Social Justice and RISCC

Within the Christian context, social justice is not a new idea. The writings of early Christian thinkers give us helpful insight into the Church’s view that what it means to be a person of faith includes having an orientation towards doing what is just. The oft read (and frequently misinterpreted) book of Revelation offers a compelling and sustained critique of Roman Imperial power, situated in what is likely the first and earliest example of Christian Apocalypticism, a genre of literature that evolved to speak truth to power.  Early church theologians struggled with questions related to whether one could be a Christian and serve in the Roman military, and throughout the long history of Christian faith, many writers and holy people wondered aloud about the relationship between Jesus’ command to, “love one another…just as I have loved you,” and the reality of the messiness and intersectional nature of life.

At the same time, I am persuaded that I have a responsibility to at least try and put my faith into action. Tuesday morning, I gathered with local Christian, Buddhist, and Muslim leaders to offer blessings for the sailing ship Golden Rule, a vessel dedicated to ending the spread and use of nuclear weapons by our country and around the world. Later that afternoon, I headed over to the statehouse to stand in solidarity with the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence as we advocate for passage of legislation to ban assault weapons in Rhode Island and to require safe storage of guns in the home. Although the fate of these bills for this legislative session is not clear, we remain committed to the holy work of seeing their eventual passage.

I am excited to build on the long and deep legacy of the Rhode Island State Council of Churches – to expand and increase our involvement in movements for justice and to provide deep and meaningful ways for folks to connect with our mission and work. Together we will continue to be a people who work to put our faith into action, who strive for justice, and who walk humbly with God.