How shall we then move forward? How shall we live peacefully and in mutual understanding as Christians? Below, I suggest 10 possible ways toward this goal for Christians on both sides of the social justice debate, for the sake of Christ, for the sake of the Gospel, and for Christian witness in public.
- The task begins with the self-examination of our hearts and actions to discern if we are complicit in the suffering and mistreatment of others, especially our Christian brothers and sisters.
- Be a peacemaker and an advocate for transformative justice in your family, work, community, city, church, and country. Jesus has called all of his followers to be peacemakers, and it is the peacemakers who are called children of God.
- Be a servant to people in need and serve them without reproach or grudging. Jesus states that he has not come to be served, but to serve the world. Service is a fundamental characteristic of Christ-centric discipleship and Biblical piety.
- Find creative ways to inspire and empower others to attain their dreams as well as become useful and democratically-minded national and global citizens. We must always remember that our citizenship in this world is temporary. Followers of Christ are bound to the same destiny and by the same Savior Lord.
- Defend the rights of the vulnerable and the poor. Contribute to their ability to explore their full potential in society and in Christ. Disciples of Jesus should be the most zealous advocates of human rights and total justice. God loves justice and wants us to imitate him by being a community of radical justice in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- Be an active ally to the socially and economically marginalized minority groups, especially those in the Christian community. Instead of attempting to win a debate, be a partner in solidarity to those who are weak and use your strength to help ameliorate their lives. Christian solidarity is an essential mark of agape love and of those who bear the mind of Christ.
- Do not endorse politicians and legislation that are detrimental to another group, class, or race in our society. We should seek the best interest of our brothers and sisters in Christ. We must also always attempt to find productive ways to use our resources and privileges to uplift those individuals and families who have been victims of bad public policies.
- Do not endorse politicians and their foreign policies that are not human flourishing-oriented, peace and unity-based, or those that do not lead to the improvement of nation-state diplomatic relationships and global safety, prosperity, and unity. As Christians, we should develop an international perspective on matters of life and faith, and beyond the contours and confinement of American nationalism and patriotism. We are called to love all people, even those who live in distant shores from our country. Our political actions and moral interventions in American society should always be aligned with the universality of the Gospel.
- Help someone realize the greatness of God’s love and mercy for himself or herself and for all peoples in the world. As members of the body of Christ, denigrating one another through intellectual and theological debates will not advance the kingdom of God in our culture. It lacks compassion and it is not Christ-like.
- Embody and promote the revolutionary ideas and liberative call of Jesus to love all people: “…a new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13: 34-35).
The Gospel of Christ is a counter-culture and revolutionary message. I believe the revolutionary life in Christ must entail the pursuit and practice of all the transformative interventions named above. Living revolutionary is not only a matter of changing one’s attitude. It is an existential commitment that resists self-interest in order to pursue the joy of other Christians and people. This must inform our collective efforts to radically deracinate human evils and oppressive systems and structures in society through Christ-inspired tactics and strategies.