GUEST COMMENT
Can social-justice workers unite? determined to take the gospel out the Tchurch door and make it a social gospel. hese days, “social-justice Christians” are
Even more boldly, “Matthew 25 Christians,” who are determined to see Jesus in “the least of these” (unhoused, unhealthy, under-fed, unfriended), are encouraged to solicit alliances with social activists in the public sphere and to unite with them in lobbying the government—which does by not imply theocracy. Donald Heinz I found myself thinkThe author is a retired ing about the churches Chico State Religious taking the lead when I Studies professor and Humanities and read the heart-warming Fine Arts dean, and January print issue of the Emeritus Faculty Hall Chico News & Review of Honor member. He’s and the “Mission of also a Lutheran minmercy” feature on Project ister with an interest S.A.V.E., as well as a in social ethics and the church’s role in society. variety of stories on other civic “social ministry” efforts. Perhaps Chico social-justice activists would be leading the churches! I would not want to underestimate the
churches in their own social ministries. Wesleyan Methodists, for example, have from their very origins a commitment to a social gospel built into them. Hence: Salvation Army. Lutheranism is not necessarily distinguished in this area, but the local Faith Lutheran Church certainly is. I can hardly keep up with the amazing variety of social ministries that the pastor and versatile lay leader Douglas deSoto (who actively plays in both church and society) initiates. No doubt other local churches can tell similar stories, adding to the landscape portrait of local social-justice efforts. I leave off with these questions: Are local churches seriously interested in collaborating with local mercy missions? (The Jesus Center, both a ministry and a community organization, is an obvious answer: Yes!) Are local civic mercy missions interested in collaborating with the churches? And the big one: Are both groups actively lobbying government? The Warren v. City of Chico legal case brought on behalf of the unhoused changed everything about local approaches, and could be a sterling example of social-justice institutions seeking redress through government. Can social-justice workers of the world unite? Ω
FEBRUARY 2, 2023
CN&R
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