By Pam Hinrichs
This is the fourth installment in a four-part series examining what the Bible says about justice. In this installment, we'll offer some concluding thoughts on justice. You can find Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here.
Concluding Thoughts on Justice
Ultimately, doing justice is an act of worship, an offering to God, in the way God wants to be worshiped by us. God declared to his people, "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?" (Isaiah 58:6). This verse is full of doing, an example of the action God commanded us to do in Micah 6:8.
By Pam Hinrichs
This is the third installment in a four-part series examining what the Bible says about justice. In this installment, we'll look at how Christians can do justice. You can find Part 1 here and Part 2 here.
How Do We Do Justice?
The Lord instructed Zechariah to "Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other" (Zechariah 7:9-10). God calls us to action. Administer is a verb, it is doing something about injustice. The Lord also tells us something about the nature of the justice to be administered. It is to be "true", genuine, not just in form but in substance. The Lord is calling for deeper investigation and thought. Acting justly is thinking critically and deeply about the marginalized, asking how the system, law, or policy affects them and what is equitable.
By Pam Hinrichs
This is the second installment in a four-part series examining what the Bible says about justice. In this installment, we'll look at what God asks of us as believers. You can find Part 1 here.
God's Requirement To Do Justice
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:36-40). The first commandment is about our relationship with God and counters our tendency to worship something other than the one true God. The second commandment is about our relationship with each other, each of us being made in the image of God and counters our tendency to 'play God' in the lives of other people, especially when we perpetuate injustice.
This is the first installment in a four-part series examining what the Bible says about justice. In this installment, we'll look at how justice relates to the character of God.
Justice and God's Character
By Pam Hinrichs
Created by God in God's Image
"So God created man in His own image." (Genesis 1:26-27)
"The earth is the Lord's and everything in it." (Psalms 24:1)
Our BelPresJustice.org website just got an update and an upgrade! We've upgraded the software version, and added all of the content from our newsletters since we first started sending them. Here's a little history about the site.
In mid-2018, we began work on a website dedicated to the J&RR Team at Bellevue Presbyterian Church (BelPres). The purpose of the site was to provide a place to post our team meetings, events sponsored by the J&RR Team, BelPres events, and local Community events in support of racial justice and reconciliation. We also posted links to the books we've studied, to movies and videos we've seen, and podcasts we've heard, along with other relevant articles.
Many are deeply troubled by the ongoing death and destruction in Gaza. If you are among those who long to see the horrific violence in the Holy Land come to an end, join people of all faiths – including friends from BelPres – for the Seattle Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage walk on Saturday, March 9.
The Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage walk is an event taking place in over 100 cities worldwide during the season of Lent. The Seattle walking route travels through both Seattle and the Eastside and covers 25 miles – the same length as the Gaza Strip. The route loops around the north end of Lake Washington and, for those walking the entire distance, you should allow 10-12 hours. Participants are welcome to walk as much or little as they want.
A few weeks ago, several members of the J&RR team went to Bethany Community Church to hear a keynote address on justice from Rev. Dr. Alexia Salvatierra. The focus of her message was on "Familia Justice" — what would justice look like if we saw everyone around us as family?
This powerful message is now available on video. You can watch the whole event which includes a panel discussion, or if you'd just like to watch the keynote, it begins at minute 8 and ends at minute 40.
Link to Rev. Dr. Alexia Salvatierra's Familia Justice Keynote
Looking for a local summer outing? Bellevue Arts Museum is hosting an exhibit called Strange Weather, featuring contemporary works of art spanning five decades.
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