Kevin
Bales
18.
The Missional Leader
Alan Roxburgh &
Fred Romanuk
21.
www.halftheskymovement.org
22.
www.kiva.org
24.
www.chabdai.org
27.
www.ijm.ca
28.
www.notforsalecampaign.com
29. www.love146.org
31. Evangelical Fellowship of Canada - Social Issues
32. Justice and Compassion Organizations
33. Compassion and Justice Ministries
36. ESL: English as a Second Language
37. SafeHaven - Healing in the Painful Aftermath of Abortion
38. Mercy Ministries Residential Program for young women
39. Movie List from www.micahchallenge.us
HIV/AIDS
Living with Slim—documentary
following the lives of children in sub-Saharan African who have AIDS
(slim)
Yesterday—HBO presents a very
powerful film about a woman with AIDS.
This film shows how many innocent people are dying of this disease
and it also gives an insightful glimpse of rural poverty in Africa.
A Closer Walk—Documentary
about HIV/AIDS
Conflict/War
Blood Diamond—Hollywood
film about the civil war in Sierra Leone.
It connects this horrible war with global trade and conflict
diamonds. It creates a good
opportunity to explain how war and conflict are some of the greatest
contributors to poverty and inhibitors to overcoming poverty.
Also exposes the injustice of child soldiers.
Lost Boys of Sudan—Documentary
about children who fled Sudan on foot amidst civil ware and resettled in
the United States.
God Grew
Tired of Us—Documentary chronicles the challenge and adversities of three
“lost Boys” from Sudan who relocate to the United States, but are deeply
committed to their friends and family back home.
Hotel Rwanda—Based
on the true story of Paul Rusesabagina a hotel owner
who saved thousands of lives during the Rwandan genocide.
Poverty
Girl in the café—HBO
film about a girl who attends the g8 summit as she starts dating a man who
is part of the UK delegation.
She presses him and other world leaders on issues of global poverty and
meeting the millennium development goals.
Born into Brothels—documentary
photographer travels to India and teaches children of prostitutues how to
operate a camera. Much of the
film documents the children’s lives through photos they took.
Language warning.
Life and Debt—film
about how unfair global economic policies affect people in poverty around
the world.
Fair Trade