Justice Creed

Pentecostals refer to the religious joy they are prone to as “shouting.” The Justice Creed by Brian McLaren below made me feel like shouting last night as I read it in Justice in the Burbs by Will Sampson and Lisa Sampson. Other than the few “King” references, this is a creed I can embrace (and shout about):

The Justice Creed

We believe that the living God is just
And that the true and living God loves justice.
God delights in just laws and rejoices in just people.
God sides with those who are oppressed by injustice,
And stands against oppressors.
God is grieved by unjust people and the unjust systems they create and sustain.
God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, and
God's kingdom belongs to those willing to be persecuted for the sake of justice.
To God, justice is a weighty thing which can never be ignored.

We believe that Jesus, the Liberating King, came to free humanity from injustice
And to display the justice of God,
In word and deed, in life, death, and resurrection.
The justice which God desires, Jesus taught, must surpass that of the hypocrites,
For the justice of God is a compassionate justice,
Rich in mercy and abounding in love
For the last, the least, the lost, and the outcast.
On his cross, Jesus drew the injustice of humanity into the light,
And there the heartless injustice of human empire met
The reconciling justice of the kingdom of God.
The resurrection of Jesus proclaims that the true justice of God,
Naked, vulnerable, and scarred by abuse, is stronger
Than the violent injustice of humanity, armed with weapons, conceit, deceit, and lies.

We believe that the Holy Spirit is here, now,
Convicting the world of sin and justice,
Warning that God's judgment will come on all that is unjust.
We believe that the Kingdom of God is justice, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Empowered by the Spirit, then, we seek first God's kingdom and God's justice,
For the world as it is has not yet become the world as God desires it to be.
And so we live, and work, and pray,
Until justice rolls down like water,
And flows strong and free like a never-failing stream.
For we believe that the living God is just
And that the true and living God loves justice.
Amen.

This past Sunday our Bread for the World class read from Luke 4 when Jesus read and preached in the synagogue, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recover of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” This old-time religion, from Jesus’ first sermon, is good enough for me.

The first thing Jesus stepped out to say is he was sent to proclaim this message of social justice. It makes me think we should be interpreting all Scripture in light of these words. When I read “God is my shepherd, I shall not want” maybe I should read it as a call from my shepherd to do justice for the injured and oppressed. When I read “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” maybe I should read it as a call to make earth a place of justice for all God created it to be. If Jesus was sent to do justice then he sends me to do justice. Cain asked God if he was his brother’s keeper. Yes, Cain, actually we are our sisters’ and brothers’ keepers.

While I no longer embrace Pentecostal theology, God still gives me something to shout about, like The Justice Creed. I didn’t know creeds could do that but maybe that’s because other creeds have been misdirected.