Where Justice Dwells

In keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where justice dwells.

—2 Peter 3:13

In the face of injustice, it can be easy for us as Christians to become so overwhelmed by the scope of sin that we fail to do anything at all. But there are a number of ways that God’s people are called to respond to the injustices we see around us. When we look to God, and to God’s vision for us, we find an invitation to remember, pray, and advocate.

Through our worship, we remember who God is, what God has done, and what God continues to do in the world today. Through the Prayers of the People, we communally come before the throne to surrender our burdens at God’s feet. Through our advocacy, we practice the spiritual discipline of seeking the well-being of others, particularly those who are vulnerable and oppressed, above ourselves.

Here are three resources developed in response to current events in the U.S. to help people in your congregation and community to remember, pray, and advocate this Advent season.

Remember

Throughout Scripture, we find repeatedly that God uses “strangers” and immigrants to bring a blessing. This Sunday we invite your congregation to remember the blessing of the “stranger” throughout Scripture, using the Immigrants Are a Blessing litany in worship.

As we focus on the Advent theme of hope, we recognize that there are many in our midst, and in our world, who struggle with hopelessness. We think of immigrants and refugees around the world who are longing for home, who are without a community, who are unsure where God is leading them. We know that we can embody the Advent promise of hope when we extend welcome to the stranger. Let's join together in this Advent litany of hope. Download or order a free printed copy of the litany here.

Pray

We offer this Prayer of the People, based on 2 Peter 3, for your congregation to adapt and use this Sunday.

Lord, with you a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
With your mighty hand you still the winds, you part waters,
and you give what once was dead, new life.

While we grow impatient with the plague of sin in this world,
we know that your patience means our salvation.
Not wanting any to perish, you invite us to repentance and into a relationship with you.
Forgive our impatience with you, Lord.
Grant us peace. Give us the strength to grow continually in grace
and in our understanding of you.

In a world where injustices whirl us, we look to you for strength and help.
We look to your vision of a future where justice dwells,
where the hungry are fed and the prisoners are set free.
We accept your invitation to join you in ushering
your justice and peace into our world.

We remember the people in our community who are suffering today.

(add your congregational and communal prayer concerns)

We remember the people in our nation who are experiencing grief and pain.

We lift up to you immigrant families being separated, living in fear, and facing an unknown future because of the many recent decisions in Washington, D.C.; refugees around the world whose hopes of being welcomed into the United States are now dashed; children seeking safety from persecution who are being turned away. We have seen your face reflected in the faces of these neighbors. Help us to know how you are calling us to stand with them during this time.

We pray for the people who live on and near lands devastated by recent pipeline leaks, many in already vulnerable communities. May their cries for justice convict us to advocate for them and care for protections for the land that you have entrusted to us.

We pray for people who are in poverty--single parents, military veterans, people with disabilities, the elderly, and children--who will be affected by cuts to programs that give stability in the midst of crisis. We pray that lawmakers will remember their call to defend the cause of the most vulnerable.

We praise you for the bravery of the women and men who have brought light to injustice by coming forward with their stories of harassment and abuse. May their courage empower others to do the same.

We pray for an end to the racial injustice that continues to define so many parts of our nation. Empower us as agents of your reconciliation to repair systems that are preventing the flourishing of all people.

We bring before you the many people around the world who are suffering.

We remember the people of Honduras experiencing turmoil after the recent election. Bless the work of organizations like the Association for a More Just Society that are working to end corruption and violence in that nation.

We remember the people of Israel and the Palestinian territories, whose lives and livelihoods are threatened by this week’s decision to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. God, move in the hearts and minds of Israelis and Palestinians--Jews, Muslims, and Christians--to seek peaceful resolutions to the disputes that tear their land, and its peoples, apart.

Lord, we place each of these requests into your capable hands, knowing that you work in all things to bring about good for those who love you.

To you and you alone be glory, honor, and praise, both now and forever. Amen.

Advocate

We offer these two U.S. action alerts as timely opportunities to steward your voice. In the midst of all the challenges we see in our world, these are two areas in which we believe our voices have the most potential to create change.

Advocate for critical programs that protect God’s creation and vulnerable children and families by sending a letter to Congress about the tax bill currently under discussion. Use this resource to urge Congress to vote against the tax bill. 

Every day another 122 young people lose their Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) eligibility. Congress is the only body that can provide a solution. Use this resource to urge Congress to act now.