Our headlines are full of the rippling impact of the coronavirus that is hitting China, and now threatens other parts of the world. With compelling urgency, vaccinations are being developed to help fight the illness in a controlled environment.
A small dose of a larger disease to ignite our immune system.
Two weeks ago I watched a movie that did much the same for me. Just Mercy tells the story of Bryan Stevenson, a Harvard trained attorney, who has chosen to invest the equity of his career in the defense of those on death row, and those who have been wrongly convicted or unjustly sentenced. In this case, he fought for the liberty of Walter McMillian, a man wrongly accused and convicted.
Bryan wrote his compelling and powerful book in 2014. I read it then, and was profoundly disoriented and disturbed by it. Real data, matched with compelling stories, stirred the residue of indifference that had accumulated in the base of my soul.
And now, one of the most significant stories in the book comes to life on the big screen. With it, an inoculation. With it, enough of a dose of prejudice, injustice, hatred, and arrogance to shake the fibers of complacency or comfort that are often a companion to my own journey.
A vaccination. And with it an invitation to step in. To step up.
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves;
ensure justice for those being crushed.
Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless,
and see that they get justice. (Proverbs 31:8-9, NLT)
Justice is God’s agenda, not the platform of a political party.
Advocacy for the poor, the neglected, the overlooked, the ignored, and yes, the convicted is not something we delegate or avoid, it’s the heartbeat of Christ. It pulsed through His veins. It rises to the top of His agenda. (see Matthew 25:31-46)
The vaccine. Enough of the real thing to ignite a righteous reaction.
Just Mercy. A career invested. A story to steward. A difference to make.
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8, NKJV)
A small dose, to fight for a big cause. In the name of our King.
What does the Lord require…?
{ 0 comments… add one now }