One of the hot button issues for me has been the dichotomizing of social justice issues and evangelism. I am coming to believe it is a false dichotomy. In a nutshell the issue goes something like this. What people really need is Jesus (I guess as opposed to food in their belly or a bed to sleep in). They are lost and on their way to hell. To truly love them would be to get their soul saved. Addressing their basic needs, although good, is something less and perhaps even misguided. Granted, this is a simplistic way to put the issue.
I saw a blog comment yesterday that makes my point. A blog was discussing a conservative Christian college’s decision to cancel a talk by Shane Claiborne, who has a community of Jesus followers in Philadephia who live simply among the homeless. Here is the comment (#16 if you check out the blog comments): “I myself have some serious issues with Claiborne, not about his desire for social justice, but with his use of Scripture and his lack of apparent concern for the true command for the church (The Great Commission)” (italics mine). I have received a similar push back just in my weak attempts to show compassion through the UC project, so I think it is worth fleshing out some.
Two questions come up in my mind when this issue comes up. 1) What is it about loving others through compassion that misses the mark with evangelism (this could easily be reversed)? 2) What is the “true” command of Jesus’ disciples?
Let’s think about these and talk about them tonight. I have been a Christian for most of my life. I am not naïve about the issues. I have struggled with and been on both sides of them. But I still have lots and lots to learn, not necessarily in my head, but in how I live it out in my life.
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