Qualifying and Clarifying

My old friend/occasional antagonist Royale in his comments on my previous post brought up something significant that I want to underscore as I wrap up my rants on the differences between Secular Pluralism and Christianity.

Christians need to partner anywhere and everywhere they can for the common good.

In other words, the Secular Pluralist's education agenda and the National Organization for Women's "Take Back the Night" march (speaking out against rape) and all other organizations and people groups that fight for justice are instruments of God, whether they know it or not.

God is justice. Justice is not a disembodied virtue. It has it's complete embodiment and root in a Person: Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. All justice is God's justice. It all flows from him and honors him, even if those who are participating in it do not recognize Him or themselves as a part of His plan. Said participants do, of course, miss out on the joy of being a part of that larger thing, but it is no less a God thing because those who participate in it don't see it as such.

So as Christians we need to be as eager as God is to find partnerships in the gospel work of transforming culture and blessing all those we come in contact with. We need to build relationships along with all those who seek justice and to care for the poor and marginalized and oppressed. In so doing we both honor the God who's idea those things are and we build bridges of credibility over which the gospel message can travel.

I'm in conversation right now with the Outreach Coordinator for the Gay and Lesbian Student Association on campus about helping to co-host an Easter weekend gathering for students in their organization. Many students who "come out" are kicked out of their house and have no place to go for the long weekend. I believe that caring for these students by helping to host a meal for them is participating in the reconciling work of the gospel in these student's lives. This is Easter worked out in real relationships. Jesus loves these students. Loves them enough to die for them. Loves them enough to want them to live out right, healthy relationships--something that may not be happening in their lives now but who knows what might happen should the Word who became flesh become flesh to them over a meal during a hard weekend in their lives?

I'm hoping that these types of partnerships might multiply and multiply again in our little part of the world here at UNC. We're already seeing how co-hosting an event with the NAACP, participating with the Campus Y, and joining with groups who are lobbying for action in Sudan and who are lobbying for a safer Carolina is opening up doors for real conversations about a real God who really is all about making wrong things right.