I returned from a week in Chicago at the Evangelical Covenant Church’s (ECC) Midwinter Conference, our denomination’s annual pastors’ conference. I went to take a couple of ordination classes. The classes were more inspirational than informative, but I did come away with a better sense of how the denominational ministry offices help local congregations as they participate in God’s mission. I also was able to get to meet and spend time with some very godly and cool people. We heard some great speakers such as my theological crush Miroslav Volf and Mimi Haddad, the president of Christians for Biblical Equality.

As I’ve thawed from the freezing weather and reflected on the week, some thoughts have solidified. I am thankful that the ECC has put an emphasis on pursuing and embodying the integral connection between ministries of word and deed. I came away inspired from hearing stories of people open to having God break their hearts in the face of suffering and injustice and then having the faith to follow God in addressing these wrongs. Our denomination is rediscovering its missional roots and just last year, we created a new denominational ministry, Compassion, Mercy, and Justice (CMJ). CMJ is in a discerning and defining period, trying to learn from God what CMJ should be about and what it should do. I was able to participate in an important think tank on the matter since much of the work I do at Pasadena Covenant Church is in the areas of compassion and justice.

While I wish I came away with more specific next steps, last week lit a fire under me to pursue a life that embodies Micah 6.8, “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (NRSV) I realize that matters of compassion and justice can be controversial, especially for someone like me who has a certain amount of power in this nation because of my sex and ethnicity. Moreover, I’ve noticed in my life and in others’ lives, that when we ask God to open our eyes to injustice in the world, the amount of suffering we will see is daunting. The oceans of injustice break many hearts and people feel helpless. All the injustice of the world is too much for us to address by ourselves. Establishing peace and justice requires God’s leadership and calling. And because there are myriad issues out there, let us not assume that we have to be perfectly righteous in each matter in order to act compassionately or justly at all. Let us in our lives, homes, churches, schools, and cities, ask where is God leading us, what situation does God want us to address justly? Some may be called to focus their attention to suffering caused by AIDS on other continents while others may be called to help the mentally ill for whom county jails are their hospitals. We should see ourselves as participating in the whole mission of the Church, not as solo actors who have to fix everything ourselves. Edward Everett Hale had this to say, “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.”

My leadership style tends to seek out consensus as much as possible, but at times that style can stall with people-pleasing. I don’t want ministries of compassion and justice to be unnecessarily divisive, but I understand that not everyone will agree with us, and more to the point, some may try to hinder justice in any way they can. The story of the Israelites in the book of Exodus reminds us of this fact. So while I believe it is important to try to bring all people along, I am beginning to see that God wants us to act righteously now and not wait for everyone to get on board first. That does not mean we leave opponents or the hesitant by the wayside, but their sincere questions should not keep us from following God’s Spirit in working for wholeness and welfare of our world. The costs of stalling are too high. I pray that this Lenten season will be one in which our hearts break because of the injustice around and within us and that God’s grace will lead us to hope and action.

In her presentation regarding evangelicalism, Haddad cited the following quotation from William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army and a hero of mine who never saw ministries of word and deed as separate endeavors,

While women weep, as they do now, I’ll fight; while little children go hungry, as they do now, I’ll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I’ll fight; while there is a drunkard left, while there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I’ll fight—I’ll fight to the very end!