Presbyterians’ Radical Justice
““Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.””
Sadly, many religious people believe that justice is a recent liberal invention. For Presbyterians, Biblical justice is an expectation and central to our faith. Here is a statement from almost 70 years ago. “Neither the church as the body of Christ, nor Christians as individuals, can be neutral or indifferent toward evil in the world” (United Presbyterian Church statement, 1958). Worse, many pick and choose what God says, pretending that the prophets of the Hebrew Bible and Jesus’ prophetic words do not exist. Without a commitment to justice, Christianity becomes warped until it is unrecognizable.
The 1958 statement’s use of “evil” may threaten some, but the word “evil” was used with theological intentionality. Evil is an ever-present reality throughout the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. Evil’s meaning is diverse and complex. In the Old Testament, evil is described as “distress,” as conveyed in Psalm 90:15. Evil also induces “despair,” as expressed in Proverbs 15:15. Furthermore, evil reveals itself through deception and trickery. Evil portrays itself as good and tries to establish good as evil. Isaiah describes evil’s trickery in 5:20, “Ah, you who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” Further, evil is recognized when you see the wicked prospering, as described in Proverbs 11:21 and several other passages.
The New Testament has its own descriptions of evil and even personifies evil in “the devil.” The New Testament warns followers to remain diligent because evil exists. The apostle Paul describes the evil done to Jesus. Evil remains a constant adversary. Recognizing its hold on our society is the first step toward addressing and overcoming its influence, a continuous theme that persists. For Jesus and later New Testament writers, the love of money was a temptation that often led to evil. For example, 1 Timothy’s writer states, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains” (6:10).
The Presbyterian Church is a courageous denomination that recognizes the need to step into evil’s path and boldly speak God’s truth. Like Matthew’s gospel writer warns, amidst evil, the faithful are to remember Jesus’ call, “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (10:16). Evil is cunning, so we are to trust in the Holy Spirit for the wisdom to recognize and faithfully respond in a manner that makes a transformative difference. Please pray for your ability to identify evil and not succumb to its wiles. Then, pray for our nation and our world. We are living in uniquely unjust times, and individuals and faith communities must bring God’s truth to a world that is often tricked by flashy showmanship, leading to despair. We find our hope in God’s power over evil. Put your hope in God’s supremacy to bring justice to a nation and world in need.
