Justice is Love with Legs

When I went to seminary, I felt like I had finally come home; the teaching of professors at Iliff School of Theology was a "Theology with Skin On" in a way I had never before experienced. I began to learn that Christianity, as an incarnational theology, was about action at least as much as about belief. I began to understand God's option for the poor and the outcast in new ways. As I did so, I was challenged to begin to practice my understanding of what God calls us to be as disciples.

In United Methodist Church circles, our current conversations are often about how we can shape disciples "that make a difference." It isn't about believing in a particular way; it is about living a life that has been transformed by God's love and then acting in such a way as to share that love with others. We use the language "risk-taking mission," which is something that goes beyond compassion and moves us toward societal change.

As my husband John would be sure to tell you, I tend to be a bit "all or nothing" in my approach to the world. So, when I began to take this lesson to heart, I believed that we should move away from charitable work and work exclusively in activist practices. I moved rapidly beyond compassion and mercy and went directly to justice and transformation. It was a radical change for me, and a bit startling for others. Needless to say, I need a pretty large dose of grace added to my thought and action!

My second appointment was to Northeast Omaha where I served both Pearl Memorial and Asbury United Methodist Churches. One of the ministries of the parish was a neighborhood food pantry that had begun out of the compassionate actions of members who began to bring food to church for some neighbors who were going hungry. As the need was great, the ministry grew and grew, and by the time I left that appointment, the pantry served between 200-300 people per month. I learned first hand just how necessary are the safety nets of programs like food pantries and weekend Backpacks (one of our current mission programs); they just need to be coupled with other ministries that seek to transform our communities into places where no one will go hungry.

The members of Pearl and Asbury taught me a great deal about both grace and risk-taking mission. They understood the importance of serving others at the point of their need AND working to change the systems of injustice that contributed to the problems. As Bishop Schnase says in his book Five Practices of Fruitful Living, "I never would have chosen this for myself," but I am intensely grateful for the opportunity to have lived in the neighborhood and to have served in a mission community.

"Justice is love with legs" is an expression that talks about the political expression of God's love. Bishop Schnase says that it is "...when the followers of Jesus learn to love strangers by relieving suffering through programs that prevent diseases, healthcare systems that serve all people, and labor policies that are fair. Social justice ministries seek the conversion of social structures toward greater justice, helping people to flourish." We learn to love others, not just by helping meet a current need, but by working to change the systems that have created the situation in the first place.

The United Methodist Church Nebraska Conference sent me to a place where I could be transformed; my heart was "broken open" by a love that was both compassionate and justice-oriented. In that place, I learned to love and live out the teaching of Micah 6:8: "...what does God require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (NRSV) I am thankful for the experience and the lessons...