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How
can Christians move from personal ethics into the realm of social
ethics, learning about social justice from a Christian perspective? |
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As Christians
we generally understand ethics to be grounded in the character of
God and expressed in Scripture. Most specifically we understand
ethics to be related to the holiness of God. As God is a holy God,
so we, the people of God, are to be a holy people. In the Church
of the Nazarene, we have understood the holiness of God primarily
in terms of “wholly
otherness”
and moral purity. We therefore have often thought of God’s
call for us to be holy primarily in terms of personal and moral
purity.
While purity is a central dimension of holiness, to say that God
is holy entails more than purity alone. More than any other word,
holiness describes the whole of God’s
character—God’s
purity but also God’s
love, mercy, and righteousness (or justice). As we are called to
be a holy people, God’s
character is recreated in us. By the power of the Holy Spirit the
image of God is restored in us. God’s
character, described by His holiness, becomes our character. Christian
character, then, is not limited to moral purity but also extends
to the dimensions of God’s
character, which include love, mercy, and righteousness. Further,
Christian ethics is not limited to personal morality and integrity
but necessarily includes our consideration of compassion for the
lost and broken, mercy for those in need, and justice for the oppressed.
We expand our basis for ethics to include social ethics and social
justice when we understand that to have concern for those in need
and to stand against injustice is to be true to the character and
heart of God and, in turn, to be true to the character of the people
of God.—rb
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Emphasizing personal ethics to the exclusion
of social ethics is like having marriage without love. Nevertheless,
ignoring the likes of John Wesley and consistent scriptural teaching,
the Church has bitterly tug-of-warred over this issue.
Personal ethics advocates lash out at those who believe salvation
is attained by humanitarian deeds. In turn, the latter castigate those
who reduce the gospel to a “just Jesus and me”
mentality as being impervious to human misery.
The full gospel includes both perspectives. We need only consult the
writings of prophets or the proclamations of our Lord, such as found
in Matthew 25.
Our vital, personal relationship with the Savior is imperative; benevolence
alone will not suffice. Equally true, we who are alive in Christ will
respond to the needy, but we will do so not to impress God, earn salvation,
or replace our intimate relationship with God. Rather, we will respond
precisely because God fills our hearts with His compassionate kind
of love.
For a refreshing affirmation of our twin assignments, we are well
advised to check out the Church of the Nazarene’s
core values statement. Therein is spelled out what it means to be
truly a missional people. We are to be evangelistic, certainly, but
in no less sense we are to be involved in every conceivable form of
compassionate ministry worldwide.
Identifying with a denomination that upholds this admirable standard
is not enough. We must personally buy into both vertical and horizontal
dimensions with all we have and are. Any less simply will not compute
biblically.—jj |
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Personal
and social ethics are intertwined for the followers of Jesus. When
a religious teacher asked Jesus what must be done to inherit eternal
life, Jesus turned the question back (Luke 10:25-37). The man gave
the correct answer: “Love
the Lord your God with all your heart . . . soul . . . strength and
. . . mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself”
(v. 27).
When Jesus responded, “Do
this and you will live,”
the man tried to “justify
himself” by
asking, “Who
is my neighbor?”
(vv. 28-29). He was disturbed by the social ethics implied in the
commandment. Then follows the story of the Good Samaritan (vv. 30-37).
In that story the neighbor in need is not the familiar family and
face next door. He is a social outcast, a member of a despised minority
group, a man beaten and left for dead. For Jesus, neighbor love is
love for anyone in need, including total strangers, even enemies.
The implications of the personal and social ethics of the commandment
to love one’s
neighbor as oneself are drawn out with startling clarity in the parable
of end times found in Matthew 25:31-46.
Mother Teresa concluded from this teaching that Jesus comes to us
in the distressing disguise of people who are hungry, thirsty, naked,
lonely, sick, and imprisoned. At the final judgment, those who have
ignored the needs of others will be condemned even though they claimed
to love God.
In the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition, personal sanctification has always
been linked to compassion for those with physical and social needs
as well as spiritual needs. The holiness message is about an inward
journey of sanctification and an outward journey of compassion evangelism.—tn
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This
month’s
Editor’s Forum: |
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rb—Ron
Benefiel
is president of Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City.
jj—Jon
Johnston
is professor of sociology and anthropology at Pepperdine University
and chair of the Association of Nazarene Sociologists and Researchers.
tn—Tom
Nees
is director of USA/Canada Mission/Evangelism, Church of the Nazarene. |
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