Today is recognized globally as the World Day of Social Justice, highlighting key challenges identified by the United Nations: insecurity, poverty, inequality, absence of respect for all human rights. Undeniably familiar and common themes seen throughout Scripture.
As believers, “respect for all human rights” could be distilled down in simplicity to the foundation of our world as found in Genesis 1 – our creation and our Creator:
Our Creation
We are all created in God’s image – and He declared His creation of humanity as “very good.” To care one for another as image-bearers of God is to care for Him in following His commands:
• “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ~ Matthew 22:39
• “in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the
interests of the others” ~ Philippians 2:4
Our Creator
Consistently, the Bible reveals that God’s heart deeply resonates for those who are oppressed or marginalized:
- He rescues Hagar in her mistreatment and weariness - and she names Him “The God Who Sees.”
- When God established the Israelites as a nation and set up the a detailed system for holiness - sacrifices, the law, and celebrations - He established the Year of Jubilee, a vision of biblical and social justice designed to “prevent cycles of intergenerational poverty”1: debts were cancelled, slaves released, and land returned to its original owners.
- Throughout the prophets' writings, time and (time) again, God admonishes the Israelites for their neglect, extortion, and oppression of the poor and needy. And he urges them to return and offer true worship through their care for widows, orphans, the poor and needy, and foreigners living in their land.a
Truly, justice is so integral to God's character that the Psalmists sing: "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of {God's} throne."2
Jesus echoes this same value and worth in the New Testament, by declaring:
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?
Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.
And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
~ Matthew 10:29-31
Worth more than many sparrows! With this value of all humanity in mind – we should seek to understand the “heart of God toward evil and injustice: he hates evil and loves justice, he requires us to be the channels of that justice … graciously {including} us in the work of justice so that we too can become people ‘after God’s own heart.’”3
One core value of The Alliance Canada is Social Responsibility:
“Therefore: We uphold biblical justice. We minister to the poor and oppressed as ministry to Jesus Himself.”4
We join in God’s vision of biblical and social justice in many ways and through many ministries, both locally and internationally.
International Workers around the world bring justice to those living in poverty through micro-enterprise, trades and employment training programs, sustainable agriculture or fish farming to produce greater food security, and food production cooperatives – juice and peanut butter sales, just to name a few! Our workers address oppression when they minister to refugees and internally displaced peoples by providing food baskets, health and medical assistance, livelihood projects, and safe spaces in community centres and camps. Concerns of inequality are alleviated through our work in schools for the deaf and through programs designed to prevent childhood marriage, such as sewing training for teenage girls.
Recently, during a food basket distribution our partner, working with internally displaced peoples in the Middle East, facilitated a discussion group on childhood marriage of boys and girls 12-13 years of age. Following the awareness sessions, the team observed that “families began encouraging their daughters to enroll in school instead of getting married as young adolescents. Girls also demonstrated greater confidence in expressing their opinions and advocating for their right to education and agency.”
A growing dynamic of injustice today is trafficking and slavery: Exploitation can take innumerable forms, and it is incredible the speed at which we see this dark business growing as a lucrative, global force. Globally, there are an estimated 50 million people held in slavery today and human trafficking generates more than CA$324 billion per year.5
While people become more of a disposable asset,
Woven (the Alliance Canada’s anti-human trafficking organization) is committed to the belief that each life is precious, and that God has a deep desire for every person to thrive. Woven is a
network of partnerships that works with communities to deliver training programs aimed at trafficking prevention, while also providing vocational training for survivors coming out of exploitation.
We offer creative avenues for generating income, for education, for families, and for life. Whether it’s crafting high-quality jewelry, training in salon services, working in bakeries, organic farm production, sewing, becoming a barista, or simply going to school - Woven is helping each person step into a future of dignity and possibility through our commitment to being the hands and feet of Jesus.
We have highly qualified social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists, investigators and outreach teams who are dedicated to each person who intersects with Woven. One practical facet of this huge and diverse ministry is art therapy: sitting with children rescued from horrific abuse, pulling out the crayons and paper and talking about colours - what colour they feel they are today, what colour they were yesterday, and what colour they would like to be in the future. The beauty of art reframes trauma, helping put words to what is inexpressible and becoming a powerful catalyst to healing.
Anti-human trafficking is essentially a healing ministry, but we aren’t exclusively concerned about physical lives being restored; we are convinced that true, full healing means hearts, souls and bodies connecting to the Healer, the only One who can fully regenerate a life that was broken.
While the world embraces social justice today, let us look to the Author of our value as humanity - and embrace Biblical justice in word and deed. Please join us in praying for all those to whom we minister, that they may know their God given worth and His attentive care. Would you pray that as we act justice and love mercy,6 God will bring, to every tongue, tribe, and nation, true restoration in His name.
“But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” ~ Amos 5:24
________________________
a Zachariah 7:9-10, Isaiah 1:17, Jeremiah 22:16-17, Ezekiel 16:49, Malachi 3:5
1 https://bibleproject.com/podcasts/jubilee-radical-year-release/
2 Psalm 89:14 and Psalm 97:2
3Abraham George & Nikki A. Toyama-Szeto. “God of Justice”(The IJM Institute Global Church Curriculum). IVP Connect. Downers Grove, Il. 2015.
4 https://thealliancecanada.ca/beliefs
5https://www.ijm.ca/our-work/trafficking-slavery
6Micah 6:8* All Scripture references:
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.