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What does the Lord require of
you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8 The Justice Ministry of United in Faith seeks to live out the gospel of Jesus Christ, by working toward the vision of true peace and justice that God has promised. Working for justice means more than providing charity to the poor, the hungry, the oppressed. We’ve all heard the old saying, Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.” But working for justice must go even further. As the Rev. Martin Luther King. Jr. said, “On the one hand we are called to play the Good Samaritan on life's roadside, but that will be only an initial act. One day we must come to see that the whole Jericho Road must be transformed so that men and women will not be constantly beaten and robbed as they make their journey on life's highway. True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.” Justice work focuses on the root causes of poverty, hunger, and conflict and seeks to change them. Justice work focuses on protecting all of God’s creation, from people to the planet, because everything made by God has value and should be able to live with dignity and in safety. Justice work focuses on speaking up for those with no voice, but also empowering people to lift up their own voices to be heard. We believe that working for justice is the natural growth of a congregation that is focused on welcoming every person who walks through our doors—we can only open those doors so far. The church must go out into the community and the world to bring forth the kingdom of God. What will you see in the United in Faith Justice Ministry? Action! Often political action, because our elected representatives are responsible for creating policies that can help or hinder the fight for justice. We are political, not partisan—we speak to issues that affect the hungry, the poor, the sick, the dispossessed and do not endorse any party or candidate. Some of the actions that our Justice Ministry have engaged in include: Publishing the Justice Catalog Creating The Hungry
Feast Giving an Offering of
Letters Voter Registration Drive Lobbying on Lutheran Day Lent Speaker Series Setting the Table with Welcome and
Justice Refugee Upcoming Justice Ministry actions will include The One Campaign: One Spirit. One Will. Zero PovertyJoining with a diverse coalition of anti-poverty and hunger groups to fight poverty and AIDS around the world. If you believe life isn’t fair—but could be made a little more so—you may have a passion for justice. If you read the Magnificat that Mary sings in Luke 1:46-55 often, you may have a passion for justice. If you believe that that children shouldn’t be listless from hunger, that women shouldn’t be second-class citizens, that the poor shouldn’t be poor, that education and opportunity is something every person should have, that governments and government officials should act with compassion to bring about peace and equity for all their people, you may have a passion for justice. Join us! Is not this the fast that I choose: Is it not to share your bread Then your light shall break forth The United in Faith Justice Ministry is grateful for the ministry partners that provides us with much inspiration and information. Do check out their web sites: The ELCA Advocacy web site and
e-newsletter The Lutheran Network for Justice
and Advocacy Bread for the World Church World Service Lutheran Immigration and Refugee
Service Heifer International National Council of Churches of
Christ Eco-Justice Programs ELCA World Hunger Appeal America’s Second Harvest |