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Commentary
COMMENTARY: Heading for the church door? Make sure it’s for right reason Bishop Sally Dyck, Mar 23, 2010
Bishop Sally Dyck
By Bishop Sally Dyck Special Contributor
Glenn Beck, a commentator for Fox News, created attention recently when he told people: “I beg you, look for the words ‘social justice’ or ‘economic justice’ on your church Web site. If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, they are code words. Now, am I advising people to leave their church? Yes! If... you have a priest that is pushing social justice, go find another parish. Go alert your bishop.”
Since I don’t watch much TV, I have to admit that some United Methodists did alert their bishop to these statements! I eventually began to read about them in the New York Times and on blogs as reactions began flying around the Internet.
Mr. Beck’s political agenda is like piercing a sword right through the vulnerable flesh of the living body of Christ by accentuating the sensitivity and divisiveness that sometimes exists around what he has called “social justice” and “economic justice.”
He went on to say that such talk is really code words for communism and Nazism. Is he really calling everyone from the Unitarians to the Catholics to the traditional African-American church to the mainline and storefront congregations communists and Nazis?
Ancient struggle
While I think Mr. Beck’s comments were mostly directed toward Christians, most Abrahamic faiths find themselves struggling with what the biblical concept of what justice is and how to live it out in our modern-day world.
For that matter, it’s been a struggle since the Hebrews left Egypt, the prophets issued messages of hope and judgment to the rulers and people of Israel and Judah, Jesus gave his mission statement in the synagogue (Luke 4:18-19) and Paul reprimanded Christians for being greedy at the Lord’s table (1 Corinthians 11:33-34).
But isn’t there something about social and economic justice that makes us all want to bolt toward the door of the church and run as fast as we can? Or is it just me?
When I read the scriptures and understand our own United Methodist history and tradition, social and economic justice challenges my lifestyle, my values, my opinions and prejudices. Who likes to have those challenged, especially by a Higher Authority?
John Wesley expected that the people called Methodists would practice personal holiness and social holiness. There is “no holiness without social holiness,” he is known for saying.
Personal holiness, or the means of grace, put us in the position of loving God. Social holiness puts us in the position of loving our neighbor, especially our poor, enslaved and economically oppressed neighbors.
Wesley practiced works of mercy and works of justice. Wesley didn’t just give food to the hungry, money to the poor and a prayer for those gripped by 18th century economic depression. He worked for social and economic justice in his day.
Wesley's example
He advocated against slavery, undoubtedly distressing some ship captains and merchants along the way. He called for government to increase employment opportunities and to add taxes on every horse imported from France as well as on every “gentlemen’s carriage.”
But Wesley refused to issue harsh criticism—what I might call uncivil discourse—against the rulers of his day, including the monarchy. Instead he stayed on message, not making it personal or demeaning of others. That in itself would be a good lesson for many of us (of all political persuasions) to follow suit.
Mercy and justice met together in John Wesley and it’s a part of who we are as United Methodists. I want to applaud Mr. Beck for giving me this opportunity to remind us of that!
So what are the issues of our day that call for social and economic justice? What would John Wesley say about how to balance state budgets? Budgets are moral documents, revealing what we value. They are worthy of civil discourse as to how they reflect our Christian beliefs.
Legislation like a comprehensive immigration reform is worthy of our civil discourse to see how it would reflect our Christian beliefs. Not to mention other social services that the most vulnerable in our communities rely upon, because as individuals we cannot personally support the needs.
Recently a United Methodist, Rick Mons from Shoreview, Minn., testified at the state capitol against the governor’s decision to cut funds from the Children’s and Community Services Act. Mr. Mons’ 24-year-old son Alec has Down syndrome. This cut would have adverse effects not only on his and his family’s economic situation but also his quality of life.
Mr. Mons’ words to me indicate that he expects his church to work for social justice so that families (not just his own) who are the most vulnerable in our communities won’t have the state budget balanced on their backs.
All of these social and economic issues—and more—are questions about how we will love our neighbor by advocating for social and economic justice, based on our own Scripture and tradition.
Loving our neighbor is a tough sell. If Jesus were looking for an easier evangelism plan, he wouldn’t have picked the second commandment! It causes many of us to keep looking for the exit. But following Jesus isn’t meant to be a life that reinforces our own prejudices, opinions, and values; it’s a life that calls us to die to self and be made new in Jesus.
I suppose there will always be people heading for the door of the church for one thing or another, just as there has been since the rich young ruler (talk about economic justice).
Let’s just make sure it’s for the right reason: We’re following Jesus out into the world to give mercy and do justice.
Bishop Sally Dyck
He went on to say that such talk is really code words for communism and Nazism. Is he really calling everyone from the Unitarians to the Catholics to the traditional African-American church to the mainline and storefront congregations communists and Nazis? 
