Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Proverbs 31:8 (NLT)
We Are Called – Tear Series – Part 3
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 truly change the world. Below is the second part of an incredible article written by Tear Australia’s National Director, Matthew Maury (you can read the first part of this article in yesterday's devotion).
REDEFINING POVERTY (Continued)
It can be uncomfortable. People were repeatedly shocked by the way Jesus chose to recognise the voice, identity and dignity of those consistently overlooked by society. According to the Gospels, Jesus spent much of his time with people considered to be on the lower echelons of society. This included children, tax collectors, people with disability, fishermen, and women. The religious leaders of the day thought that this behaviour was, in fact, evidence that Jesus was aberrant in his views.
“Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with such scum?'” (Matthew 9:10-11, New Living Translation)
We know that, far from aberrant theology, this “radical” approach to the dispossessed is, in fact, the embodiment of the good news. One of TEAR's key areas of work is in advocacy, both here and through our international partners. TEAR is involved with advocacy in a range of different ways, and this is work that we believe is an important expression of biblical justice and an essential building block for overcoming poverty. This work takes different forms in different contexts, but it all stems from the call in Proverbs (31:8) to “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed.”
However, the outworking of “loving our neighbour” is more than being a proxy voice for the marginalised. We are called to something much more radical than that. As Jesus changed and healed the broken power dynamics and structures in society, so we are called to participate in bringing about healing in power dynamics and social structures.
I am just back from a trip to Nepal where I spent several days talking with people who live in poverty – and they expressed these same themes I mentioned earlier – poverty as muffled voice, a denigrated identity, and a lack of dignity.
One group I met were women from Sunsari District. Previously marginalised, after involvement with our partner United Mission to Nepal, these women are now community leaders with a strong voice and engagement with other traditional, religious and political leaders. When I asked about the most significant change the project had brought to their lives, one woman summed it up: “I now have a voice, and my voice matters.”
May we all actively cry out for justice, committed to advocacy as we work to create a world where all things are reconciled and everyone can say: “I have a voice, and my voice matters.”
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 4 – Radical Generosity »
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