DCBC Justice Forum: ‘Is There Enough Justice to Go Around?’

By Rev. Michelle Nickens

The concept of justice has gotten a lot of bad press recently. In the media, powerful political pundits and talking heads often smirk as they denigrate people they derisively call “social justice warriors.” These media figures imply that the struggle for justice has already been achieved! They mistakenly assert that those who still cry out for justice are merely angry, entitled whiners.

At the grassroots level, various groups seeking justice are pitted against each other as they jockey to draw attention to their particular plight over and above others’. They fall prey to the belief that justice is a scarce commodity, so we must fight over it like crabs in a barrel.

Neither of these positions are aligned with God’s understanding of justice. God’s Word calls us to enact justice, not just once but over and over again. And God’s justice economy is not based on scarcity, but on abundance. He cries out through the prophet Amos: Let justice roll down like a river, and righteousness like a mighty stream!

So let’s come together on February 25 to consider what God says about justice. There are hundreds of passages in the Bible that make clear God’s desire to protect and lift up those who are downtrodden and vulnerable. Jesus spent much of his earthly ministry healing those who had been cast down and cast out. He affirmed those who had been overlooked or rejected, and He restored them to wholeness. So, how might we, as His people, do the same? How can we undam the mighty river of justice so that it flows to all?

We’ve been told that the DCBC is one of the most diverse regional Baptist conventions in the United States. Our slogan states that we are One Faith, Many Cultures, Endless Possibilities. Is this slogan true, or is it merely lip service? The Justice Forum is an opportunity to lean into that identity as a united people who love and work together for the realization of the Beloved Kingdom.

So what are the goals of the forum? I can imagine three things:

• First, we must come together and truly see one another. We must bear witness to the diversity of needs and the diversity of gifts within our DCBC circle. What resources exist in our midst?

• Second, we must listen to each other with open hearts, and by doing so come to understand the commonalities of our experience that cut across our differences. This allows us to embrace each other as allies for justice rather than competition. What new insights will the Spirit reveal as we reason, learn, laugh and pray together?

• Third, we must begin praying and visioning about the work of justice so that those visions can become reality. Most likely, all of our congregations are doing something that promotes justice, whether it is sponsoring a food pantry, providing sanctuary for immigrants, creating enrichment opportunities for youth, visiting prisons, engaging in public protest or registering voters. As members of the body of Christ, this is one situation in which the right hand definitely ought to know what the left hand is doing. So let’s identify how our singular congregational activities contribute to fulfilling the wider needs in our region, our nation, and our world. Is God calling us to collaborate on something new?

I invite every DCBC pastor to encourage a group of your congregants to attend a oneday Justice Forum, titled “Is There Enough Justice to Go Around?” and hosted by DCBC, on Saturday February 25 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Nineteenth Street Baptist Church (4606 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C.). Think about who in your congregation should be part of this conversation, and get them registered at https://dcbaptist.wufoo.com/forms/kx02tqx0 6mcj1e/! Registration is $27 for DCBC members and $37 for non-DCBC participants. Lunch is included in the registration, and we have an excellent slate of workshop topics and presenters that should lead to lively discussion and deep fellowship.

I have great expectations for this forum. I believe that God will move among us on February 25. I believe we will leave blessed, aware, inspired, empowered and emboldened to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly together with our great God. I hope you will plan to be a part of this experience.

Rev. Michelle Nickens is the Pastor of Washington Plaza Baptist Church in Reston, Virginia and also serves as the current VicePresident of American Baptist Churches USA