Over the last few months a lot of people have talked about what the new normal might be like. This time has given us the chance to decide what’s really important - it could even be an opportunity for us to shape our world going forward, to establish a new normal that changes how we live and affects the lives of others.
The pandemic has exposed inequalities here in the UK with the coronavirus disproportionately affecting people from BAME communities, families being pushed into food poverty, and many struggling with mental health issues. The global picture is stark too: The World Bank defines extreme poverty as those living on less than the equivalent of £1.55 a day and they estimate that 49 million people will be pushed into extreme poverty because of the impact of Covid-19. This will be the first increase in global poverty since 1998.
All the injustice in the world seems insurmountable and I meet people regularly who just don’t know where to start. It’s important for us as Christians to take the Bible as our starting point and understand that we have a biblical mandate to pursue justice; to act justly – not just in our personal interactions — but to act justly in our communities and in the world. Isaiah 1:17 says, “Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.” We’re called into a right relationship with God, which should impact our relationships with others and with the world. Justice isn’t something that’s an optional extra, in some way separated from the gospel — justice is at the heart of who God is. We should care about issues of justice and inequality because God does!
The reality is that issues of injustice are insurmountable for us alone, but with the power of the Holy Spirit we can fight injustice; we can see the flourishing of those that have been oppressed, those in poverty, and those who have been marginalised. We have an opportunity now to examine our resources both personally and corporately as Church, to look at how we spend our time, to assess our activities, to re-examine our budgets, and to weigh what we talk about.
Now is the time for us to use this opportunity to create a new normal – a normal that is fairer, more equitable and kinder. A normal that involves a commitment to challenging injustice, tackling poverty and addressing climate change. A normal where everyone is able to flourish.
God is the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ of doing justice: we pursue justice because God calls us as His followers to do justice and we pursue justice in the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.
