Comments on: Recovering the Social Activist Past of Evangelicals http://inamirrordimly.com/2007/10/12/recovering-the-social-activist-past-of-evangelicals/ A theology and culture blog with the Bible in one tab and a news feed in the other. Thu, 04 Dec 2008 04:17:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: ed http://inamirrordimly.com/2007/10/12/recovering-the-social-activist-past-of-evangelicals/#comment-1202 ed Wed, 24 Oct 2007 01:23:56 +0000 http://inamirrordimly.com/2007/10/12/recovering-the-social-activist-past-of-evangelicals/#comment-1202 Heather, I think you're in a good place because there is a place for professionals who know how to best help the "least of these." The trick is knowing when to seize the initiative on our own, while being willing to partner with these experts. I worked a in church that tried really hard to help people in our area and oftentimes our assistance somehow made things worse! Brian McLaren shares a story in his latest book about the ways pastors in South Africa have made matters worse in some slums because they unintentionally undermine the work of Christian aid workers. That's a complex situation, so I'll leave my summary there. Thanks for wrestling with these social issues here! Heather, I think you’re in a good place because there is a place for professionals who know how to best help the “least of these.” The trick is knowing when to seize the initiative on our own, while being willing to partner with these experts.

I worked a in church that tried really hard to help people in our area and oftentimes our assistance somehow made things worse! Brian McLaren shares a story in his latest book about the ways pastors in South Africa have made matters worse in some slums because they unintentionally undermine the work of Christian aid workers. That’s a complex situation, so I’ll leave my summary there.

Thanks for wrestling with these social issues here!

]]> By: Heather http://inamirrordimly.com/2007/10/12/recovering-the-social-activist-past-of-evangelicals/#comment-1193 Heather Sat, 13 Oct 2007 22:00:56 +0000 http://inamirrordimly.com/2007/10/12/recovering-the-social-activist-past-of-evangelicals/#comment-1193 to me, the strongest "link" to this is loving the unlovable in any situation. It's been blowing my mind, recently, as I've thought about the kind of people Jesus would want me to befriend, the way I should be treating "the least of these"... Living where I do now, I encounter so many more needs than I did in American suburbia, and it's been shaking my worldview. Yes, we donate to charity. Yes, I try to carry granola bars for the homeless, but Jesus touched them. Listened to them. Stopped for them. And then the question becomes: is this something that we should band together to accomplish (synergy and the like), or are social justice programs just then going to conform to the typical churchy ineffective model, in which case it's better to just live it on one's own... stuff I'm thinking about... to me, the strongest “link” to this is loving the unlovable in any situation. It’s been blowing my mind, recently, as I’ve thought about the kind of people Jesus would want me to befriend, the way I should be treating “the least of these”…
Living where I do now, I encounter so many more needs than I did in American suburbia, and it’s been shaking my worldview. Yes, we donate to charity. Yes, I try to carry granola bars for the homeless, but Jesus touched them. Listened to them. Stopped for them.

And then the question becomes: is this something that we should band together to accomplish (synergy and the like), or are social justice programs just then going to conform to the typical churchy ineffective model, in which case it’s better to just live it on one’s own…

stuff I’m thinking about…

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