I noticed this post from February of 2018 was trending lately here at Becoming Yourself. Given the current social justice issue raging across the globe, I decided to share it again in hopes that it’s helpful for you in processing your own response to these troubled times.
I just found out a friend has cancer. She’s a great person. Young, married with a couple of kids, very talented, and giving. One thought that keeps running through my mind is, “This is not fair.” And you know what? It isn’t fair. But as we’ve all learned, “fairness” does not seem to be at the heart of this world’s operating system. Injustice appears to be everywhere. Sometimes it’s seemingly random, like cancer. Sometimes it’s caused by the actions of others. We hear stories of it everyday.
So what do we do with that? I’m not talking about a philosophical debate on the reasons for the Problem of Pain or the Existence of Evil. That’s a discussion for another time. My question is this: how do we respond to the reality of injustice in our world? There are basically three options:
1. The Ostrich Response – we bury our heads in the sand and pretend we don’t see injustice.
2. The Stone Response – we acknowledge the pain caused by injustice but harden our hearts to it.
3. The Servant Response – we open our eyes to the injustice in the world and try to do something about it.
I’ve tried those first two options before. Many times. I’ve pretended that I didn’t see people suffering because it made me feel sad and guilty. At other times I’ve hardened my heart to the pain caused by injustice because I felt powerless to do anything of significance to stop it. But over time, I’ve learned that if I’m going to become the kind of person I really want to be, I have to choose the Servant Response. To go even further, I think if there’s any hope for the world to become what I believe it should be, most people have to choose option #3. I’m guessing many of you would agree.
So, if you want to be a Servant to others, if you desire to be a part of the solution to the problem of injustice, how do you do it? There’s a thousand ways to answer that question. No one response fits everyone, but here are a few questions you can ask yourself to get started:
1. What cause moves my heart?
We’re all wired differently. We’ve all had unique experiences and have particular passions. Find the one area of injustice that most speaks to you. Is it people who are hungry? Those lacking clean water? Kids that don’t have access to education? Young women trapped in sex trafficking? People suffering from homelessness? Those impacted by natural disasters? Groups dealing with racial, gender, or orientation prejudice? Whatever it is, zero in and choose just one.
2. What one practical step can I take to make a difference in that area?
No one can do everything but everyone can do something. Don’t start out with a goal that’s too lofty or nebulous like “end world hunger.” Make it clear and achievable. Start with something like “I will volunteer once at my local food bank” or “I will sign up to sponsor a needy child in another country.” The answer might be obvious to you or it might take a little research. A simple internet search on your area of interest can yield a lot of options. Try volunteermatch.org, a website that lists volunteer opportunities by category in your area or one of my wife Lisa’s favorite sites, donorschoose.org, where you can contribute to very targeted educational projects. Write down your goal and put it where you’ll see it, like a sticky note on your mirror. Share your action step with another person and ask them to hold you accountable. Set a time limit for yourself to actually complete the task.
3. What can I do to continue my impact?
After you’ve done your one practical step, take a moment to pat yourself on the back. Well done! You made a difference. You took a step. Now ask yourself what second step you can take. If your one-time volunteer experience seemed a good fit, sign up to go once a month. If it wasn’t for you, try another one. I volunteered with about five different organizations before I found one that really clicked with me. Now I volunteer there once or twice a month. The hard part is getting going. You’ve already done that. Now keep up the momentum until it becomes a habit. Before you know it, you’ll be regularly making a difference in the lives of people suffering from injustice!
Here’s a personal benefit for you. In his most famous teaching, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice: they shall have their fill.” (Matthew 5:6). I believe he was saying that when you allow yourself to see the pain caused by injustice and take a stand against it, you will find a deep sense of satisfaction with your life. Who doesn’t want that?
As you enter into the battle against injustice, it’s easy to feel defeated at times and wonder if what you’re doing really makes a difference. Martin Luther King Jr. knew that feeling but kept himself and others going with this insight: “The moral arc of the universe is long but it bends towards justice.” Keep fighting. In the end, justice wins.
A final story that I heard many years ago that still motivates me:
A boy was walking on the beach and saw that the tide had stranded thousands of starfish on the sand. The sun was coming up and the starfish were going to dry out and die. He began to pick them up, one by one, and throw them back into the ocean. A man came along and said, “What difference can you make? There are thousands of them and you’re just one boy. Who cares?” The boy bent to pick up one more. As he tossed the starfish back in the water, he said, “This one cares.”
For every small step you take to stand against injustice, there will be someone impacted by it who cares. Take that first small step today. If you do, it will be another step toward Becoming Yourself.
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This post was inspired by this reflection from Franciscan priest Richard Rohr. You can get his daily emails here.
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