Engaging Darkness

Truth & Transformation / Topic: Justice / Speaker: Kristen Deede Johnson

One of my biggest desires is to see our communities fully engaged with brokenness and darkness. Moving towards the needs of others and committing ourselves with their problems and injustice in love. This is our identity! We want to see a breakthrough where God hasn't shown up yet. 

Jesus never pretended that justice would be a personal call to exercise all by ourselves. It was meant to live it in communities. Throughout the Bible, we can see that God called communities to seek and honor him living out his justice in this world. Its a teamwork, to practice justice in a transcendental way. To be intentional is necessary to be guided by HolySpirit,  engaging with the whole story of the bible.
Justice is an opportunity to take action and show God´s love, redemption, and mercy in society. 
The two commandments that Jesus establishes are rooted in Justice:
—to love God and to
love your neighbor as yourself
The call to love God and love our neighbors is a call to righteousness and justice.
How can we live this out?

The key to the Christian life is gratitude. In the story of the fall, is the first moment when humans take something instead of receiving it freely. There is an act of not trusting. God gave Adan and Eve everything they needed. But instead of living it out being good stewards in dependant trust, they did what they thought was right, and exposed their selfish hearts "taking the fruit" instead of waiting on God for the blessing of others. They preferred to be self-centered looking for their own good. 

All their relationships were impacted by this act of untrust and disobedience. Adan and Eve blamed each other, blamed God. Since this moment humanity was cursed. Humanity failed in using their power to seek the flourishing of others in Gods world. Instead of taking their power that was being given to seeking what's good, right and just, they used the power to seek harm, for their own selfish good.
This is our story! 

God has given us everything we need. The posture that we are called to have is first to receive from God and then give it freely back. It's from a posture of rest. Well rooted in our identity in Christ, adopted, sealed, set apart, for a purpose. 
To do justice, we ought to live like Saints, not heroes. Saints are called to live in a community (Church). To live as beloved children, not orphans.
To make this real, we have to pursue justice. We have to persist and strive for it. Not have a passive style of life. It takes effort. Requires getting out of the comfort zone.

What does God want?

He wants that from all the blessing we have received from Him, we give them freely back, to bless and do righteousness to those who God puts in our way. This lifts up the Jesus and brings heaven where we are at. God doesn't want supermans that work alone, but Saints that are supposed to live the Kingdom together. He created all this diversity of creation and gave us His power through authority to us, human beings. He is always faithful with us, we have the right to do right!

 He has shown you, O mankind, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love devotion, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

 Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities.
    Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes. Isaiah 58:12

They will rebuild the ancient ruins,
    repairing cities destroyed long ago.
They will revive them,
    though they have been deserted for many generations. Isaiah 61:4