Lent Devotional: RestoreSample

Restore: God is restoring justice

The term “social justice” has something of an image problem. It tends to be associated with a particular wing of politics, and with pictures of people wearing face-paint and waving placards (not that there’s anything wrong with either of those things!) It can be easy to believe that it’s a political issue, not a faith issue.

But that couldn’t be any further from the truth. We serve a God who not only cares about justice, but who is the source of all justice. If we ignore the injustices of the world, if we ignore the oppressed, we ignore God.

God hates injustice. And we, his people, are the conduit through which he addresses it. The church is justice made manifest, designed to strike at the heart of the brokenness that keeps people from a full and thriving life. Sometimes we fail to live up to that, but we must never stop trying.

Heavenly Father,

Thank you that you are the God of justice,

Thank you that your heart is broken for the oppressed, the fatherless, the widow.

Break our hearts for what breaks yours,

And help us all, as the church, to address the injustices of the world.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Gideon Heugh, Tearfund