Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (God is with us). Isa 7:14 (NIV)

Biblical Justice – Tear Series – Part 2

Go to PART 1  |  PART 2  |  PART 3  |  PART 4  |  PART 5  |  PART 6  |  PART 7

We’ve partnered with TEAR Australia to share with you guys some stories of hope, generosity, and what it means to change the world. Below is the first part of an incredible article written by Tear Australia’s National Director, Matthew Maury.

REDEFINING POVERTY

Our culture is consumed by consumption. “Success” for most is measured by the accumulation of material possessions. Because of this strong cultural narrative which pervades our lives, I think we are prone to a fundamental misunderstanding of poverty. We make the mistake of believing that poverty is to lack the “things” we middle-class Australians [and middle-class everyone] have. Thus, we see poverty as purely material deprivation – not having enough food, water, clothes, shelter, etc.

Without question, the lack of such things contributes to poverty. However, people who live in poverty don’t tend to define their condition from solely a material view. Rather, research shows that people who have lived with poverty primarily describe it in terms of its psycho-social implications. It is common to hear them describe poverty as a condition in which they don’t have voice, identity or dignity in their community.

To change such a condition, it is not only the provision of “things” which is required, but a shift in community values – recognising and appreciating the voice, identity and dignity of people living on the margins. To shift values, we must speak out against injustice, and speak out for equality.

From the Bible, we clearly see that injustice is the result of the brokenness of our world. Consistently, global and national systems (political, economic, social) tip in favour of those who already hold power and privilege. Look around and see that just about every system in our world can manifest the “uneven scales” which were decried by Amos (Amos 8:5). I believe that part of the work of “reconciling all things” is to ensure that everyone is seen as created in the image of our God (Genesis 1:26), and thus afforded equal voice, identity and dignity. It is the practical outworking of biblical justice. It is our mandate as followers of Jesus to raise our voices in advocacy.

There is a proud legacy of Christians at the forefront of biblical justice movements. Many have taken action to create fair rights for minority groups, workers, women, people of other faiths and races, people with disability, and people who have faced discrimination and injustice.

TEAR Australia seeks to continue this work of biblical justice, particularly around those issues which most affect our project partners. Therefore, rising inequality, climate change, tax justice and more and better aid are high on our advocacy agenda. Primarily, we work to equip Christian groups and individuals to join their voices with united actions, working in coalitions for maximum impact. Through our involvement with Micah Australia, we have seen the powerful change that this voice has had in challenging injustice and bringing about positive change in our society and the economy. But this work is not just about changing the systems – it is perhaps more importantly about looking in the mirror and considering what it means for each of us to live like Jesus.

Written by Matthew Maury,
National Director of Tear Australia.

What are your thoughts? Email us at talktous@pktfuel.com or leave a comment below.
You can find out more about TEAR Australia here:
tear.org.au
usefulgifts.org
fortomorrow.org.au
Facebook.com/tearaus
Insta: @tearaustralia
Twitter: @TEARAustralia

Go to Part 3 – We Are Called »

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