Needed: Justice In Addition to Love
A
few years ago at Christ Church Cathedral, Hartford, I was in conversation with
Canon Clinton Jones, in his 80s, and still today a very active, highly
respected minister; our chat was passing time during the ballot counting for
the election of a bishop. We reminisced about his pioneering ministry to sexual
minorities during his sixty years as a specially trained priest, in fact, as a
psychotherapist. He had a global ministry as a lecturer and writer on
transsexualism, homosexuality, bisexuality, and transvestism. Moreover he had
established support groups for each at the cathedral. In the 1970s he and I had
participated in an unannounced Missouri meeting arranged by our House of
Bishops dealing with gay Episcopal clergy. Louie Crew, the lay founder of
Integrity, was there as was a mix of heterosexual and homosexual laypeople and
clergy all numbering about twenty. After our reminiscing, I remarked to Canon
Jones how love and understanding were more evident now than ever before in our
Connecticut diocese, that significant progress was being made. Never one to
become complacent, he responded by saying resolutely, “Yes, but now what
is needed is justice!” Clearly love and understanding are very important,
but not a stopping point. (By the way, we are referring to “social
justice,” not to “justice” as the punishment of those who break
the law.)
Justice: love in action. Justice: the distribution of basic economic,
social, legal, and political rights to all deserving. Justice: providing what
is fair and deserved in evenhanded ways. Justice: the exclusion of arbitrary
power, favoritism, and discrimination on irrelevant differences. Justice: so
inseparable from the love of God, neighbor and oneself that Amos the prophet
chastised his people for its absence from religious practices and
considerations. “I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight
in your solemn assemblies. …. Take away from me the noise of your songs; I
will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like
waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream.” (Amos 5:18-24)
Justice, so inseparable from the love of God, neighbor and oneself that the
prophet Micah proclaimed, “He has told you, O mortal, what is good: and
what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and
to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8) Both worship and justice were
necessary for Israel’s life and well-being.
Congregations
that have beautiful services of worship, but without an integral mission of
justice are – in the sentiments of Amos - despicable. Individuals who
immerse themselves in “spiritual” practices, but without an active
commitment to justice are negligent of what God requires of them. We clergy and
lay leaders who focus on building our pseudo-empires of “bodies and
buildings” with fancy services and band-aid hand-outs have bastardized our
prophetic call to bring about far-reaching changes of those variables that
cause injustices.
To
be sure, no congregation or individual can be held responsible for all
the areas of life in need of greater justice. An exaggerated sense of
responsibility results in “Samaritan burnout” and nothing being done
thoroughly. Further, the utter neglect of the needs for justice in one’s
own congregation, family, or in one’s own life is to court a fractional
ministry at best.
“Integrity
– Palm Beach,” a parish activity of Saint Andrew’s Church,
emerged not because someone was looking for a social justice issue, but because
a few gay and lesbian parishioners felt the need in this Florida region for a
special occasion for men and women of all sexual orientations and circumstances
to come together for worship and fellowship, an event without being
scrutinized, patronized, scorned, or merely tolerated. Regardless of religious
affiliation, everyone gathered here is affirmed as a unique child of God. I am
not aware of any other Episcopal Church in Palm Beach or Martin County which is
so welcoming. Willful ignorance, fear, cowardice and neglect of prophetic
ministry prevails in this controversial area of life, and most of our churches
should be ashamed – though there are sexual minorities among their
congregants. Granted, a few parishioners withdrew from St. Andrew’s,
because of our gathering. And, some others have become members precisely
because of the intentional inclusivity shepherded by the rector, other clergy,
and current laity.
The
need for justice - not “special rights” - remains throughout our
nation for sexual minorities as well as for so many others. However, I am
convinced that the Church’s role in social justice is limited to
preaching, proclamations, education, and whatever small provisions like
welcoming fellowships such as our own can contribute. The pronouncements,
however naïve, profound or mistaken, help to educate us on particular
issues, and we will learn about differing, even incompatible, religiously based
resolutions to social issues.
In
reality, though, religious attempts to influence policy makers in the public
and business arenas are ineffective. Do you really think that recent statements
by religious leaders about initiating a war in Iraq will be influential in
shaping policy? Do you actually believe that a religious demand for particular
governmental action with regard to Haitians or anyone else arriving illegally
on our shores will result in the shaping of a new policy? Will another advisory
about honest business dealings convince corporate executives to change their
ways? I think not. Religious institutions may educate their own people, but
they are powerless and ineffective at convincing policy makers. In this regard
we have little or no credibility in this twenty-first century.
Social
justice for sexual minorities will not result from the efforts of religious
groups. Justice will evolve as a result of secular political and legal
processes. The agents for such hard work and competing solutions to social
justice dilemmas are knowledgeable groups such as Lambda Legal, organizations
which are politically and legally astute. By using the political processes and
the courts, significant changes are brought about in strategic locations; we
shall hear more about this at supper.
For
the most part, effective prophetic ministry now lies with secular associations.
God’s workings for justice are not limited either to anointed believers or
to religious assemblies. You and I should sustain our religious gatherings for
the ministries they can offer well, and we ought to support other organizations
that are the effective social justice prophets of the twenty-first century.
Please see "Church and Social Order" in the Episcopal Beliefs
subsite plus "Amos" and "Prophets" in the Bible subsite.