Greenblade - creation - faith - justice
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Both/And
I thought about these questions as I read the Glenn Beck/Jim Wallis kerfluffle over whether or not the Gospel preaches social justice. Glenn Beck sees the Gospel as addressing the individual only: “You want to help out? You help out. It changes you. That’s what the gospel is all about: You.” (Glenn Beck Responds, Sojourners) Jim Wallis, on the other hand, argues that the Gospel is infused with social justice concepts and that “the Bible isn't just concerned with feeding the poor -- it's concerned about the conditions that create the poor.” (John Blake on CNN, Also Sojourners.) Both of them are quite certain the other is wrong, although Beck is more willing to be insulting about it.
I have to wonder: why are they fighting? This isn’t an either/or situation. Both are true.
For a while there we at Greenblade were proud of ourselves because we were having meals that were also Meals together. Then the ‘justice’ side of our work started calling us. We began to want the m/Meals for everyone. It began to seem as though that might be what God intended: the Feast to which all are invited.
This is what makes what we are doing at Greenblade so interesting. It isn’t a question of personal salvation or institutional reform. It is both. It has to be.
I know, I know. Sometimes the secret to being able to hear people enough to move forward instead of polarizing is to find something - anything - you can agree with and stick to that. I couldn't look too closely at Beck's response either, particularly when he started the ad hominem comments.