To Do Justice

Until that equation changes, many analysts argue, nothing else will.

This is the last sentence in the New York Times article A Godsend for Darfur, or a Curse?. This last sentence makes me want to cry. It makes me wonder about hope -- and makes me wonder if my sermon on Sunday will be entirely hypocritical. But, I tend to think that the sermons we preach are the ones we most need to hear.

And I need to hear about justice (even though my sermon is not about justice). I need those moments that activate my faith by living that tenet in Micah 6:8. But, I need the study time first -- which is what my sermon is about. So, I wonder. Are any of your congregations studying water? My denomination has a couple of resources available about this topic. And I wonder about it. Have any of your churches partnered with Jewish congregations against genocide? Do you even know that the Jewish community is more active on this campaign than Christians? Do you have amazing stories to tell about it?

I wonder how it works in congregations that aren't jumping up and down about justice, but do want to do something. I'm planning on using the Dear Sudan program for Lent. And in my optimism, I hope it's too late because all of this will have changed. The entire equation will be resolved and the analysts will stop being so cynical. But, I know that won't happen even when I pray it will. But, I wonder. I wonder how we do justice and affect change. Because I believe that something will. Something will change.