Carts, Horses, and Racism
COSROW, The United Methodist Commission on the Status and Role of Women, has recently called for a new initiative within the denomination regarding sexism and racism. I am all for this. On the whole, I like COSROW.
One comment and one comment alone. Their press release through the United Methodist News Service on march 20th, 2007, began with the following sentence: “A commitment to justice for all and continued efforts to exorcise sexism and racism are needed if The United Methodist Church is to meet new mission goals.”
Are you kidding?!
I like the general sentiment, but they say they have this new commitment to justice for all and end to racism are needed BECAUSE of the new mission goals of the UMC. Effectively they are declaring that they like justice now because of the UMC’s mission goals. That’s why the new initiative comes about.
Let’s read Galations 3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” This has been the Word of God since Paul penned it in the first century.
When a Church board tells you to worry about justice that is a good idea. When a church board forgets to mention it, it is still a really damn good idea. If a church board tells you to fight against justice, it is still a good idea to work for justice. As the God commands: “Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” Justice is always a good idea, whether or not someone tells you to do it. After all, whether anyone tells you to do it or not, God is always and everywhere tell you to be about the business of justice.
This is all one more reason to side with God first and your church second. Measure your church by the Word of God, not the other way around. If your church doesn’t get around to commanding justice for 2,007 years maybe you should do it anyway. Deus vult! God wills it! This is all one more reason to side with God first and your church second. Measure your church by the Word of God, not the other way around. If your church doesn’t get around to commanding justice for 2,007 years maybe you should do it anyway. Deus vult! God wills it!
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