Justice in creation
Start of Lent: 2 March to 6 March The Genesis creation accounts paint an idyllic picture of humanity all created equal, made in the image of God, in their diversity and difference, enjoying the gifts of God’s abundance. How did it all go so wrong?
Turning from and turning to
“Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” Read today’s reflection here.
Justice in creation
“Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness … ’
So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.” Read today’s reflection here.
When good goes bad
“They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God … The man said, ‘The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.’ Then the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this that you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent tricked me, and I ate.’ ” Read today’s reflection here.
Making sense of a broken world
“Jesus said, ‘Why do you see the speck in your neighbour’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbour, “Let me take the speck out of your eye”, while the log is in your own eye?’ ” Read today’s reflection here.
Exodus and liberation
Exodus is a great story of justice: a people oppressed, whose very life is at stake, are rescued by God’s intervention, and led through the desert to form a new community, centred on God, defined by his justice and compassion. Read more here.
From guests to slaves
“Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. He said to his people, ‘Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.’ Therefore they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labour.” Read today’s reflection here.
Hearing, seeing, remembering
“After a long time the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery, and cried out. Out of the slavery their cry for help rose up to God. God heard their groaning, and God and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God looked upon the Israelites, and God took notice of them.” Read today’s reflection here.
The God who transforms part 1 – Moses
‘So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.’ But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?’ He said, ‘I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.’ Read today’s reflection here.
The God who transforms part 2 – Pharaoh
“Afterwards Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, “Let my people go, so that they may celebrate a festival to me in the wilderness.” ’ But Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the Lord, that I should heed him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.’” Read today’s reflection here.
The God who transforms part 3 – Israel
“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day … On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.’ ” Read today’s reflection here.
Remembering Egypt
When you come to the land that the Lord will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this observance. And when your children ask you, “What do you mean by this observance?” you shall say, “It is the passover sacrifice to the Lord, for he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt, when he struck down the Egyptians but spared our houses.” Read today’s reflection here.
Building communities of justice
The story of Exodus is not just a story of liberation. It goes hand in hand with the birth of a new community, shaped for justice and the flourishing of all with a set of laws for everyday living. Read more here.
Why laws?
‘So now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? Only to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord your God and his decrees that I am commanding you today, for your own well-being.’ Read today’s reflection here.
An eye for an eye?
‘You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also.’ Read today’s reflection here.
A community of radical justice
“When you enter the land that I am giving you, the land shall observe a sabbath for the Lord. For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather in their yield; but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of complete rest for the land, a sabbath for the Lord.” Read today’s reflection here.
Justice as shared responsibility
“Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation.” Read today’s reflection here.
Small picture, big picture
“See, just as the Lord my God has charged me, I now teach you statutes and ordinances for you to observe in the land that you are about to enter and occupy. You must observe them diligently, for this will show your wisdom and discernment to the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!’” Read today’s reflection here.
When justice fails
“If you take your neighbour’s cloak in pawn, you shall restore it before the sun goes down; for it may be your neighbour’s only clothing to use as cover; in what else shall that person sleep? And if your neighbour cries out to me, I will listen, for I am compassionate.” Read today’s reflection here.
Justice as encounter
Justice in Scripture is always rooted in time, place and story. It is about people, and the image of God within them, an image damaged and distorted by sin – our own, and others’. This week we walk with Jesus as he embraces those he meets. Read more here.
Seeing the invisible
“Now there was a woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, ‘If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.’” Read today’s reflection here.
Shielding the vulnerable
“Then Jesus put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha cum’, which means, ‘Little girl, get up!’ And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about …” Read today’s reflection here.
Learning from the other
‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What do you read there?’ He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.’ Read today’s reflection here.
Equals before God
‘The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.” But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”’ Read today’s reflection here.
Humanising the other
“When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’ And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders.” Read today’s reflection here.
Contagious holiness
“When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax-collectors, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does he eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’ When Jesus heard this, he said to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.’” Read today’s reflection here.
Justice in the shape of a cross
No matter what laws and guidance are given to human beings, they struggle to do justly and love mercy. It is only in Jesus that justice and mercy are perfectly united – in one perfect life, a sacrificial death and glorious resurrection. Read more here.
Breaking down barriers
“Jesus stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him … ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’” Read today’s reflection here.
From scarcity to abundance: feeding the hungry
“Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. And all ate and were filled; and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish.” Read today’s reflection here.
From scarcity to abundance: the first banquet
“But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, ‘Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.’” Read today’s reflection here.
Washing feet
Jesus got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. Read today’s reflection here.
In between criminals
‘We indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then [the criminal] said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise. Read today’s reflection here.
The foolishness of the cross
“We proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.” Read today’s reflection here.
Do this to remember me
The God of Scripture invites us to be holy, as he is holy, and holiness and justice walk together. But holiness is not something that simply happens. It is practised until it becomes habit. And one of the practices that shape us for justice as a church is that of Communion. Read more here.
Life-shaping stories
“Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, ‘Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’ Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’” Read today’s reflection here.
This is my body
“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill’, and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.” Read today’s reflection here.
‘Discerning the body’
“Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord. Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgement against themselves.” Read today’s reflection here.
The practice of truth-telling
“Our transgressions indeed are with us, and we know our iniquities: transgressing, and denying the Lord, and turning away from following our God … Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands at a distance; for truth stumbles in the public square, and uprightness cannot enter.” Read today’s reflection here.
He opened wide his arms upon the cross
“Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’ … And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.’” Read today’s reflection here.
Communion as a glimpse of the kingdom
“When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?’” Read today’s reflection here.
Walking through Holy Week
As we walk through Holy Week, we pay attention to the interweaving of justice and mercy in Jesus’ words and action, from the triumph of his arrival to his death on the cross. Read more here.
At the feet of Jesus
“Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, ‘Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?’” Read today’s reflection here.
Whoever serves me must follow me
“Jesus said, ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.’” Read today’s reflection here.
Just as I have loved you
“Jesus said, ‘I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’” Read today’s reflection here.
Letting our feet be washed
“After Jesus had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord – and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.’” Read today’s reflection here.
A strange kind of king
“Carrying the cross by himself, Jesus went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, ‘Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.’” Read today’s reflection here.
When injustice seems to triumph
“Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.” Read today’s reflection here.
A new vocation
Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, Who are you?’ because they knew it was the Lord. Read today’s reflection here.