Finally, I’ve come to believe that the true measure of our commitment to justice, the character of our society, our commitment to the rule of law, fairness, and equality cannot be measured by how we treat the rich, the powerful, the privileged, and the respected among us. My work with the poor and the incarcerated has persuaded me that the opposite of poverty is not wealth the opposite of poverty is justice. “Proximity has taught me some basic and humbling truths, including this vital lesson: Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done. ![]() In his book “Just Mercy” he confronts us with a reflective mirror of who we are by how we treat the impoverished in our society In full agreement with this, is Founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, Bryan Stevenson, who is notable for his tireless fight against social injustice in America. Keller insists that working with the needy require leadership to purposely and inherently destroy the yoke of unconscious bias and racism that is prevalent even among many church goers, Christian leaders and believers. It is important to note that support for this ideology does not solely derive from NT text. The OT Scriptures advocate this point of view an example of this is found in Psalms 68:4-5. Translated, the whole text means: if we walk closely/intimately with God, then we must do justice (fight for, be the voice for, the weak and poor) out of a motivation of merciful love. Keller provides the definition for the Hebrew terms for “mercy” and “justice” which turns out to be a seamless singular definition with a multi-dimensional meaning. To no longer assess them with a passing nonchalant, biased, and assumptive cursory glance has been the biggest transformation. I must, in a sense, undergo a paradox shift, so to speak, which I have. In order to lead myself well and eventually others, there is a need to allow God’s word to retrain the way I view the poor, the marginalized and the disenfranchised. This reflects the multi-level approach that Keller describes in his book. In the same way, Keller explains that it requires a multifaceted plan of action: “Doing justice in poor communities includes direct relief, individual development, community development, racial reconciliation, and social reform”. Just as the Scripture reference in Micah implies, doing justly is not an entirely separate entity from loving mercy and walking humbly with God. According to Keller, in order for Christians to genuinely live out their faith and ‘love thy neighbor’, one must Do Justice in its most organic and holistic form. ![]() Yet, the opposite is equally true preaching to, and evangelizing someone and ignoring their immediate and materialistic needs is showing a lack of love and reveals a heart that has not truly embraced the message of the Gospel. ![]() ![]() In the following discussion, we will delve more deeply into Keller’s holistic methodology to doing justice by exploring his overarching principles of combining traditional theological and evangelical methods with social reformation, radical generosity, justice and mercy.ĭoing Justice, as the Bible instructs, involves more than that of giving of ‘alms’. We will explore in more depth Tim Keller’s appeal to believers and leaders, that they address the complex issues of poverty, race and social injustice as wells as a host of other issues affecting the disenfranchised and marginalized in the same radical way Jesus dealt with such matters in His time. This Biblical principle of doing justice directly impacts the way leaders are to view and serve the people within the realm of their influence. “To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8). The profound question was asked thousands of years ago “What does the Lord require of you?” The world and the Christian community, leaders and lay people alike, are still grappling with the answer to this day.
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