But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” | 1 Corinthians 1.27-31
I started a series yesterday on Jesus in the Garden as an example for how to deal with the struggles of this world (part 1 here). When we look out at the injustice in the world, it can be overwhelming. That feeling of weakness comes from measuring yourself against the problem. Who am I when compared with global climate change, world poverty, and racism? The problem is so great, what can I do?
Activism makes the problem bigger. We find out that not only is acting in bigotry a problem, but so is privilege. Not only is making a lewd comment to a woman sexist, but commenting that she should wear more clothing is slut-shaming. People celebrating family is being insensitive to those without. It keeps going. It isn’t that these things shouldn’t be talked about, but when they become the primary conversation they actually lead to inactivity. We get so confused by the definitions of what is and isn’t that we are afraid to talk. It leads us to believe that the problem is so big that the only people who can do anything are professionals with a lot of money. So people like and share and fill up comment sections, but in the day to day areas of life, it is left to a select few to solve the problems.
Activity decentralizes the problem. It is no longer about global climate change, but your neighborhood. It is not world poverty, but do the people in my area have a place to sleep and a bite to eat. Racism becomes about treating people like people. This isn’t a problem to fix, but an opportunity to show the love of Christ to those experiencing injustice. What the Bible gives us is HOPE that our little bit can bring about big change. We don’t have to have power, influence, or money to make a difference; we need to be connected to Jesus. He is the model for how to think globally (and eternally) and act locally. He promises us that our weakness is not weak when it is done in Him.
Don’t let Activism keep you from Activity; let the Love of Christ drive you to act.