Scripture and Social Justice
Your small group is renting a 3 bedroom, 2 bath apartment with living room & kitchen
Come up with a plan community including:◦ Use of space◦ Paying expenses – rent ($1000), utilities (which
ones), food, who actually pays the bills.◦ How will house run (cooking, cleaning, etc)◦ Guidelines (visitors, quiet time)◦ Pets?◦ Other issues that you anticipate may arise.
Community Thought Experiment
Assign each person in the group a letter (A-F)
Scenario 1 ◦ Person A meets the person of their dreams and
moves in with them 3 days later. What is your response?
Scenario 2◦ Person B never goes to class & is in danger of
failing out, losing their scholarship, and potentially forcing them to move home. What is your response?
When trouble arises….
Scenario 3◦ Person C has their hours cut at work and can only
cover half of next months rent. What do you do? Scenario 4
◦ Person D & A are constantly bickering at each other, have had several screaming arguments and have threatened each other. What do you do?
Scenario 5◦ One day while everyone is at class, the TV, owned
by person B, come up missing. What do you do?
When trouble arises…
Scenario 6◦ The person in charge of paying the bills forgets to
pay the rent and the house is charged a late fee. What is your response?
Scenario 7◦ Person D’s best friend is more often than not
found on the couch, eating food out of the kitchen, and leaving trash and dirty dishes everywhere. What do you do?
Scenario 8
When trouble arises…
Read pages 8-13. How would you rate the answers from yesterday’s scenarios on this scale?
Hopelessness◦ Choosing to ignore◦ Examples?
Individualism◦ Looking out for only for oneself◦ Examples?
Enlightened self-interest◦ Helping others will really help oneself in the end◦ Examples?
Compassion◦ Putting the other before the self◦ Examples?
What is our response to suffering?
Pick three of the Scripture quotes. Write a short reflection on how God may be calling you to live it out today.
Exodus 3:1-20; 22:21-27Leviticus 19:9-18; 19:32-36; 25:8-17Deuteronomy 15:1-15; 24:17-22Matthew 5:1-12; 5:38-48Mark 10:17-31; 12:41-44Luke 1:46-551 Corinthians 12:12-271 John 4:7-21Acts of the Apostles 2:43-47, 4:32-35James 5:1-6
Scriptural Responses to Suffering
How much does God ask of us in response to suffering?
Pick three of the Scripture quotes. Write a short reflection on how God may be calling you to live it out today.
How are Christians called to respond to suffering?
Exodus 3:1-20; 22:21-27God calls us to go out of our comfort zone,
even into danger at times, to help others. Protect the widow, orphan, and stranger.
Leviticus 19:9-18; 19:32-36; 25:8-17Share resources w/ others. Act justly. Love
neighbor as self. Love for old & aliens. Jubilee year
Scriptural Responses to Suffering
Deuteronomy 15:1-15; 24:17-22Give to the needy; relief of debt; care of
widow, orphan, stranger.Matthew 5:1-12; 5:38-48Beattitudes; go beyond justice & love of
enemiesMark 10:17-31; 12:41-44Minimum of justice & called to do more –
Rich young man.
Scriptural Responses to Suffering
Luke 1:46-55Canticle of Mary; mercy to lowly, woe to the
powerful1 Corinthians 12:12-27Body of Christ; all necessary, if one part
suffers, all suffer
Scriptural Responses to Suffering
1 John 4:7-21Love one another because God loves usActs of the Apostles 2:42-47, 4:32-35Communal life; prayer, teaching, giving to
those in need; unity, no need among them James 5:1-6Warning against rich
Scriptural Responses to Suffering
How do we interpret this teaching of Jesus? Self-preference-take account of good of others, but
give more weight to own good (Augustine). Parity-equal benefit should receive equal weight,
unequal benefit unequal weight (Christian utilitarianism).
Other-Preference-should take account of own good, but give more weight to good of others
Self-Subordination-consider self benefit only if maximum benefit to others is assured (Ambrose)
Self-Forgetfulness/denial-self should not be given independent weight-others more important.
“Love your neighbor as yourself”
Which do you think is most appropriate? Self-subordination is the most appropriate
interpretation from the new Testament ◦ Symbol of servant used by Jesus and Paul.◦ Parable of good Samaritan.◦ Good of others, then good of self.◦ Highlights the social importance of love – neighbor is
interpreted broadly. Importance of growth (Parable of the rich man
who went away sad)◦ Strive for a more loving response to the needs of
others.
“Love your neighbor as yourself”
Rooted in two basic truths:◦ God is love◦ Failure to love as God loves results in suffering
Genesis understanding of the world:◦ Creation is Good◦ Humans are made in the image & likeness of God
Inherent Dignity Made for love Free will Intellect, memory, imagination
Christian Worldview
Read the excerpt from “The Church in the Modern World” and reflect on the following questions:
What is human dignity? Can human dignity be taken away? How so,
or why no? Can someone increase or decrease their
dignity? How So or why not? Can someone increase or decrease the
dignity of another person? How so or why not?
Human Dignity
Inalienable gift of God which is present in all humans
Our gift of life from God that remains through life - each life has enduring value.
God’s invitation to relationship with us
Dignity of Being
Our choices cause us to participate in our humanity to a greater or lesser degree
Our capacity for love (and therefore our humanness) can grow or shrink based on our decisions◦ Selfless decisions grow our capacity for love◦ Selfish decisions decrease our capacity for love◦ “[humans] cannot fully find [themselves] except
through a sincere gift of self.” GS 24 Dignity of Acting is our response to God’s gift
of life and offer of relationship with us.
Dignity of Acting
Human life is sacred because it is the clearest reflection of God among us.
Intrinsic quality which can never be separated from essential aspects of the human person.
NOT based on human quality, legal mandate, or individual merit or accomplishment.
Requires that basic needs be met for all people (GS 26)
Each action either embraces this dignity or denies it in one’s self and others.
Human Dignity
Dignity as individuals is realized in community
Relationships are central to our humanity◦ Society mirrors the trinity (GS 24)◦ Progress must serve humanity, not itself (GS 25)◦ Common good (GS 26)
Life & Imagination of Jesus as guide & hope.◦ Lazarus & poor man◦ Good Samaritan◦ Final Judgment – sheep and the goats
Human Dignity and Society
Theodicy – An attempt to explain how there is sin, suffering, and evil in the world which was created good by an all loving, all powerful God.
What went wrong?
Why is there suffering in the world? Free will
◦ Ability to choose love or to choose to not love.◦ Root of personal sin and the ability to love◦ Negatively affected by original sin
Natural Disasters & Disease◦ Rooted in original sin
Suffering
Original Sin◦ Affirms that humans are still good at their core, but
need help in order to overcome the evil in the world and in their own hearts. Systemic sin/evil – based in personal sin Personal dis-order in our lives
Personal Sin◦ Choice freely made which harms our relationship with
God, others, and oneself ◦ Sins of commission and omission
Both Original and Personal sin harm relationships
Sin
All things that oppose life “poison human society, but they do more harm to those who practice them than those who suffer the injury.” (GS 27)
Dignity of Being remains same for both aggressor and victim.
Dignity of Acting is lessened more for the aggressor than the victim.
Sins against Human Dignity
Read pages 27-38 in the textbook.
Homework
Fast Food Fast◦ Give up fast food from now through class next Friday
Quotes for reflection:◦ Food is a central activity of mankind and one of the
single most significant trademarks of a culture.- Mark Kurlansky
◦ Today, especially in affluent societies, St. Augustine’s warning is more timely than ever: ‘Enter again into yourself.’ Yes, we must enter again into ourselves, if we want to find ourselves. Not only our spiritual life is at stake, but indeed, our personal, family and social equilibrium, itself. One of the meanings of penitential fasting is to help us recover an interior life. Moderation, recollection and prayer go hand in hand. - John Paul II
Spiritual Growth Project Option #1
The story of the Exodus The Law
◦ Basic rules of justice Prophets
◦ Called people to right relationship with God & others
◦ Prophetic voices today Justice
◦ Establishment of loving relationships among human beings, God, and creation so life can flourish as God intended.
God’s call to Justice
“Social justice is a constitutive element of the Gospel” Justice in the World 1971◦ Justice is a central part of Christian faith◦ Incarnation affirms that faith is not just a spiritual
reality.
Compassionate Way of Jesus
First century worldview◦ Divine retribution◦ Divisions within society
Jesus’ actions overcame these shortcomings◦ Women◦ Sick people◦ Sinners◦ Rich and powerful◦ Enemies
All brought into one family through love
Challenging the social order
Beatitudes - “Happy are they…”◦ Teach the importance of love and justice.◦ What the world considers as important may not
be the key to happiness. Cross
◦ Suffering leads to salvation.◦ Man finds himself through a sincere gift of self.◦ Through death, comes life.
Challenged and strengthened by the Holy Spirit to do more for love and justice.
Paradox of the Christianity
Four responses to suffering “Love your neighbor as yourself”
interpretations Christian Worldview Human Dignity – Being & Acting Theodicy and the Origins of suffering
◦ Personal, original, and social sin First Century Worldview & Jesus’ Response Paradox of Christianity
Quiz #1 Review