Social Justice and the Non-Christian

When Tim Keller was in college, he kept asking himself: “If [some say that] morality is relative, why isn’t social justice as well?” He’s alluding to the fact that some people think life is gray when it comes to issues of morality but very black and white when it comes to issues like poverty and oppression.

To stand firm on the idea that giving money to the poor is a “duh” black and white issue but that having sex before marriage (for example) is a gray issue – is inconsistent and contradictory.

Someone might reply to this by saying that pre-marital sex is controversial, but giving to the poor is not. They would point out that giving to the poor is known worldwide as a “good” thing. It is not relative. It is just a fact. Pre-martial sex however is not.

Let’s break this down a little more. Because there is a consensus in our culture or country that giving to the poor is a good thing, doesn’t mean it is a fact. There have been billions of people scattered through many cultures and countries who have disagreed with the idea of social justice. There has been much injustice and oppression and murder since the beginning of time by various nations. So which cultures are right? Who gets to claim that they have a better grasp of the truth?

If anything, the people who have practiced injustice are more logical than anyone. If no God exists and a “survival of the fittest” is in play, then giving to the poor would be counter-productive to us staying on top of the food chain. If we are going to survive, then moving to the suburbs, ignoring the poor, and holding onto our money is the most rational option!

However, we all know that there are millions of people who don’t believe in God, yet they want to give money to the poor. Why? Is it because the reasoning behind social justice is logical? No, it is rather more illogical if God doesn’t exist.

It we are here because of a random natural act, then everything is up for grabs. Everything is relative. However, if Creator God uniquely created and shaped the world and the people in it, then our passion for every human to have dignity and value seems very "black and white".

Everyone Has a Religion

Everyone in the universe has a religion – whether they are a Christian, Muslim, or Atheist.

Religion is simply defined as “a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe.”

Even people who don’t call themselves religious have an opinion on why we are here and how we should live our lives. What is the key implication here? Exclusivity.

Non-religious people usually attack religious people because religious people claim to know why we are here and how we should live our lives. Religion appears to be arrogant and therefore the non-religious preach tolerance of all views.

They rebel against the religious for “evangelizing” the world with their exclusive views on the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe.

However, as you look at the life of a non-religious person, you’ll see that they are religious by the way they live their lives.

Every time someone says, “You should do this…” or “You can’t do that…” to anyone (child, neighbor, family member, etc.) - they are evangelizing their beliefs about the how the universe is wired. They are trying to impose a belief system on someone else. Therefore, every action that anyone takes is a religious one.

So the ultimate question is not “Should I be religious?” BUT “Which religion (belief system) should I put my trust in?”

If there really is an ultimate reality, a universal truth by which we should live – then it REALLY will be the best way to live – compared to all the other imitations out there.

All of us have a religion – full of beliefs that we think are superior to others. Therefore, pastor Tim Keller asks in his book The Reason for God, “Which [religion in the world today] will lead their believers to be the most loving and receptive to those with whom they differ?”

The answer is [authentic] Christianity. Jesus ushered in a movement that was defined by love – a love without conditions. Jesus loved his enemies and even died for them. Can you think of a better belief system than that?

Christianity is EXCLUSIVE (there is only one truth, one belief system by which we must live) but is also INCLUSIVE (Jesus will accept anyone at any time regardless of what they have done – if they put their trust in Him and His work on the cross for them).

Once again, can you think of any other belief system better than that?

A Heaven With No Clouds

Here are some commonly held assumptions about heaven among Christ followers:

*content is from the book Heaven by Randy Alcorn which is outlined bellow by Rick McKinley in This Beautiful Mess

We assume that heaven is a completely nonphysical experience. We'll float around and morph from place to place. We assume that heaven will feel unfamiliar and other-wordly.

Truth: The bible shows that heaven will be a restored physical world. Heaven will be a flourishing realm of city and nature, of people and conversations, of streets to walk down and good food to be enjoyed.

We assume that in heaven people will be spirits (nice ghosts, though, like Casper).

Truth: The bible tells us that we will exist in eternity in a body that has been "raised in glory" - a physical body similar to the resurrected Jesus - that will never again wrestle with sickness, want, pain, or aging.

We think of heaven as static. Harps and clouds and very loud sing-alongs. We tend to imagine a heaven where we will have no desire because everything will be perfect and we will have nothing to do.

Truth: You will have things to do, people to visit, meaningful relationships, fulfilling responsibilities. The bible shows us that we have been created in the image of God to be passionate about many things, to pursue, to enjoy, and to achieve. In heaven, there is a good chance that you'll be doing many of the same things you are doing now that you enjoy!

As we let the truth about heaven push aside our wrong assumptions, we'll find ourselves wanting heaven more and being defeated by earth less.

My note: This makes me excited to be a part of heaven even more. But it doesn't make me want to sit around and wait. It makes me want to pray even more that the Kingdom would come right here, right now, as Jesus prayed. We don't have to wait. We have the opportunity to see heaven crash into earth everyday. Let's get to it.