Mission Moment

By Reverend Jan Scholtz

The concerns that Martin Luther King addressed back in the 1960’s were not just issues of society and culture, they were issues of justice. The same is true for many of the challenges that face us today.

The call to respect and care for each other as sisters and brothers isn’t just a political or sociological statement, remember the words of Jesus; “If you love me, feed my sheep”. The greatest commandment is to love God with all our hearts and minds, but the second one is to love our neighbour as ourselves. Concerns about racial equality, poverty and homelessness, war and healthcare, and the marginalization of the voiceless and powerless are moral issues; they are issues that people of faith but be engaged in. If this moment in time is going to be anything other than a short lived, feelgood moment then all of us must be partners in bringing about the change we seek. This includes those of us who are people of faith. Our role is to continue to raise our voices for more just systems, for eradication of poverty, for policies that don’t discriminate on the basis of race, gender, physical ability or sexual orientation, and to encourage and support and pray for peace. We are called to so this not because of a particular political perspective but because of our belief in a God who stands for love and for justice.