hey. so its day 4 of training for richmond and i've already fallen behind in documenting this. nice.
So I guess I just wanted to start this marathon with a focus on the cause I'm supporting, that cause being IJM. By 'focus,' I really mean i want to be motivated by this cause, and to feel like it's something really important to me instead of just something i am attaching to running, which is probably the more important of the two to me.
I know. it sounds terrible. really, it is a sad truth. but im striving for one-hundred percent honesty here, so lets just get it all out on the table. what I really want during this marathon process, besides a faster time when i cross the finish line, is a deeper passion for people who dont have freedom, and for a greater understanding of God's justice.
I mean, I get what IJM is about, and I do think it is incredibly important for me to be involved in this organization. Nobody deserves to live as a captive of another person, especially when it involves sexual and physical abuse. how people are capable of hurting others in this way, of thinking they can buy and sell and trade them as some material commodity is something i cant wrap my mind around. so God bless the workers at IJM and their efforts, and praise Jesus that there are people who care more about others than their own safety and comfort. i get that part, and im invested.
the part i dont get so much is that God is one who loves justice. ijm sends out these prayer lists every week, and each one begins with a scripture about god's justice, and i know praying for the workers and rescued victims is vital, but somehow god's being just is lost. i know the bible says it. but the bible says that god brings to the poor and weak and orphans and widows, and this just isnt something i see happening. so maybe i just dont understand god's heart for justice because i dont see it in this world. i mean, jesus even said that we would always have the poor and needy with us. maybe i've just grown to see that our way of thinking of fairness and goodness isn't necessarily the same as god's way, so maybe god's idea of justice is different from ours? maybe it is entirely other worldly and his justice will prevail in heaven, but really? god, where is your justice here?
so in conclussion, this 16 week training time is a preparation for this race, but also a time when i will be digging to understand god's just character. because if he truly is one who desires justice, then i am motivated to fight for it.
any ideas? leave them. i would LOVE to hear them.
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2 comments:
kicking disney a$phalt...or richmond a$phalt...sweeet
this post got me thinking, and i think you're right that it's confusing because we don't see justice for the poor and disenfranchised in the world. i think that's the point though, that if we don't see it that's even more of a reason to care about it. God loves justice and so he's put the responsibility in our hands to bring about that justice, like "your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" style. i think too many christians in the West spend their time in church pews asking God to bring about justice on earth without realizing that it's our responsibility, as people who are filthy rich in comparison to the majority of the world, and as people who are very unlikely to face any great injustice against ourselves in their lives (except maybe lack of affordable health care, we'll see...), to do something about that. i've heard one of those cheesy christian-y things that i hate, something along the lines of, people ask God why there is evil and injustice in the world...and don't even realize God is asking them the same question!
and yes, Jesus did say we will always have the poor with us, and i don't really know what that means, but i generally tend to think that that means there will always be inequality in the world, not that there necessarily needs to be extreme poverty like billions of people currently live in. whatever it means, i'm pretty sure it's not an excuse to keep doing whatever the hell we want and ignore the hundreds and hundreds of Biblical references to serving the poor, feeding the hungry, God having a special preference of sorts for the poor, etc.
just some thoughts, what do i know?
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