Readings for today: Proverbs 9-12
“When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness. By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown.” (Proverbs 11:10-11)
Like all of us, I have watched the recent events unfold with a lot of fear and anxiety. A lot of sadness and deep grief. My heart breaks for the brokenness of this world. Far too many find themselves at the mercy of an unjust society. Far too many find themselves the victims of unrighteousness. Far too many feel powerless. Helpless. Hopeless. Afraid. Far too many feel the wheels of social progress have ground to a halt with their bodies trapped underneath. All around us cities are burning. Communities are struggling. Unrest is growing. Why?
We have abandoned God. The only source of true life and light and love in this world. By His command the world was made and all that was in it. By His command human beings were shaped and formed in His image. By His command we were given a mandate to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. Exercising dominion in His name. This was the pathway to true progress. This was the road to righteousness. This was the journey to justice. But we abandoned His ways long ago. We chose to blaze our own trail. Build our own road. Cut our own path through the wilderness. And where has that gotten us? A world full of hate and anger and fear. A world full of violence and suffering and pain. A world full of injustice and inequality. We have remade the world in our own broken image and are suffering the consequences of our actions.
God calls us to a different path. The path of righteousness. The path of justice. Psalm 89:14 teaches us that God’s throne rests on these two pillars. Righteousness is about our standing before God. Clothed in Christ, we seek to become who we already are in Him. We follow His commands. We conform our hearts and minds to His example. We speak His truth. We live for His glory. We surrender all that we have and all that we are to Him. Justice is about the systems and structures we live under. Government. Business. Education. Media. Arts. Church. Family. These are by definition unjust because they are human creations and each generation must engage in the work to align them and re-align them with God’s Kingdom. When righteous people are engaged in justice work, the cities and communities in which we live flourish. When unrighteous people engage in unjust work, the cities and communities in which we live burn. This is the power God entrusted to us from the beginning and it is responsibility He has given us as human beings.
The Proverbs are full of all kinds of wisdom regarding the righteousness and justice of God. All of us should be seeking to become more righteous individually and all of us should be working for justice systemically and collectively. This unique gift the church offers the world is Jesus. Governments pass laws. Social policy can be re-written and reformed. Law enforcement can enforce a host of new regulations. But none of it will make a bit of difference without the transformation of the human heart. Friends, more than ever, the world needs Jesus. Who are you sharing Him with today?
Readings for tomorrow: Proverbs 13-16