Social Justice

Social justice at Wheaton College came up on this blog a while back. Here's a recent rundown on the topic by a guy who knows a lot about it. Marvin Olasky writing for World magazine:

...This past month Beck advised listeners to "look for the word 'social justice' or 'economic justice' on your church website. If you can find it, run as fast as you can." Beck said those two terms are "code words" for giving government more power. Wallis again struck back: "Beck says Christians should leave their social justice churches, so I say Christians should leave Glenn Beck. Christians should no longer watch his show."

...Do those historical wrinkles mean that the term should not be used? No, but it should certainly be defined. We can study the 150 or so times that mishpat in Hebrew and kreesis in Greek—words commonly translated as "justice"—appear in the Bible. Biblically, justice—tied to righteousness—is what promotes faith in God, not faith in government. Prophets criticized not entrepreneurs but those who combined economic and political power to lord it over others, as today's bureaucrats and corporate/government partnerships tend to do.

I can understand Glenn Beck's frustration....

How to respond? I'd suggest four possible ways.... Fourth and best: Tutor a child. Visit a prisoner. Help the sick. Follow Christ.

[My mother got me World magazine for my birthday, and the first issue arrived today...]