This past Sunday, I had the opportunity to share with the congregation about the biblical (and denominational) imperative to participate in acts of social justice. We talked about Amos and the people of Israel who had gotten so comfortable in their lifestyles and faith that they were ignoring the discomfort and struggle around them. We leaned into the definition of oppression and learned it has to do with systems that are created to allow some to thrive while others can barely breathe. We studied two hardworking men: one who had no problem staying afloat and experiencing luxury from time to time and another who was living paycheck to paycheck. We asked hard questions about what circumstances might have led to this result, and what have been the systemic causes of such a disparity? 

Following Sunday’s message, a couple of our Sunday school classes chose to dig a bit deeper leading them to ask: “what’s the difference between social justice and missions? Aren’t we already doing a lot of the right things?” And the simple answer is: “yes, and.” 

There is a nuance between social justice and the missions that are traditionally carried out by churches.  On one hand, social justice is focused intently on changing the systems that create barriers for people, which can be an incredibly long and arduous process requiring buy-in by layers upon layers of people. On the other hand, traditional missions tend to focus more on meeting the immediate need – food, clothing, shelter.  

To be clear, both of these foci are incredibly important and necessary. For instance, we have to change our policies so all people have access to affordable food, but people are hungry now. We need both.  

We are fortunate, here at Covenant UMC, to have a Mission and Outreach team that does an incredible job is helping offer opportunities where people can fill in the gaps and meet the immediate needs. You can always find more information about what they are up to and how you can partner with them on the Missions page of our website. 

Amos reminds us that we cannot simply remain comfortable and be blind to the struggle around us. We are called to change the systems that allow things like systemic poverty to continue to exist. Organizations like The Bail Project (https://bailproject.org/), The Indiana Youth Institute (https://iyi.org/fiveby50/), and UMC Church and Society (https://www.umcjustice.org/) are all working toward this aim. As a pastor, I am often made aware of all sorts of opportunities available to move the needle forward in the arena of social justice, and I’d love to make you aware, as well. To get signed up to receive updates on how to get involved, go to: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/Wt3hIh0  

In Christ, 

Pastor Allison Yankey