St Mark 23:41-44
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
Reflection
I wonder where our listening, learning, praying, speaking and doing finds rest. We are human beings after all – not human doings.
Just do it! A slogan well known enough to, probably, not need a reference. And our churches do ‘just do it’! Foodbanks, debt counselling, community meals, messy church; you name it, there will be many churches across JPIT’s denominations who do it, with passion and care. We are great at social action.
But what about social justice? What if it’s not as simple as just doing it, when communities and individuals face political and practical barriers to justice?? What about loving others as we love ourselves?
There are many ‘great’ people who have effected change, like Martin Luther King Jr and Mother Theresa. You might know of many others. Often, remembering times of great social change, we look past all those supporting and accompanying them, and only remember the figurehead. But in our reading, a poor, unnamed widow is still immortalised by Jesus’ comments about the quality, rather than the quantity, of her actions.
To be a justice seeker means to embody justice – to live justice – day to day, by seeking to love my neighbour as I love myself, by volunteering, by praying for others and by using my emotional bandwidth wisely as I accompany my siblings in justice work. Starting from what we have and being confident in the gifts God is developing within us enables us to be justice seekers, seeing famous ‘living saints’ as fellow be-ings, not simply as do-ers.
Alex Clare-Young adds: Thanks for joining us on our journey of seeking justice through our listening, praying, speaking, acting and being. Are you inspired to take up God’s call to peace and justice with us? Join the Constituency Action Network to be a part of working for justice locally and nationally. Follow JPIT’s newsletter to discover more ways to listen, pray, speak, act and live for peace and justice.
Prayer
God our Creator,
let us feel the breath of the Holy Spirit
moving through our justice work.
When we witness others working for justice
and feel we could not match them, challenge us.
Open us to the little movements in our lives
that are already there,
that lead us to the big movements
of a justice-seeking life.
Be present with us as we work for a just world,
by the power of your just love. Amen