Christian Concern - Preventative and Palliative

Traditionally, Christians have majored on caring for the outward symptoms of the sick, neglected, lonely and down-trodden of society. But when it comes to speaking up or acting against the causes of some of these situations, sadly we seem to have lost our voices. The symptoms are obvious and providing relief is fairly straight-forward. But discovering, understanding and doing something about causes requires effort, research, thought and insight. If ever the church needs people with gifts of wisdom, discernment and prophecy, it is in the sphere of social justice.

When Jesus said that he had come to "preach release to the captives, the recovery of sight to the blind", he was not talking (just) about palliative care, but of removal of the impediments causing the conditions (whether unjust laws or cataracts).

In this "post Christian" age we seem to be living in, there are more situations than ever that Christians need to speak-up about.

----xxxXxxx----
Lk.4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me...to preach the gospel to the poor, heal the broken hearted, preach deliverance to captives, the recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the bruised"
Ps.82:3 "Defend the poor and orphans: do justice to the afflicted and needy"
Pr.21:3 "To do justice and judgement is more acceptable...than sacrifice"
Pr.29:7 "An unjust man is an abomination to the just"
Lk.16:10 "...he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much"
Is.59:14-15 “Truth stumbles in the public square, honesty finds no place there. There is so little honesty that anyone who stops doing evil finds himself the victim of crime"
Is.56:1 "Thus says the Lord 'Do what is just and right...'"

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