Embodying the Good News as Justice

The Starting Point

The setting or place that theology is found in determines what God is doing and how God is involved in the affairs of God’s people.  As liberation theologian James Cone says "Each theology is characterized by its struggle against the dominance of Europe and North America and by its creative attempt to fashion a perspective on the gospel that arises out of the people's struggle to liberate themselves from oppression."  In this time of unparalleled injustice throughout the globe that oppresses, subjugates, and appropriates human life, responses are required that speak life and seek justice in these matters are important for the well-being of human family.  This fact holds true for those who profess a particular religious faith and those who do not, because justice is a common human need for all—no matter if they believe in God or not.  Moreover, this fact is extremely important for those who reside in the urban centers of these United States who experience the injustice of excessive police brutality, food deserts, economic disenfranchisement, and violence on a daily bases.  These folk, who reside in these centers are predominately African American, Latino/Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islanders.  From New York to Chicago down to Atlanta and New Orleans and out to Los Angeles and Oakland folk from these communities are calling for a response.  A response that gives them the good news.

                  The Revelatory Relevant Good News

From a biblical perspective and from the teachings of Jesus, justice is the response of God for all of God's people who are victims of injustice (evil).  The proverbial writer says "When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous, but dismay to evildoers" (Proverbs 21:15).  This is why African Americans exclaim that "Black Lives Matter," as a response to the unwarranted killing of Black men by law enforcement throughout the country.  God's justice tells us that God is aware of the injustices that cause death and distress to Black life.  And, more importantly, that God is ready to act on behalf of Black lives.  In this context, as Latin American liberation theologian Pablo Richard asserts "God's Word becomes a source of hope and life," as it always has been for African Americans since their involuntary arrival on eastern shores of the United States.  And, even though their evangelization was achieved by unjustifiable means, “the Word of God has been a source for survival and resistance for Black people, because it offered them "an inspiration for alternatives and utopias" that gave them hope.  A liberative evangelism or liberative sharing of God's good news tells Black men and women who face insurmountable brutality by law enforcement that Black Lives Matter because the good news," as Cone says "is also a prophetic word about the righteousness of God that must be spoke in clear, strong, and uncompromising language."  In that, the good news speaks the truth to power and proclaims justice wherever injustice shows its despicable face.  Moreover, the gospel "demands that I (we) take a side, and that side is always the side of the oppressed," as Dr. Keith A. Burton says.

                                                       God's justice tells us that God is with us. 

The Good News Addresses the Issue

As a prophetic word about God's justice for African Americans who face extreme police violence, Jesus says very cogently through his recitation of the Prophet Isaiah's words in the Lukan text "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor" (Luke 4: 18-19).  In these prophetic words, Jesus announces God's justice. As evangelistic servants and witnesses of God's word, we are (I am) called to do the same in this time of gross police brutality against Black men and women.  Dr. Mark Teasdale asserts "The Incarnation of Jesus is the promise of God to meet people in every time and place with the fullness of salvation."  Therefore, the evangelistic practices that would breathe life into this horrid matter are found in the model of practice called R.A.P.I.D. that was formulated by D.A. Horton.

Restore Dignity to Blacks in the United States who are impact by police brutality and all forms of injustice.

Affirm the ethnic identity of Black Christians.

Promote "All" Black Lives Matter.

Institute Ethnic Conciliation that build relationships with Christians of all ethnicities.

Develop Biblical Guardrails for Co-Belligerency with like-minded believers, believers who may differ, and nod-believers that embody stewardship and missiological motives that advocate for justice. 

Evangelism as justice opens the doors of the sanctuary to people who lives have been deemed to be killed.  Evangelism as justice embodies the missional work of Jesus, as the transformational work of God that identifies God's presence; and moreover that tells Black men and women, God is on your side.  In essence, sharing the good news is a matter of awareness, not only about scripture and Jesus, but also about being aware of the context.  Thus, being aware of the context (especially where injustice is the order of the day) gives us the ability to share God's good news to victims of injustice, and witness to God's intervention in human matters.

As the God of Justice, God is calling the evangelistic community to practice a mode of evangelism that embodies the good news.  As witnesses of what God does in the life of Jesus and movement of the Holy Spirit, the church has been called to evangelize God's people not solely for conversion or church membership, "but also for the undertaking of action to release and to liberate" Black victims of police brutality and all forms of injustice.  And, when followers of Christ undertake liberative action, evangelism becomes a practice of restoration, in that, we become "repairers of the breach," sharing the the good news that proclaims Black Lives Matter because God is the God of Justice.  

CLICK THE LINK TO HEAR Pastor's Speak on why Black Lives Matter 

Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;

you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;

you shall be called the repairer of the breach,

the restorer of streets to live in. ~Isaiah 58:12

Bibliography 

Cone, James H. “Evangelization and Politics: A Black Perspective.” Black Theology: A

Documentary History, volume two: 1980-1992. eds. James H. Cone and Gayraud

S. Wilmore. Maryknoll: Orbis, 1993. ISBN 0-883344-773-8.

Evangelism Online, Twitter Feed. https://twitter.com/EvangelismOnlin

Horton, D.A. Viewing Black Lives Matter, Part 4: D.A. Hortin looks at Black Lives Matter missiologically.  http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2016/february/viewing-black-lives-matter-part-4-da-horton.html

New Revised Standard Version.

Richard, Pablo. Reading the Apocalypse: Resistance, Hope, and Liberation in Central America in David Rhoads. From Every People and Nation. Kindle Edition, 2010.

Thompson, Christopher C. Black Lives Matter: SDA Pastors and leaders speak and explain why #BlackLivesMatter and what the church can do to continue to affirm and protect our young black males.  http://www.pastorsleadership.org/videos/black-lives-matter/