Social Justice

When I hear social justice my attention is immediately drawn to national problems that can only be fixed by a civil government with enough power to enforce its policies. I guess it is just a natural thing to blame problems on other people and think that the problems are too big to do anything about them myself. I find it discouraging to see so much need in the world--as well as pressured to handle it myself. Feeling incapable to fix the big problems, and being unable to decide what to do about the small ones... I am left in the same place that I started in. Only this time, I recognize that doing nothing is not acceptable.

So-making an action plan- is extremely hard, I find. Being an optimist with a realist's perspective makes this whole thing difficult for me personally. Well that is where I am at right now on this whole thing but I will keep digging to see what I feel led to do about this topic.

"And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
Micah 6:8

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart. May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace. May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain in to joy. And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

--Franciscan Benediction