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Page 1: Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 124

Occupied Territories THE REVOLUTION

OF LOVE FROM

BETHLEHEM TO THE

ENDS OF THE EARTH

G A R T H H E W I T T

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8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

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G A R T H H E W I T T

Occupied TerritoriesTHE REVOLUTION OF LOVE FROM

BETHLEHEM TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH

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InterVarsity Press

PO Box 983089983092983088983088 Downers Grove IL 983094983088983093983089983093-983089983092983090983094wwwivpresscom

emailivpresscom

copy983090983088983089983092 by Garth Hewitt

All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission

from InterVarsity Press

InterVarsity Pressreg is the book-publishing division of InterVarsity Christian FellowshipUSAreg a

movement of students and faculty active on campus at hundreds of universities colleges and schools

of nursing in the United States of America and a member movement of the International Fellowship

of Evangelical Students For information about local and regional activities visit intervarsityorg

Scripture quotations unless otherwise noted are from the New Revised Standard Version of the

Bible copyright 983089983097983096983097 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the

Churches of Christ in the USA Used by permission All rights reserved

While all stories in this book are true some names and identifying information in this book may

have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals involved

Questions for Reflection and Discussion by Isobel Webster Used by permission

Unless otherwise indicated lyrics and liturgies are by Garth Hewitt

Cover design Cindy Kiple

Interior design Beth McGill

Image copy jcarilletiStockphoto

ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983091983094983095983088-983091 (print)

ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983097983094983093983093-983092 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

As a member of Green Press Initiative InterVarsity Press is committed to protecting

the environment and to the responsible use of natural resources o learn more visit

wwwgreenpressinitiativeorgLibrary of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hewitt Garth

Occupied territories the revolution of love from Bethlehem to the ends of the earth Garth Hewitt

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references

ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983091983094983095983088-983091 (pbk alk paper)

983089

Christianity and justice

983090

Church and social problems

983091

Kingdom of God

983092

Nonviolencemdash

Religious aspectsmdashChristianity I itle

BR983089983089983093J983096H983092983097 983090983088983089983092

983090983094983089983096mdashdc983090983091983090983088983089983092983088983090983090983096983089983094

P 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092 983089983091 983089983090 983089983089 983089983088 983097 983096 983095 983094 983093 983092 983091 983090 983089

Y 983091983089 983091983088 983090983097 983090983096 983090983095 983090983094 983090983093 983090983092 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092

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CONTENTS

Preface 983097

983089 God Loves Justice 983089983091

983090 Bethlehem Is Calling 983090983097

983091 Be the Hands of Jesus 983093983089

he Community of Love

983092 ime for Action 983095983091

Let Justice Roll

983093 Money War and Equality 983097983089

ackling the Big Issues

983094 Godrsquos Revolution of Love 983089983090983089

Appendix 983089 Te Justice of Amos 983089983092983089

Appendix 983090 Let Justice Roll 983089983092983097

Amos rust Liturgies

Appendix 983091 Kairos Palestine 983089983094983095

A Moment of ruth

Appendix 983092 Let Justice Roll Down Like Water 983089983095983089 A Study on the Prophet Amos by Jasmine Devadason

Notes 983089983095983096

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PREFACE

Somewhere around the Prince of Peace was born A word

a statement an action a lifestyle a revolution of love burst with

hope from Bethlehemmdashat the time an occupied territorymdash

showing us how to live as a kingdom or community of love

Now Bethlehem is occupied territory once again But a

movement is being born again there from the followers of the

Prince of Peace that says there is a better way a nonviolent way

Tis community is sending a message of love and justice and

peace a prophecy that offers hope to the whole world

I was appointed as a canon of St Georgersquos Anglican Cathedralin Jerusalem by Bishop Riah Abu El-Assal the previous bishop

of Jerusalem (He was succeeded by Bishop Suheil Dawani) I

thanked Bishop Riah very much for the appointment and then

I asked ldquoWhat does a canon dordquo

ldquoWe would normally say lsquoell our storyrsquordquo he responded ldquobut

you have been telling our story in songs and in words So con-

tinue to do thatrdquo I have learned from this church whose membersin Israel and Palestine are predominantly Palestinian and so I

feel the responsibility and the challenge to tell its story to let their

voices be heard (I do this primarily in chapters two and four)

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10 O

When one talks about Palestine and Israel it is very easy to be

accused of being on one side or the other My commitment is for

a win-win situation there Our commitment at Amos rust and

my commitment is to be pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli we do

not see it as a victory if one side dominates another So we work

toward the day when justice for the Palestinians will mean peace

and security for both communities I try to make sure that our

views reflect those of our friends and partners and particularly

of the Christians who have put together the new Kairos Pal-estine document which I will talk about in chapter four But also

I am reflecting the advice of Jewish and Muslim friends who

have shown courage in their stand for justice

Te Amos rust has become a significant human rights

organization committed to justice and working with partners in

Nicaragua South Africa India and PalestineIsrael (I tell the

story of the Amos rust in appendix one) Teir stories appear

throughout the book We have learned from these partners how

to live the gospel they have helped us understand what the

kingdomcommunity of God looks like in practicemdashthey have

made justice visible

When Jeff Crosby of InterVarsity Press asked me to think

about writing a book on justice I was immediately interested asChris Rose director of the Amos rust had just made a similar

suggestion I think it all comes together in this book So thanks

to Jeff and Chris Tanks also to Dave Zimmerman my editor

for all his helpful comments and to Isobel my assistant for her

typing reading and helpful advice Tanks to all the Amos team

staff and trustees My thanks also to Rev Dr Jasmine Devadason

for her piece on the prophet Amos that she wrote especially forthe book And also to those in Bethlehem and Jerusalem whom

I interviewed for the book Canon Naim Ateek Sami Awad Rev

Dr Mitri Raheb Zoughbi Zoughbi and Dr Mazin Qumsiyeh

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Preface 11

Writing books can be quite unsociable so much love and

special thanks as always to my wife Gill for support much tol-

erance and many good ideas

Bethlehem is surrounded by a wall that reaches twenty-five

feet high And yet once behind the wall you find that God is al-

ready present theremdashalready present everywhere there are the

oppressed or forgotten God is present often in secret amongDalits in India among street children and the rural poor

among refugees running from conflict among asylum seekers

among victims of various kinds of discrimination and marginal-

ization among women and girls seeking basic human rights

among those struggling to make a living in economies domi-

nated by the one percentmdashand the list could go on Te con-

spiracy of love born in Bethlehem makes itself known in theseplaces and among these communities and so when we go to

meet them and stand with them we find that God is already

there waiting for us to join them

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1

GOD LOVES JUSTICE

Justice is Godrsquos calling card that

introduces the Kingdom of God

JOEL EDWARDS

International Director

for Micah Challenge

JUSTICE LIKE A RIVER

Justice like a river Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Good news for the poor

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Like a never failing stream

Of justice and of peace

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Letrsquos unite under one tree

Under the branches of the olive tree

Letrsquos unite under one tree

Under the shadow of a tree of life

Mercy flowing strongly Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Healing love and peace

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

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14 O

Strength for the struggles

Dignity for all

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

One Sunday afternoon when I was sixteen I went to hear

Martin Luther King Jr speak in St Paulrsquos Cathedral London on

his way to Oslo to pick up the Nobel Peace Prize It had a huge

impact on me and helped me to better understand the justice of

the gospel and the importance of affirming all people equally

Civil rights and human rights are crucial bases for our society

and we find them rooted in the Bible

I remember what a profound effect this had on me becauseof Kingrsquos very complete presentation of the gospel His sermon

was on the subject of right relationships and his text was Reve-

lation ldquothe length and the breadth and the height of it

are equalrdquo () words from Johnrsquos vision that refer to the new

Jerusalem King said that the new city God was building would

not be an unbalanced entity with caring virtues on one side

and degrading vices on the other Te most noble thing aboutit would be its completeness whereas the troubles of our

world are due to incompleteness He said the length of some-

onersquos life is his or her self-understanding and the discovery of

self-fulfillment

Te second dimension he said is the breadth which is the

concern for and identification with onersquos fellow human the rec-

ognition of the oneness of humanity and the need for active

brotherly concern for the welfare of others

Te third dimension is height King said that humans must

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God Loves Justice 15

actively seek God We were made for God and we will be restless

until we find rest in God

He ended up by saying ldquoLove yourself if that means healthy

self-interest this is the length of life Love your neighbor as we

are commanded to do this is the breadth of life And the greatest

commandment lsquoLove the Lord your God with all your heart

with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your

strengthrsquo this is the height of liferdquo1

It seemed to me then and it still seems to me now to be a very complete presentation Ever since then it has affected my

thinking my reading of the Bible my understanding of the

gospelrsquos commitment to justice and hopefully the way I live

I am only yards from where I heard and saw Martin Luther

King Jr as I write this book in my studio right by St Paulrsquos

Cathedral Tis book is an attempt to reflect how I have tried

to live out what I heard that day and particularly the justice

that was at its heart

T W S G

I think there are two ways to look at God One is something I

have reflected in a morning prayer that has turned into a song

called ldquoGod with Sleeves Rolled Uprdquo Later we will see the otherwaymdashas God who stands with us

GOD WITH SLEEVES ROLLED UP

God with sleeves rolled up

God in the noise and the rush

God most clearly in the pauseGive us the strength for today

And the courage for what must be done

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God Loves Justice 17

Te God who sweats in the street

Te God with the weathered face

Tatrsquos why I can talk to you

Te language my own people talk

Because God you are the laborer God

Te worker Christ

Hand in hand you walk with my people

you struggle in the fields and the city

And from the Sanctus

You are three times holy

you are three times just

Free us from the yoke

And give us liberty2

Tis Nicaraguan Mass reflects a God who understandsstruggles the God of justice But it doesnrsquot lose the poetic and

creative understanding of God As the creed recited during the

mass says

I firmly believe Lord

that from your fertile thought

this whole world was bornthat from your artistrsquos hand

like a primativist painter

all beauty flourished

the stars and the moon

the little houses lagoons

the little boats floating

down the river to the seathe immense coffee plantations

the white cotton fields

and the forests mutilated

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18 O

by the criminal axe

In you I trust

Maker of thought and music

Maker of the wind

Maker of peace and love

And this reminds me of that other aspect of Godmdashthe God who

stands with us

THE GOD WHO DANCES

Henri Matisse is rumored to have said

Tat hersquod only believe in a God

Who understood how to dance

I believe you are the God of dance

You are the God who moves in creation

You are interwoven throughout evolution

You are the God who dances at dawn

You are the sparkle of light

You are the rhythm of life

Moving in mysterious ways

I feel you dancing on the earth

I sense your whisper in the trees

I breathe your spirit on the wind

You are the rhythm of life

Moving in mysterious ways

But always dancing

You are the God who dances

Te ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo challenges us to do the

samemdashto be the hands and feet of Jesus and make the com-

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God Loves Justice 19

munity of God visible But God is also the God who is always

beside us the God who suffers with us the God who restores

our hope Tis is the God who gives us courage to be prophetic

when we donrsquot want to be

Tis is also ldquothe God who dancesrdquo the God who is interwoven

throughout evolution the God who dances at dawn and gives

us hope for the new day Tis is the God who inspires our cre-

ativity our passion for justice and our joy as the values of the

kingdomcommunity become visible and as the poor and op-pressed are treated with dignity

J I R

In I founded the Amos rust a small creative Christian

human rights agency that works with vibrant grassroots partners

around the world One of those Gustavo Parajon (ndash)

was a great friend and inspiration to me and a key mentor to us

in Amos rust A doctor pastor and peacemaker in Nicaragua

Gustavo said

Te Christian faith impels us to seek justice We see this

especially in Jesusrsquo ministry and in the message of the

prophets and so it is very clear that God loves justice It

is an integral part of the gospel Tis is what Jesus didmdashministering to the people that were marginalized and

oppressedmdashministering to the people that didnrsquot count

in his time3

We need a living theology like this that changes usmdasha justice

theology rooted in the way and teachings of Jesus and in the

Hebrew prophets Justice is mentioned more times in the Biblethan we often realizemdashit just gets clouded by the way it is trans-

lated Canon Naim Ateek (Palestinian Israeli theologian from

East Jerusalem and director of the Sabeel Teology Group) has

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20 O

pointed out how the word righteousness in the Bible would be

better translated justice in many instances both in the Hebrew

Scriptures and the New estament We usually understand the

word righteousness as having an individual personal aspect

whereas the meaning is social and political not only personal It

identifies how we should live and care for one another in society

Tis is highly significant perhaps the key point for helping us

understand the way of Jesus and the kingdom of God So when

we then think about the words from the Sermon on the MountldquoBlessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice for they will

be filledrdquo the use of justice adds a different understanding and

challengemdashit sets those words alight

Matthew is equally powerful ldquoBlessed are those who are

persecuted for justice sakerdquo And then in Matthew ldquoUnless

your justice exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees you will

never enter the kingdom of heavenrdquo and further on in Matthew

ldquobut strive first for the kingdom of God and Godrsquos justicerdquo

Tis is a hugely important point because many of us are used

to interpreting righteousness in a purely personal way As we fail

to see the breadth of the challenge of justice we are missing the

message at the heart of the gospel Seeking Godrsquos justice and

living the way of Godrsquos justice is what the Christian communityand the Christian way is all about

T T L

I first heard the term folk theologian at the Dalit Resource Centre

at amil Nadu Teological Seminary in Madurai India Dalits

are those formerly called ldquooutcastesrdquo and ldquountouchablerdquo and

have no social status But these people have embraced the nameldquoDalitrdquo which means the ldquocrushedrdquo or ldquooppressedrdquo Over

million Dalits now struggle for equality dignity and human

rights I rather like the term folk theologian Often when we talk

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God Loves Justice 21

about theology we are referring to it in an academic sense and

yet I believe there is a theology that is more grassroots that is

the theology of ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo It is the theology of

action or praxis theology that combines reflection and action

lived and expressed in the life of the community

Tis turns theology on its head instead of being something

we export from universities in the West we now let theology

express itself in the context where people live So we hear from

the poor and the marginalized we hear the gospel through theirwords and lives and there is something true to the incarnation

of Christ in their situation

Te term folk theologian reminds us that our theology should

not just be from books or an academic context but also learned

from people struggling with oppression Faith or religion too

can oppress But it also has the ability to liberatemdashif it listens

A H A E

A couple of years ago on Christmas Eve I was in India and stood

at a Buddhist meditative center dedicated to Dr B R Ambedkar

Ambedkar was a most significant player in Indian politics a

Dalit who rose up to become the chair of those who put to-

gether the Indian constitution Te center is opposite the ajMahal over the Yamuna River On the wall outside are the

words that Ambedkar wrote to explain his reasons for con-

version from Hinduism to Buddhism It is couched in the shape

of twenty-two oaths he took and he starts off by saying ldquoBy

discarding my ancient religion which stood for inequality and

oppression today I am reborn Buddhism is a true religion and

I will lead a life guided by the three principles of knowledgeright path and compassionrdquo

Ambedkar converted with hundreds of thousands of other

so-called untouchables to get away from the Varna system

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God Loves Justice 23

and sometimes it helps us understand it better if we move away

from the word kingdom and perhaps think of the community of

God a community that is underpinned not only by the lifestyle

of Jesus but also by the teachings of Jesus and especially the

teachings of the Sermon on the Mount But ldquocommunity of Godrdquo

loses the political emphasis of the ldquokingdom of Godrdquo a delib-

erate use of words by Jesus that go up against the rulers of the

time Kingdom of God challenges rulers dictators empires and

kingdoms because it is suggesting a style of community and astyle of values that brings a revolutionary difference a way of

making community for the benefit of all It is the kingdom

community of ldquolove your neighbor as yourself rdquo and ldquodo to others

as you would have them do to yourdquo of those who acknowledge

that ldquothose who take the sword will perish by the swordrdquo

One of the problems of sharing the gospel message is the church

too often embraces the ldquoConstantinian Compromiserdquo (the com-

promise that the church makes to become acceptable to the

empiremdashin the first case the Roman Empire) It is nice to be liked

to be acceptable within a community It is attractive to be accepted

by those in power but we must never lose our prophetic role We

must ldquoendeavor to establish equalityrdquo (quoting the tenth oath of

Ambedkar)mdashour call is to speak truth to power We must neverlose the double-edged sword of the gospel or the power of Godrsquos

revolution of love which is a direct challenge to the way of empire

B B

Te words justice and peace often go together but sometimes

people try to reach peace before there is justice or even recon-

ciliation before there is justice Te temptation to be ldquoeven-handedrdquo or ldquobalancedrdquo is another danger Tese terms are used

when we would prefer to endorse the status quo Isaiah

instructs us about bringing justice

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24 O

Every valley shall be lifted up

and every mountain and hill be made low

the uneven ground shall become level

and the rough places a plain

Injustice is badly imbalanced and so unless we lift up those who

are oppressed dominated and forgotten and challenge those

who are dominating there will be no equality or justice Tere

has to be a change of balancemdasha change of power I am reminded

of the words often attributed to Martin Luther King Jr ldquoNo one

is free until all are freerdquo and this is why the struggle for justice is

so worthwhile

N D V O G

Lukersquos Gospel reveals something important about the attitude

of God in Jesusrsquo character When Jesus first talks about his min-istry in Nazareth (Luke -) he says

Te Spirit of the Lord is upon me

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind

to let the oppressed go free

to proclaim the year of the Lordrsquos favor

Jesus is quoting here from Isaiah - It is a very close quote

except he leaves out the words about ldquothe day of vengeance of

our Godrdquo which is interesting Te theology that becomes a re-

ality in Bethlehem the revolution that comes to Bethlehem is

not a revolution of vengeance but one that seems to suggest that

a permanent year of jubileemdashldquothe year of the Lordrsquos favorrdquomdashwill

come when justice is brought to people

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God Loves Justice 25

So Jesus sees himself as bringing a revolution of justice as

was foreseen in Isaiah

For a child has been born for us

a son given to us

authority rests upon his shoulders

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor Mighty God

Everlasting Father Prince of Peace

We often forget when we think about the birth of Jesus that

he was soon a refugee his family fleeing for their lives We live

in a world where because of the imbalance of resources people

often have to flee either for economic reasons or because of

conflict And yet many times people are not welcomed by com-

munities that have more resources But ldquoGod with usrdquo whom we

meet in the Bethlehem story is God of the refugee God of theasylum seeker God of the oppressed God of the poor and God

of nonviolencemdashGod of a revolution of love

In Colossians - we are challenged to clothe ourselves

with ldquocompassion kindness humility meekness and patiencerdquo to

ldquobear with one anotherrdquo to forgive and ldquoabove all to clothe our-

selves with love which binds everything together in perfect

harmony And let the peace of Christ rule in our heartsrdquo and with

gratitude ldquosing psalms hymns and spiritual songs to Godrdquo Tese

words are much tougher to do than they might appear Tey are

powerful and even painful words What does it mean to be

humble and meek and to have the patience that will change this

world What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in our

hearts What does it mean to clothe ourselves with loveAt the very least it means to embrace and live by the words

that echo from the beginning of the Bible that every human

being is made in the ldquoimage of Godrdquomdashwe are all equalmdashin Christ

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26 O

the barriers come down It means journeying the way of Jesus

which we see reflected in Colossians and also in the Sermon

on the Mount

Te wonderful challenge of the Sermon on the Mount and

Colossians is to be peacemakers to bring wholeness into a

broken and unjust community to echo the prophets of old to

do justice to show mercy and walk humbly with God Humility

itself is so important because it refuses to dominate it refuses

to colonize it sees everyone through the eyes of God When wefail to do that we deny the gospel We deny the tremendous

message of the incarnation which started in such a humble but

powerful way in Bethlehem in the end people will not walk our

way unless they see the power of this humble just faithmdasha faith

that includes everyone and treats everyone equally

We are called to be a community that brings down the moun-

tains of oppression and lifts up the valleys of justice and right-

eousness so the pathways are made straightmdashas Martin Luther

King Jr was so fond of quoting from Isaiah

Micah talks of doing justice showing mercy and walking

humbly with Godmdashthis relates to the passage in Colossians

where we are called to clothe ourselves with compassion to bear

with one another to forgive and above all to clothe ourselveswith love Tis is the lifestyle of justicemdasha lifestyle of mercy

peacemaking and loving our neighbor as ourself

HE BROKE THE RULES AND BROUGHT THE REVOLUTION

What a wonderful moment when Jesus

reached through the divisions that hold people back

Jesus affirmed the woman at the well in

a world that would not treat women as equal

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God Loves Justice 27

He touched the ldquountouchablerdquomdashreached out to the outcast

broke through the barriers of racism of

class of gender and of caste

Tis prophet was the great rule breaker

He broke the rules that bind people and hold them back

May we courageously follow this example

and exclude no one and welcome all

May our churches be communities that

welcome all and may we understand the

deep joy of a gospel that nails our

prejudices and human divisions to a cross of shame

and awakens us to a resurrection of community love equality and joy

Q R D

1 If you were asked what you think ldquoGodrsquos calling cardrdquo would

look like what would you say In what ways is ldquojusticerdquo a

better answer

2 In what ways can faith or religion oppress How can it lib-

erate in a practical way

3 What are the implications of saying that the word ldquoright-

eousnessrdquo would be better translated ldquojusticerdquo

4 What does the author mean when he says ldquoIt is nice to be

liked to be acceptable within a community It is attractive tobe accepted by those in power but we must never lose our

prophetic rolerdquo What danger is he warning the church or

Christians about

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28 O

5 Te author says ldquoWe are all equalmdashin Christ the barriers

come downrdquo What barriers come down because of Christ

6 Do you find it challenging to realize that theology has been

ldquosomething we export from universities in the Westrdquo rather

than letting ldquotheology express itself in the context where

people liverdquomdasheven though most of the worldrsquos Christians are

not within a Western culture What do you think this means

What can Western Christians learn from other cultures

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G A R T H H E W I T T

Occupied TerritoriesTHE REVOLUTION OF LOVE FROM

BETHLEHEM TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH

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InterVarsity Press

PO Box 983089983092983088983088 Downers Grove IL 983094983088983093983089983093-983089983092983090983094wwwivpresscom

emailivpresscom

copy983090983088983089983092 by Garth Hewitt

All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission

from InterVarsity Press

InterVarsity Pressreg is the book-publishing division of InterVarsity Christian FellowshipUSAreg a

movement of students and faculty active on campus at hundreds of universities colleges and schools

of nursing in the United States of America and a member movement of the International Fellowship

of Evangelical Students For information about local and regional activities visit intervarsityorg

Scripture quotations unless otherwise noted are from the New Revised Standard Version of the

Bible copyright 983089983097983096983097 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the

Churches of Christ in the USA Used by permission All rights reserved

While all stories in this book are true some names and identifying information in this book may

have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals involved

Questions for Reflection and Discussion by Isobel Webster Used by permission

Unless otherwise indicated lyrics and liturgies are by Garth Hewitt

Cover design Cindy Kiple

Interior design Beth McGill

Image copy jcarilletiStockphoto

ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983091983094983095983088-983091 (print)

ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983097983094983093983093-983092 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

As a member of Green Press Initiative InterVarsity Press is committed to protecting

the environment and to the responsible use of natural resources o learn more visit

wwwgreenpressinitiativeorgLibrary of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hewitt Garth

Occupied territories the revolution of love from Bethlehem to the ends of the earth Garth Hewitt

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references

ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983091983094983095983088-983091 (pbk alk paper)

983089

Christianity and justice

983090

Church and social problems

983091

Kingdom of God

983092

Nonviolencemdash

Religious aspectsmdashChristianity I itle

BR983089983089983093J983096H983092983097 983090983088983089983092

983090983094983089983096mdashdc983090983091983090983088983089983092983088983090983090983096983089983094

P 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092 983089983091 983089983090 983089983089 983089983088 983097 983096 983095 983094 983093 983092 983091 983090 983089

Y 983091983089 983091983088 983090983097 983090983096 983090983095 983090983094 983090983093 983090983092 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

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CONTENTS

Preface 983097

983089 God Loves Justice 983089983091

983090 Bethlehem Is Calling 983090983097

983091 Be the Hands of Jesus 983093983089

he Community of Love

983092 ime for Action 983095983091

Let Justice Roll

983093 Money War and Equality 983097983089

ackling the Big Issues

983094 Godrsquos Revolution of Love 983089983090983089

Appendix 983089 Te Justice of Amos 983089983092983089

Appendix 983090 Let Justice Roll 983089983092983097

Amos rust Liturgies

Appendix 983091 Kairos Palestine 983089983094983095

A Moment of ruth

Appendix 983092 Let Justice Roll Down Like Water 983089983095983089 A Study on the Prophet Amos by Jasmine Devadason

Notes 983089983095983096

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PREFACE

Somewhere around the Prince of Peace was born A word

a statement an action a lifestyle a revolution of love burst with

hope from Bethlehemmdashat the time an occupied territorymdash

showing us how to live as a kingdom or community of love

Now Bethlehem is occupied territory once again But a

movement is being born again there from the followers of the

Prince of Peace that says there is a better way a nonviolent way

Tis community is sending a message of love and justice and

peace a prophecy that offers hope to the whole world

I was appointed as a canon of St Georgersquos Anglican Cathedralin Jerusalem by Bishop Riah Abu El-Assal the previous bishop

of Jerusalem (He was succeeded by Bishop Suheil Dawani) I

thanked Bishop Riah very much for the appointment and then

I asked ldquoWhat does a canon dordquo

ldquoWe would normally say lsquoell our storyrsquordquo he responded ldquobut

you have been telling our story in songs and in words So con-

tinue to do thatrdquo I have learned from this church whose membersin Israel and Palestine are predominantly Palestinian and so I

feel the responsibility and the challenge to tell its story to let their

voices be heard (I do this primarily in chapters two and four)

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10 O

When one talks about Palestine and Israel it is very easy to be

accused of being on one side or the other My commitment is for

a win-win situation there Our commitment at Amos rust and

my commitment is to be pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli we do

not see it as a victory if one side dominates another So we work

toward the day when justice for the Palestinians will mean peace

and security for both communities I try to make sure that our

views reflect those of our friends and partners and particularly

of the Christians who have put together the new Kairos Pal-estine document which I will talk about in chapter four But also

I am reflecting the advice of Jewish and Muslim friends who

have shown courage in their stand for justice

Te Amos rust has become a significant human rights

organization committed to justice and working with partners in

Nicaragua South Africa India and PalestineIsrael (I tell the

story of the Amos rust in appendix one) Teir stories appear

throughout the book We have learned from these partners how

to live the gospel they have helped us understand what the

kingdomcommunity of God looks like in practicemdashthey have

made justice visible

When Jeff Crosby of InterVarsity Press asked me to think

about writing a book on justice I was immediately interested asChris Rose director of the Amos rust had just made a similar

suggestion I think it all comes together in this book So thanks

to Jeff and Chris Tanks also to Dave Zimmerman my editor

for all his helpful comments and to Isobel my assistant for her

typing reading and helpful advice Tanks to all the Amos team

staff and trustees My thanks also to Rev Dr Jasmine Devadason

for her piece on the prophet Amos that she wrote especially forthe book And also to those in Bethlehem and Jerusalem whom

I interviewed for the book Canon Naim Ateek Sami Awad Rev

Dr Mitri Raheb Zoughbi Zoughbi and Dr Mazin Qumsiyeh

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Preface 11

Writing books can be quite unsociable so much love and

special thanks as always to my wife Gill for support much tol-

erance and many good ideas

Bethlehem is surrounded by a wall that reaches twenty-five

feet high And yet once behind the wall you find that God is al-

ready present theremdashalready present everywhere there are the

oppressed or forgotten God is present often in secret amongDalits in India among street children and the rural poor

among refugees running from conflict among asylum seekers

among victims of various kinds of discrimination and marginal-

ization among women and girls seeking basic human rights

among those struggling to make a living in economies domi-

nated by the one percentmdashand the list could go on Te con-

spiracy of love born in Bethlehem makes itself known in theseplaces and among these communities and so when we go to

meet them and stand with them we find that God is already

there waiting for us to join them

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1

GOD LOVES JUSTICE

Justice is Godrsquos calling card that

introduces the Kingdom of God

JOEL EDWARDS

International Director

for Micah Challenge

JUSTICE LIKE A RIVER

Justice like a river Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Good news for the poor

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Like a never failing stream

Of justice and of peace

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Letrsquos unite under one tree

Under the branches of the olive tree

Letrsquos unite under one tree

Under the shadow of a tree of life

Mercy flowing strongly Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Healing love and peace

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

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14 O

Strength for the struggles

Dignity for all

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

One Sunday afternoon when I was sixteen I went to hear

Martin Luther King Jr speak in St Paulrsquos Cathedral London on

his way to Oslo to pick up the Nobel Peace Prize It had a huge

impact on me and helped me to better understand the justice of

the gospel and the importance of affirming all people equally

Civil rights and human rights are crucial bases for our society

and we find them rooted in the Bible

I remember what a profound effect this had on me becauseof Kingrsquos very complete presentation of the gospel His sermon

was on the subject of right relationships and his text was Reve-

lation ldquothe length and the breadth and the height of it

are equalrdquo () words from Johnrsquos vision that refer to the new

Jerusalem King said that the new city God was building would

not be an unbalanced entity with caring virtues on one side

and degrading vices on the other Te most noble thing aboutit would be its completeness whereas the troubles of our

world are due to incompleteness He said the length of some-

onersquos life is his or her self-understanding and the discovery of

self-fulfillment

Te second dimension he said is the breadth which is the

concern for and identification with onersquos fellow human the rec-

ognition of the oneness of humanity and the need for active

brotherly concern for the welfare of others

Te third dimension is height King said that humans must

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God Loves Justice 15

actively seek God We were made for God and we will be restless

until we find rest in God

He ended up by saying ldquoLove yourself if that means healthy

self-interest this is the length of life Love your neighbor as we

are commanded to do this is the breadth of life And the greatest

commandment lsquoLove the Lord your God with all your heart

with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your

strengthrsquo this is the height of liferdquo1

It seemed to me then and it still seems to me now to be a very complete presentation Ever since then it has affected my

thinking my reading of the Bible my understanding of the

gospelrsquos commitment to justice and hopefully the way I live

I am only yards from where I heard and saw Martin Luther

King Jr as I write this book in my studio right by St Paulrsquos

Cathedral Tis book is an attempt to reflect how I have tried

to live out what I heard that day and particularly the justice

that was at its heart

T W S G

I think there are two ways to look at God One is something I

have reflected in a morning prayer that has turned into a song

called ldquoGod with Sleeves Rolled Uprdquo Later we will see the otherwaymdashas God who stands with us

GOD WITH SLEEVES ROLLED UP

God with sleeves rolled up

God in the noise and the rush

God most clearly in the pauseGive us the strength for today

And the courage for what must be done

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God Loves Justice 17

Te God who sweats in the street

Te God with the weathered face

Tatrsquos why I can talk to you

Te language my own people talk

Because God you are the laborer God

Te worker Christ

Hand in hand you walk with my people

you struggle in the fields and the city

And from the Sanctus

You are three times holy

you are three times just

Free us from the yoke

And give us liberty2

Tis Nicaraguan Mass reflects a God who understandsstruggles the God of justice But it doesnrsquot lose the poetic and

creative understanding of God As the creed recited during the

mass says

I firmly believe Lord

that from your fertile thought

this whole world was bornthat from your artistrsquos hand

like a primativist painter

all beauty flourished

the stars and the moon

the little houses lagoons

the little boats floating

down the river to the seathe immense coffee plantations

the white cotton fields

and the forests mutilated

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18 O

by the criminal axe

In you I trust

Maker of thought and music

Maker of the wind

Maker of peace and love

And this reminds me of that other aspect of Godmdashthe God who

stands with us

THE GOD WHO DANCES

Henri Matisse is rumored to have said

Tat hersquod only believe in a God

Who understood how to dance

I believe you are the God of dance

You are the God who moves in creation

You are interwoven throughout evolution

You are the God who dances at dawn

You are the sparkle of light

You are the rhythm of life

Moving in mysterious ways

I feel you dancing on the earth

I sense your whisper in the trees

I breathe your spirit on the wind

You are the rhythm of life

Moving in mysterious ways

But always dancing

You are the God who dances

Te ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo challenges us to do the

samemdashto be the hands and feet of Jesus and make the com-

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God Loves Justice 19

munity of God visible But God is also the God who is always

beside us the God who suffers with us the God who restores

our hope Tis is the God who gives us courage to be prophetic

when we donrsquot want to be

Tis is also ldquothe God who dancesrdquo the God who is interwoven

throughout evolution the God who dances at dawn and gives

us hope for the new day Tis is the God who inspires our cre-

ativity our passion for justice and our joy as the values of the

kingdomcommunity become visible and as the poor and op-pressed are treated with dignity

J I R

In I founded the Amos rust a small creative Christian

human rights agency that works with vibrant grassroots partners

around the world One of those Gustavo Parajon (ndash)

was a great friend and inspiration to me and a key mentor to us

in Amos rust A doctor pastor and peacemaker in Nicaragua

Gustavo said

Te Christian faith impels us to seek justice We see this

especially in Jesusrsquo ministry and in the message of the

prophets and so it is very clear that God loves justice It

is an integral part of the gospel Tis is what Jesus didmdashministering to the people that were marginalized and

oppressedmdashministering to the people that didnrsquot count

in his time3

We need a living theology like this that changes usmdasha justice

theology rooted in the way and teachings of Jesus and in the

Hebrew prophets Justice is mentioned more times in the Biblethan we often realizemdashit just gets clouded by the way it is trans-

lated Canon Naim Ateek (Palestinian Israeli theologian from

East Jerusalem and director of the Sabeel Teology Group) has

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20 O

pointed out how the word righteousness in the Bible would be

better translated justice in many instances both in the Hebrew

Scriptures and the New estament We usually understand the

word righteousness as having an individual personal aspect

whereas the meaning is social and political not only personal It

identifies how we should live and care for one another in society

Tis is highly significant perhaps the key point for helping us

understand the way of Jesus and the kingdom of God So when

we then think about the words from the Sermon on the MountldquoBlessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice for they will

be filledrdquo the use of justice adds a different understanding and

challengemdashit sets those words alight

Matthew is equally powerful ldquoBlessed are those who are

persecuted for justice sakerdquo And then in Matthew ldquoUnless

your justice exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees you will

never enter the kingdom of heavenrdquo and further on in Matthew

ldquobut strive first for the kingdom of God and Godrsquos justicerdquo

Tis is a hugely important point because many of us are used

to interpreting righteousness in a purely personal way As we fail

to see the breadth of the challenge of justice we are missing the

message at the heart of the gospel Seeking Godrsquos justice and

living the way of Godrsquos justice is what the Christian communityand the Christian way is all about

T T L

I first heard the term folk theologian at the Dalit Resource Centre

at amil Nadu Teological Seminary in Madurai India Dalits

are those formerly called ldquooutcastesrdquo and ldquountouchablerdquo and

have no social status But these people have embraced the nameldquoDalitrdquo which means the ldquocrushedrdquo or ldquooppressedrdquo Over

million Dalits now struggle for equality dignity and human

rights I rather like the term folk theologian Often when we talk

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God Loves Justice 21

about theology we are referring to it in an academic sense and

yet I believe there is a theology that is more grassroots that is

the theology of ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo It is the theology of

action or praxis theology that combines reflection and action

lived and expressed in the life of the community

Tis turns theology on its head instead of being something

we export from universities in the West we now let theology

express itself in the context where people live So we hear from

the poor and the marginalized we hear the gospel through theirwords and lives and there is something true to the incarnation

of Christ in their situation

Te term folk theologian reminds us that our theology should

not just be from books or an academic context but also learned

from people struggling with oppression Faith or religion too

can oppress But it also has the ability to liberatemdashif it listens

A H A E

A couple of years ago on Christmas Eve I was in India and stood

at a Buddhist meditative center dedicated to Dr B R Ambedkar

Ambedkar was a most significant player in Indian politics a

Dalit who rose up to become the chair of those who put to-

gether the Indian constitution Te center is opposite the ajMahal over the Yamuna River On the wall outside are the

words that Ambedkar wrote to explain his reasons for con-

version from Hinduism to Buddhism It is couched in the shape

of twenty-two oaths he took and he starts off by saying ldquoBy

discarding my ancient religion which stood for inequality and

oppression today I am reborn Buddhism is a true religion and

I will lead a life guided by the three principles of knowledgeright path and compassionrdquo

Ambedkar converted with hundreds of thousands of other

so-called untouchables to get away from the Varna system

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God Loves Justice 23

and sometimes it helps us understand it better if we move away

from the word kingdom and perhaps think of the community of

God a community that is underpinned not only by the lifestyle

of Jesus but also by the teachings of Jesus and especially the

teachings of the Sermon on the Mount But ldquocommunity of Godrdquo

loses the political emphasis of the ldquokingdom of Godrdquo a delib-

erate use of words by Jesus that go up against the rulers of the

time Kingdom of God challenges rulers dictators empires and

kingdoms because it is suggesting a style of community and astyle of values that brings a revolutionary difference a way of

making community for the benefit of all It is the kingdom

community of ldquolove your neighbor as yourself rdquo and ldquodo to others

as you would have them do to yourdquo of those who acknowledge

that ldquothose who take the sword will perish by the swordrdquo

One of the problems of sharing the gospel message is the church

too often embraces the ldquoConstantinian Compromiserdquo (the com-

promise that the church makes to become acceptable to the

empiremdashin the first case the Roman Empire) It is nice to be liked

to be acceptable within a community It is attractive to be accepted

by those in power but we must never lose our prophetic role We

must ldquoendeavor to establish equalityrdquo (quoting the tenth oath of

Ambedkar)mdashour call is to speak truth to power We must neverlose the double-edged sword of the gospel or the power of Godrsquos

revolution of love which is a direct challenge to the way of empire

B B

Te words justice and peace often go together but sometimes

people try to reach peace before there is justice or even recon-

ciliation before there is justice Te temptation to be ldquoeven-handedrdquo or ldquobalancedrdquo is another danger Tese terms are used

when we would prefer to endorse the status quo Isaiah

instructs us about bringing justice

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24 O

Every valley shall be lifted up

and every mountain and hill be made low

the uneven ground shall become level

and the rough places a plain

Injustice is badly imbalanced and so unless we lift up those who

are oppressed dominated and forgotten and challenge those

who are dominating there will be no equality or justice Tere

has to be a change of balancemdasha change of power I am reminded

of the words often attributed to Martin Luther King Jr ldquoNo one

is free until all are freerdquo and this is why the struggle for justice is

so worthwhile

N D V O G

Lukersquos Gospel reveals something important about the attitude

of God in Jesusrsquo character When Jesus first talks about his min-istry in Nazareth (Luke -) he says

Te Spirit of the Lord is upon me

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind

to let the oppressed go free

to proclaim the year of the Lordrsquos favor

Jesus is quoting here from Isaiah - It is a very close quote

except he leaves out the words about ldquothe day of vengeance of

our Godrdquo which is interesting Te theology that becomes a re-

ality in Bethlehem the revolution that comes to Bethlehem is

not a revolution of vengeance but one that seems to suggest that

a permanent year of jubileemdashldquothe year of the Lordrsquos favorrdquomdashwill

come when justice is brought to people

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God Loves Justice 25

So Jesus sees himself as bringing a revolution of justice as

was foreseen in Isaiah

For a child has been born for us

a son given to us

authority rests upon his shoulders

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor Mighty God

Everlasting Father Prince of Peace

We often forget when we think about the birth of Jesus that

he was soon a refugee his family fleeing for their lives We live

in a world where because of the imbalance of resources people

often have to flee either for economic reasons or because of

conflict And yet many times people are not welcomed by com-

munities that have more resources But ldquoGod with usrdquo whom we

meet in the Bethlehem story is God of the refugee God of theasylum seeker God of the oppressed God of the poor and God

of nonviolencemdashGod of a revolution of love

In Colossians - we are challenged to clothe ourselves

with ldquocompassion kindness humility meekness and patiencerdquo to

ldquobear with one anotherrdquo to forgive and ldquoabove all to clothe our-

selves with love which binds everything together in perfect

harmony And let the peace of Christ rule in our heartsrdquo and with

gratitude ldquosing psalms hymns and spiritual songs to Godrdquo Tese

words are much tougher to do than they might appear Tey are

powerful and even painful words What does it mean to be

humble and meek and to have the patience that will change this

world What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in our

hearts What does it mean to clothe ourselves with loveAt the very least it means to embrace and live by the words

that echo from the beginning of the Bible that every human

being is made in the ldquoimage of Godrdquomdashwe are all equalmdashin Christ

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26 O

the barriers come down It means journeying the way of Jesus

which we see reflected in Colossians and also in the Sermon

on the Mount

Te wonderful challenge of the Sermon on the Mount and

Colossians is to be peacemakers to bring wholeness into a

broken and unjust community to echo the prophets of old to

do justice to show mercy and walk humbly with God Humility

itself is so important because it refuses to dominate it refuses

to colonize it sees everyone through the eyes of God When wefail to do that we deny the gospel We deny the tremendous

message of the incarnation which started in such a humble but

powerful way in Bethlehem in the end people will not walk our

way unless they see the power of this humble just faithmdasha faith

that includes everyone and treats everyone equally

We are called to be a community that brings down the moun-

tains of oppression and lifts up the valleys of justice and right-

eousness so the pathways are made straightmdashas Martin Luther

King Jr was so fond of quoting from Isaiah

Micah talks of doing justice showing mercy and walking

humbly with Godmdashthis relates to the passage in Colossians

where we are called to clothe ourselves with compassion to bear

with one another to forgive and above all to clothe ourselveswith love Tis is the lifestyle of justicemdasha lifestyle of mercy

peacemaking and loving our neighbor as ourself

HE BROKE THE RULES AND BROUGHT THE REVOLUTION

What a wonderful moment when Jesus

reached through the divisions that hold people back

Jesus affirmed the woman at the well in

a world that would not treat women as equal

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God Loves Justice 27

He touched the ldquountouchablerdquomdashreached out to the outcast

broke through the barriers of racism of

class of gender and of caste

Tis prophet was the great rule breaker

He broke the rules that bind people and hold them back

May we courageously follow this example

and exclude no one and welcome all

May our churches be communities that

welcome all and may we understand the

deep joy of a gospel that nails our

prejudices and human divisions to a cross of shame

and awakens us to a resurrection of community love equality and joy

Q R D

1 If you were asked what you think ldquoGodrsquos calling cardrdquo would

look like what would you say In what ways is ldquojusticerdquo a

better answer

2 In what ways can faith or religion oppress How can it lib-

erate in a practical way

3 What are the implications of saying that the word ldquoright-

eousnessrdquo would be better translated ldquojusticerdquo

4 What does the author mean when he says ldquoIt is nice to be

liked to be acceptable within a community It is attractive tobe accepted by those in power but we must never lose our

prophetic rolerdquo What danger is he warning the church or

Christians about

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28 O

5 Te author says ldquoWe are all equalmdashin Christ the barriers

come downrdquo What barriers come down because of Christ

6 Do you find it challenging to realize that theology has been

ldquosomething we export from universities in the Westrdquo rather

than letting ldquotheology express itself in the context where

people liverdquomdasheven though most of the worldrsquos Christians are

not within a Western culture What do you think this means

What can Western Christians learn from other cultures

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G A R T H H E W I T T

Occupied TerritoriesTHE REVOLUTION OF LOVE FROM

BETHLEHEM TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH

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InterVarsity Press

PO Box 983089983092983088983088 Downers Grove IL 983094983088983093983089983093-983089983092983090983094wwwivpresscom

emailivpresscom

copy983090983088983089983092 by Garth Hewitt

All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission

from InterVarsity Press

InterVarsity Pressreg is the book-publishing division of InterVarsity Christian FellowshipUSAreg a

movement of students and faculty active on campus at hundreds of universities colleges and schools

of nursing in the United States of America and a member movement of the International Fellowship

of Evangelical Students For information about local and regional activities visit intervarsityorg

Scripture quotations unless otherwise noted are from the New Revised Standard Version of the

Bible copyright 983089983097983096983097 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the

Churches of Christ in the USA Used by permission All rights reserved

While all stories in this book are true some names and identifying information in this book may

have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals involved

Questions for Reflection and Discussion by Isobel Webster Used by permission

Unless otherwise indicated lyrics and liturgies are by Garth Hewitt

Cover design Cindy Kiple

Interior design Beth McGill

Image copy jcarilletiStockphoto

ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983091983094983095983088-983091 (print)

ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983097983094983093983093-983092 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

As a member of Green Press Initiative InterVarsity Press is committed to protecting

the environment and to the responsible use of natural resources o learn more visit

wwwgreenpressinitiativeorgLibrary of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hewitt Garth

Occupied territories the revolution of love from Bethlehem to the ends of the earth Garth Hewitt

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references

ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983091983094983095983088-983091 (pbk alk paper)

983089

Christianity and justice

983090

Church and social problems

983091

Kingdom of God

983092

Nonviolencemdash

Religious aspectsmdashChristianity I itle

BR983089983089983093J983096H983092983097 983090983088983089983092

983090983094983089983096mdashdc983090983091983090983088983089983092983088983090983090983096983089983094

P 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092 983089983091 983089983090 983089983089 983089983088 983097 983096 983095 983094 983093 983092 983091 983090 983089

Y 983091983089 983091983088 983090983097 983090983096 983090983095 983090983094 983090983093 983090983092 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092

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CONTENTS

Preface 983097

983089 God Loves Justice 983089983091

983090 Bethlehem Is Calling 983090983097

983091 Be the Hands of Jesus 983093983089

he Community of Love

983092 ime for Action 983095983091

Let Justice Roll

983093 Money War and Equality 983097983089

ackling the Big Issues

983094 Godrsquos Revolution of Love 983089983090983089

Appendix 983089 Te Justice of Amos 983089983092983089

Appendix 983090 Let Justice Roll 983089983092983097

Amos rust Liturgies

Appendix 983091 Kairos Palestine 983089983094983095

A Moment of ruth

Appendix 983092 Let Justice Roll Down Like Water 983089983095983089 A Study on the Prophet Amos by Jasmine Devadason

Notes 983089983095983096

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PREFACE

Somewhere around the Prince of Peace was born A word

a statement an action a lifestyle a revolution of love burst with

hope from Bethlehemmdashat the time an occupied territorymdash

showing us how to live as a kingdom or community of love

Now Bethlehem is occupied territory once again But a

movement is being born again there from the followers of the

Prince of Peace that says there is a better way a nonviolent way

Tis community is sending a message of love and justice and

peace a prophecy that offers hope to the whole world

I was appointed as a canon of St Georgersquos Anglican Cathedralin Jerusalem by Bishop Riah Abu El-Assal the previous bishop

of Jerusalem (He was succeeded by Bishop Suheil Dawani) I

thanked Bishop Riah very much for the appointment and then

I asked ldquoWhat does a canon dordquo

ldquoWe would normally say lsquoell our storyrsquordquo he responded ldquobut

you have been telling our story in songs and in words So con-

tinue to do thatrdquo I have learned from this church whose membersin Israel and Palestine are predominantly Palestinian and so I

feel the responsibility and the challenge to tell its story to let their

voices be heard (I do this primarily in chapters two and four)

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10 O

When one talks about Palestine and Israel it is very easy to be

accused of being on one side or the other My commitment is for

a win-win situation there Our commitment at Amos rust and

my commitment is to be pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli we do

not see it as a victory if one side dominates another So we work

toward the day when justice for the Palestinians will mean peace

and security for both communities I try to make sure that our

views reflect those of our friends and partners and particularly

of the Christians who have put together the new Kairos Pal-estine document which I will talk about in chapter four But also

I am reflecting the advice of Jewish and Muslim friends who

have shown courage in their stand for justice

Te Amos rust has become a significant human rights

organization committed to justice and working with partners in

Nicaragua South Africa India and PalestineIsrael (I tell the

story of the Amos rust in appendix one) Teir stories appear

throughout the book We have learned from these partners how

to live the gospel they have helped us understand what the

kingdomcommunity of God looks like in practicemdashthey have

made justice visible

When Jeff Crosby of InterVarsity Press asked me to think

about writing a book on justice I was immediately interested asChris Rose director of the Amos rust had just made a similar

suggestion I think it all comes together in this book So thanks

to Jeff and Chris Tanks also to Dave Zimmerman my editor

for all his helpful comments and to Isobel my assistant for her

typing reading and helpful advice Tanks to all the Amos team

staff and trustees My thanks also to Rev Dr Jasmine Devadason

for her piece on the prophet Amos that she wrote especially forthe book And also to those in Bethlehem and Jerusalem whom

I interviewed for the book Canon Naim Ateek Sami Awad Rev

Dr Mitri Raheb Zoughbi Zoughbi and Dr Mazin Qumsiyeh

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Preface 11

Writing books can be quite unsociable so much love and

special thanks as always to my wife Gill for support much tol-

erance and many good ideas

Bethlehem is surrounded by a wall that reaches twenty-five

feet high And yet once behind the wall you find that God is al-

ready present theremdashalready present everywhere there are the

oppressed or forgotten God is present often in secret amongDalits in India among street children and the rural poor

among refugees running from conflict among asylum seekers

among victims of various kinds of discrimination and marginal-

ization among women and girls seeking basic human rights

among those struggling to make a living in economies domi-

nated by the one percentmdashand the list could go on Te con-

spiracy of love born in Bethlehem makes itself known in theseplaces and among these communities and so when we go to

meet them and stand with them we find that God is already

there waiting for us to join them

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1

GOD LOVES JUSTICE

Justice is Godrsquos calling card that

introduces the Kingdom of God

JOEL EDWARDS

International Director

for Micah Challenge

JUSTICE LIKE A RIVER

Justice like a river Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Good news for the poor

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Like a never failing stream

Of justice and of peace

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Letrsquos unite under one tree

Under the branches of the olive tree

Letrsquos unite under one tree

Under the shadow of a tree of life

Mercy flowing strongly Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Healing love and peace

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

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14 O

Strength for the struggles

Dignity for all

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

One Sunday afternoon when I was sixteen I went to hear

Martin Luther King Jr speak in St Paulrsquos Cathedral London on

his way to Oslo to pick up the Nobel Peace Prize It had a huge

impact on me and helped me to better understand the justice of

the gospel and the importance of affirming all people equally

Civil rights and human rights are crucial bases for our society

and we find them rooted in the Bible

I remember what a profound effect this had on me becauseof Kingrsquos very complete presentation of the gospel His sermon

was on the subject of right relationships and his text was Reve-

lation ldquothe length and the breadth and the height of it

are equalrdquo () words from Johnrsquos vision that refer to the new

Jerusalem King said that the new city God was building would

not be an unbalanced entity with caring virtues on one side

and degrading vices on the other Te most noble thing aboutit would be its completeness whereas the troubles of our

world are due to incompleteness He said the length of some-

onersquos life is his or her self-understanding and the discovery of

self-fulfillment

Te second dimension he said is the breadth which is the

concern for and identification with onersquos fellow human the rec-

ognition of the oneness of humanity and the need for active

brotherly concern for the welfare of others

Te third dimension is height King said that humans must

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God Loves Justice 15

actively seek God We were made for God and we will be restless

until we find rest in God

He ended up by saying ldquoLove yourself if that means healthy

self-interest this is the length of life Love your neighbor as we

are commanded to do this is the breadth of life And the greatest

commandment lsquoLove the Lord your God with all your heart

with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your

strengthrsquo this is the height of liferdquo1

It seemed to me then and it still seems to me now to be a very complete presentation Ever since then it has affected my

thinking my reading of the Bible my understanding of the

gospelrsquos commitment to justice and hopefully the way I live

I am only yards from where I heard and saw Martin Luther

King Jr as I write this book in my studio right by St Paulrsquos

Cathedral Tis book is an attempt to reflect how I have tried

to live out what I heard that day and particularly the justice

that was at its heart

T W S G

I think there are two ways to look at God One is something I

have reflected in a morning prayer that has turned into a song

called ldquoGod with Sleeves Rolled Uprdquo Later we will see the otherwaymdashas God who stands with us

GOD WITH SLEEVES ROLLED UP

God with sleeves rolled up

God in the noise and the rush

God most clearly in the pauseGive us the strength for today

And the courage for what must be done

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God Loves Justice 17

Te God who sweats in the street

Te God with the weathered face

Tatrsquos why I can talk to you

Te language my own people talk

Because God you are the laborer God

Te worker Christ

Hand in hand you walk with my people

you struggle in the fields and the city

And from the Sanctus

You are three times holy

you are three times just

Free us from the yoke

And give us liberty2

Tis Nicaraguan Mass reflects a God who understandsstruggles the God of justice But it doesnrsquot lose the poetic and

creative understanding of God As the creed recited during the

mass says

I firmly believe Lord

that from your fertile thought

this whole world was bornthat from your artistrsquos hand

like a primativist painter

all beauty flourished

the stars and the moon

the little houses lagoons

the little boats floating

down the river to the seathe immense coffee plantations

the white cotton fields

and the forests mutilated

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18 O

by the criminal axe

In you I trust

Maker of thought and music

Maker of the wind

Maker of peace and love

And this reminds me of that other aspect of Godmdashthe God who

stands with us

THE GOD WHO DANCES

Henri Matisse is rumored to have said

Tat hersquod only believe in a God

Who understood how to dance

I believe you are the God of dance

You are the God who moves in creation

You are interwoven throughout evolution

You are the God who dances at dawn

You are the sparkle of light

You are the rhythm of life

Moving in mysterious ways

I feel you dancing on the earth

I sense your whisper in the trees

I breathe your spirit on the wind

You are the rhythm of life

Moving in mysterious ways

But always dancing

You are the God who dances

Te ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo challenges us to do the

samemdashto be the hands and feet of Jesus and make the com-

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God Loves Justice 19

munity of God visible But God is also the God who is always

beside us the God who suffers with us the God who restores

our hope Tis is the God who gives us courage to be prophetic

when we donrsquot want to be

Tis is also ldquothe God who dancesrdquo the God who is interwoven

throughout evolution the God who dances at dawn and gives

us hope for the new day Tis is the God who inspires our cre-

ativity our passion for justice and our joy as the values of the

kingdomcommunity become visible and as the poor and op-pressed are treated with dignity

J I R

In I founded the Amos rust a small creative Christian

human rights agency that works with vibrant grassroots partners

around the world One of those Gustavo Parajon (ndash)

was a great friend and inspiration to me and a key mentor to us

in Amos rust A doctor pastor and peacemaker in Nicaragua

Gustavo said

Te Christian faith impels us to seek justice We see this

especially in Jesusrsquo ministry and in the message of the

prophets and so it is very clear that God loves justice It

is an integral part of the gospel Tis is what Jesus didmdashministering to the people that were marginalized and

oppressedmdashministering to the people that didnrsquot count

in his time3

We need a living theology like this that changes usmdasha justice

theology rooted in the way and teachings of Jesus and in the

Hebrew prophets Justice is mentioned more times in the Biblethan we often realizemdashit just gets clouded by the way it is trans-

lated Canon Naim Ateek (Palestinian Israeli theologian from

East Jerusalem and director of the Sabeel Teology Group) has

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20 O

pointed out how the word righteousness in the Bible would be

better translated justice in many instances both in the Hebrew

Scriptures and the New estament We usually understand the

word righteousness as having an individual personal aspect

whereas the meaning is social and political not only personal It

identifies how we should live and care for one another in society

Tis is highly significant perhaps the key point for helping us

understand the way of Jesus and the kingdom of God So when

we then think about the words from the Sermon on the MountldquoBlessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice for they will

be filledrdquo the use of justice adds a different understanding and

challengemdashit sets those words alight

Matthew is equally powerful ldquoBlessed are those who are

persecuted for justice sakerdquo And then in Matthew ldquoUnless

your justice exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees you will

never enter the kingdom of heavenrdquo and further on in Matthew

ldquobut strive first for the kingdom of God and Godrsquos justicerdquo

Tis is a hugely important point because many of us are used

to interpreting righteousness in a purely personal way As we fail

to see the breadth of the challenge of justice we are missing the

message at the heart of the gospel Seeking Godrsquos justice and

living the way of Godrsquos justice is what the Christian communityand the Christian way is all about

T T L

I first heard the term folk theologian at the Dalit Resource Centre

at amil Nadu Teological Seminary in Madurai India Dalits

are those formerly called ldquooutcastesrdquo and ldquountouchablerdquo and

have no social status But these people have embraced the nameldquoDalitrdquo which means the ldquocrushedrdquo or ldquooppressedrdquo Over

million Dalits now struggle for equality dignity and human

rights I rather like the term folk theologian Often when we talk

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God Loves Justice 21

about theology we are referring to it in an academic sense and

yet I believe there is a theology that is more grassroots that is

the theology of ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo It is the theology of

action or praxis theology that combines reflection and action

lived and expressed in the life of the community

Tis turns theology on its head instead of being something

we export from universities in the West we now let theology

express itself in the context where people live So we hear from

the poor and the marginalized we hear the gospel through theirwords and lives and there is something true to the incarnation

of Christ in their situation

Te term folk theologian reminds us that our theology should

not just be from books or an academic context but also learned

from people struggling with oppression Faith or religion too

can oppress But it also has the ability to liberatemdashif it listens

A H A E

A couple of years ago on Christmas Eve I was in India and stood

at a Buddhist meditative center dedicated to Dr B R Ambedkar

Ambedkar was a most significant player in Indian politics a

Dalit who rose up to become the chair of those who put to-

gether the Indian constitution Te center is opposite the ajMahal over the Yamuna River On the wall outside are the

words that Ambedkar wrote to explain his reasons for con-

version from Hinduism to Buddhism It is couched in the shape

of twenty-two oaths he took and he starts off by saying ldquoBy

discarding my ancient religion which stood for inequality and

oppression today I am reborn Buddhism is a true religion and

I will lead a life guided by the three principles of knowledgeright path and compassionrdquo

Ambedkar converted with hundreds of thousands of other

so-called untouchables to get away from the Varna system

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God Loves Justice 23

and sometimes it helps us understand it better if we move away

from the word kingdom and perhaps think of the community of

God a community that is underpinned not only by the lifestyle

of Jesus but also by the teachings of Jesus and especially the

teachings of the Sermon on the Mount But ldquocommunity of Godrdquo

loses the political emphasis of the ldquokingdom of Godrdquo a delib-

erate use of words by Jesus that go up against the rulers of the

time Kingdom of God challenges rulers dictators empires and

kingdoms because it is suggesting a style of community and astyle of values that brings a revolutionary difference a way of

making community for the benefit of all It is the kingdom

community of ldquolove your neighbor as yourself rdquo and ldquodo to others

as you would have them do to yourdquo of those who acknowledge

that ldquothose who take the sword will perish by the swordrdquo

One of the problems of sharing the gospel message is the church

too often embraces the ldquoConstantinian Compromiserdquo (the com-

promise that the church makes to become acceptable to the

empiremdashin the first case the Roman Empire) It is nice to be liked

to be acceptable within a community It is attractive to be accepted

by those in power but we must never lose our prophetic role We

must ldquoendeavor to establish equalityrdquo (quoting the tenth oath of

Ambedkar)mdashour call is to speak truth to power We must neverlose the double-edged sword of the gospel or the power of Godrsquos

revolution of love which is a direct challenge to the way of empire

B B

Te words justice and peace often go together but sometimes

people try to reach peace before there is justice or even recon-

ciliation before there is justice Te temptation to be ldquoeven-handedrdquo or ldquobalancedrdquo is another danger Tese terms are used

when we would prefer to endorse the status quo Isaiah

instructs us about bringing justice

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24 O

Every valley shall be lifted up

and every mountain and hill be made low

the uneven ground shall become level

and the rough places a plain

Injustice is badly imbalanced and so unless we lift up those who

are oppressed dominated and forgotten and challenge those

who are dominating there will be no equality or justice Tere

has to be a change of balancemdasha change of power I am reminded

of the words often attributed to Martin Luther King Jr ldquoNo one

is free until all are freerdquo and this is why the struggle for justice is

so worthwhile

N D V O G

Lukersquos Gospel reveals something important about the attitude

of God in Jesusrsquo character When Jesus first talks about his min-istry in Nazareth (Luke -) he says

Te Spirit of the Lord is upon me

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind

to let the oppressed go free

to proclaim the year of the Lordrsquos favor

Jesus is quoting here from Isaiah - It is a very close quote

except he leaves out the words about ldquothe day of vengeance of

our Godrdquo which is interesting Te theology that becomes a re-

ality in Bethlehem the revolution that comes to Bethlehem is

not a revolution of vengeance but one that seems to suggest that

a permanent year of jubileemdashldquothe year of the Lordrsquos favorrdquomdashwill

come when justice is brought to people

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God Loves Justice 25

So Jesus sees himself as bringing a revolution of justice as

was foreseen in Isaiah

For a child has been born for us

a son given to us

authority rests upon his shoulders

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor Mighty God

Everlasting Father Prince of Peace

We often forget when we think about the birth of Jesus that

he was soon a refugee his family fleeing for their lives We live

in a world where because of the imbalance of resources people

often have to flee either for economic reasons or because of

conflict And yet many times people are not welcomed by com-

munities that have more resources But ldquoGod with usrdquo whom we

meet in the Bethlehem story is God of the refugee God of theasylum seeker God of the oppressed God of the poor and God

of nonviolencemdashGod of a revolution of love

In Colossians - we are challenged to clothe ourselves

with ldquocompassion kindness humility meekness and patiencerdquo to

ldquobear with one anotherrdquo to forgive and ldquoabove all to clothe our-

selves with love which binds everything together in perfect

harmony And let the peace of Christ rule in our heartsrdquo and with

gratitude ldquosing psalms hymns and spiritual songs to Godrdquo Tese

words are much tougher to do than they might appear Tey are

powerful and even painful words What does it mean to be

humble and meek and to have the patience that will change this

world What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in our

hearts What does it mean to clothe ourselves with loveAt the very least it means to embrace and live by the words

that echo from the beginning of the Bible that every human

being is made in the ldquoimage of Godrdquomdashwe are all equalmdashin Christ

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26 O

the barriers come down It means journeying the way of Jesus

which we see reflected in Colossians and also in the Sermon

on the Mount

Te wonderful challenge of the Sermon on the Mount and

Colossians is to be peacemakers to bring wholeness into a

broken and unjust community to echo the prophets of old to

do justice to show mercy and walk humbly with God Humility

itself is so important because it refuses to dominate it refuses

to colonize it sees everyone through the eyes of God When wefail to do that we deny the gospel We deny the tremendous

message of the incarnation which started in such a humble but

powerful way in Bethlehem in the end people will not walk our

way unless they see the power of this humble just faithmdasha faith

that includes everyone and treats everyone equally

We are called to be a community that brings down the moun-

tains of oppression and lifts up the valleys of justice and right-

eousness so the pathways are made straightmdashas Martin Luther

King Jr was so fond of quoting from Isaiah

Micah talks of doing justice showing mercy and walking

humbly with Godmdashthis relates to the passage in Colossians

where we are called to clothe ourselves with compassion to bear

with one another to forgive and above all to clothe ourselveswith love Tis is the lifestyle of justicemdasha lifestyle of mercy

peacemaking and loving our neighbor as ourself

HE BROKE THE RULES AND BROUGHT THE REVOLUTION

What a wonderful moment when Jesus

reached through the divisions that hold people back

Jesus affirmed the woman at the well in

a world that would not treat women as equal

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God Loves Justice 27

He touched the ldquountouchablerdquomdashreached out to the outcast

broke through the barriers of racism of

class of gender and of caste

Tis prophet was the great rule breaker

He broke the rules that bind people and hold them back

May we courageously follow this example

and exclude no one and welcome all

May our churches be communities that

welcome all and may we understand the

deep joy of a gospel that nails our

prejudices and human divisions to a cross of shame

and awakens us to a resurrection of community love equality and joy

Q R D

1 If you were asked what you think ldquoGodrsquos calling cardrdquo would

look like what would you say In what ways is ldquojusticerdquo a

better answer

2 In what ways can faith or religion oppress How can it lib-

erate in a practical way

3 What are the implications of saying that the word ldquoright-

eousnessrdquo would be better translated ldquojusticerdquo

4 What does the author mean when he says ldquoIt is nice to be

liked to be acceptable within a community It is attractive tobe accepted by those in power but we must never lose our

prophetic rolerdquo What danger is he warning the church or

Christians about

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28 O

5 Te author says ldquoWe are all equalmdashin Christ the barriers

come downrdquo What barriers come down because of Christ

6 Do you find it challenging to realize that theology has been

ldquosomething we export from universities in the Westrdquo rather

than letting ldquotheology express itself in the context where

people liverdquomdasheven though most of the worldrsquos Christians are

not within a Western culture What do you think this means

What can Western Christians learn from other cultures

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InterVarsity Press

PO Box 983089983092983088983088 Downers Grove IL 983094983088983093983089983093-983089983092983090983094wwwivpresscom

emailivpresscom

copy983090983088983089983092 by Garth Hewitt

All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission

from InterVarsity Press

InterVarsity Pressreg is the book-publishing division of InterVarsity Christian FellowshipUSAreg a

movement of students and faculty active on campus at hundreds of universities colleges and schools

of nursing in the United States of America and a member movement of the International Fellowship

of Evangelical Students For information about local and regional activities visit intervarsityorg

Scripture quotations unless otherwise noted are from the New Revised Standard Version of the

Bible copyright 983089983097983096983097 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the

Churches of Christ in the USA Used by permission All rights reserved

While all stories in this book are true some names and identifying information in this book may

have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals involved

Questions for Reflection and Discussion by Isobel Webster Used by permission

Unless otherwise indicated lyrics and liturgies are by Garth Hewitt

Cover design Cindy Kiple

Interior design Beth McGill

Image copy jcarilletiStockphoto

ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983091983094983095983088-983091 (print)

ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983097983094983093983093-983092 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

As a member of Green Press Initiative InterVarsity Press is committed to protecting

the environment and to the responsible use of natural resources o learn more visit

wwwgreenpressinitiativeorgLibrary of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hewitt Garth

Occupied territories the revolution of love from Bethlehem to the ends of the earth Garth Hewitt

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references

ISBN 983097983095983096-983088-983096983091983088983096-983091983094983095983088-983091 (pbk alk paper)

983089

Christianity and justice

983090

Church and social problems

983091

Kingdom of God

983092

Nonviolencemdash

Religious aspectsmdashChristianity I itle

BR983089983089983093J983096H983092983097 983090983088983089983092

983090983094983089983096mdashdc983090983091983090983088983089983092983088983090983090983096983089983094

P 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092 983089983091 983089983090 983089983089 983089983088 983097 983096 983095 983094 983093 983092 983091 983090 983089

Y 983091983089 983091983088 983090983097 983090983096 983090983095 983090983094 983090983093 983090983092 983090983091 983090983090 983090983089 983090983088 983089983097 983089983096 983089983095 983089983094 983089983093 983089983092

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

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httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 524

CONTENTS

Preface 983097

983089 God Loves Justice 983089983091

983090 Bethlehem Is Calling 983090983097

983091 Be the Hands of Jesus 983093983089

he Community of Love

983092 ime for Action 983095983091

Let Justice Roll

983093 Money War and Equality 983097983089

ackling the Big Issues

983094 Godrsquos Revolution of Love 983089983090983089

Appendix 983089 Te Justice of Amos 983089983092983089

Appendix 983090 Let Justice Roll 983089983092983097

Amos rust Liturgies

Appendix 983091 Kairos Palestine 983089983094983095

A Moment of ruth

Appendix 983092 Let Justice Roll Down Like Water 983089983095983089 A Study on the Prophet Amos by Jasmine Devadason

Notes 983089983095983096

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PREFACE

Somewhere around the Prince of Peace was born A word

a statement an action a lifestyle a revolution of love burst with

hope from Bethlehemmdashat the time an occupied territorymdash

showing us how to live as a kingdom or community of love

Now Bethlehem is occupied territory once again But a

movement is being born again there from the followers of the

Prince of Peace that says there is a better way a nonviolent way

Tis community is sending a message of love and justice and

peace a prophecy that offers hope to the whole world

I was appointed as a canon of St Georgersquos Anglican Cathedralin Jerusalem by Bishop Riah Abu El-Assal the previous bishop

of Jerusalem (He was succeeded by Bishop Suheil Dawani) I

thanked Bishop Riah very much for the appointment and then

I asked ldquoWhat does a canon dordquo

ldquoWe would normally say lsquoell our storyrsquordquo he responded ldquobut

you have been telling our story in songs and in words So con-

tinue to do thatrdquo I have learned from this church whose membersin Israel and Palestine are predominantly Palestinian and so I

feel the responsibility and the challenge to tell its story to let their

voices be heard (I do this primarily in chapters two and four)

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10 O

When one talks about Palestine and Israel it is very easy to be

accused of being on one side or the other My commitment is for

a win-win situation there Our commitment at Amos rust and

my commitment is to be pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli we do

not see it as a victory if one side dominates another So we work

toward the day when justice for the Palestinians will mean peace

and security for both communities I try to make sure that our

views reflect those of our friends and partners and particularly

of the Christians who have put together the new Kairos Pal-estine document which I will talk about in chapter four But also

I am reflecting the advice of Jewish and Muslim friends who

have shown courage in their stand for justice

Te Amos rust has become a significant human rights

organization committed to justice and working with partners in

Nicaragua South Africa India and PalestineIsrael (I tell the

story of the Amos rust in appendix one) Teir stories appear

throughout the book We have learned from these partners how

to live the gospel they have helped us understand what the

kingdomcommunity of God looks like in practicemdashthey have

made justice visible

When Jeff Crosby of InterVarsity Press asked me to think

about writing a book on justice I was immediately interested asChris Rose director of the Amos rust had just made a similar

suggestion I think it all comes together in this book So thanks

to Jeff and Chris Tanks also to Dave Zimmerman my editor

for all his helpful comments and to Isobel my assistant for her

typing reading and helpful advice Tanks to all the Amos team

staff and trustees My thanks also to Rev Dr Jasmine Devadason

for her piece on the prophet Amos that she wrote especially forthe book And also to those in Bethlehem and Jerusalem whom

I interviewed for the book Canon Naim Ateek Sami Awad Rev

Dr Mitri Raheb Zoughbi Zoughbi and Dr Mazin Qumsiyeh

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Preface 11

Writing books can be quite unsociable so much love and

special thanks as always to my wife Gill for support much tol-

erance and many good ideas

Bethlehem is surrounded by a wall that reaches twenty-five

feet high And yet once behind the wall you find that God is al-

ready present theremdashalready present everywhere there are the

oppressed or forgotten God is present often in secret amongDalits in India among street children and the rural poor

among refugees running from conflict among asylum seekers

among victims of various kinds of discrimination and marginal-

ization among women and girls seeking basic human rights

among those struggling to make a living in economies domi-

nated by the one percentmdashand the list could go on Te con-

spiracy of love born in Bethlehem makes itself known in theseplaces and among these communities and so when we go to

meet them and stand with them we find that God is already

there waiting for us to join them

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1

GOD LOVES JUSTICE

Justice is Godrsquos calling card that

introduces the Kingdom of God

JOEL EDWARDS

International Director

for Micah Challenge

JUSTICE LIKE A RIVER

Justice like a river Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Good news for the poor

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Like a never failing stream

Of justice and of peace

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Letrsquos unite under one tree

Under the branches of the olive tree

Letrsquos unite under one tree

Under the shadow of a tree of life

Mercy flowing strongly Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Healing love and peace

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

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14 O

Strength for the struggles

Dignity for all

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

One Sunday afternoon when I was sixteen I went to hear

Martin Luther King Jr speak in St Paulrsquos Cathedral London on

his way to Oslo to pick up the Nobel Peace Prize It had a huge

impact on me and helped me to better understand the justice of

the gospel and the importance of affirming all people equally

Civil rights and human rights are crucial bases for our society

and we find them rooted in the Bible

I remember what a profound effect this had on me becauseof Kingrsquos very complete presentation of the gospel His sermon

was on the subject of right relationships and his text was Reve-

lation ldquothe length and the breadth and the height of it

are equalrdquo () words from Johnrsquos vision that refer to the new

Jerusalem King said that the new city God was building would

not be an unbalanced entity with caring virtues on one side

and degrading vices on the other Te most noble thing aboutit would be its completeness whereas the troubles of our

world are due to incompleteness He said the length of some-

onersquos life is his or her self-understanding and the discovery of

self-fulfillment

Te second dimension he said is the breadth which is the

concern for and identification with onersquos fellow human the rec-

ognition of the oneness of humanity and the need for active

brotherly concern for the welfare of others

Te third dimension is height King said that humans must

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God Loves Justice 15

actively seek God We were made for God and we will be restless

until we find rest in God

He ended up by saying ldquoLove yourself if that means healthy

self-interest this is the length of life Love your neighbor as we

are commanded to do this is the breadth of life And the greatest

commandment lsquoLove the Lord your God with all your heart

with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your

strengthrsquo this is the height of liferdquo1

It seemed to me then and it still seems to me now to be a very complete presentation Ever since then it has affected my

thinking my reading of the Bible my understanding of the

gospelrsquos commitment to justice and hopefully the way I live

I am only yards from where I heard and saw Martin Luther

King Jr as I write this book in my studio right by St Paulrsquos

Cathedral Tis book is an attempt to reflect how I have tried

to live out what I heard that day and particularly the justice

that was at its heart

T W S G

I think there are two ways to look at God One is something I

have reflected in a morning prayer that has turned into a song

called ldquoGod with Sleeves Rolled Uprdquo Later we will see the otherwaymdashas God who stands with us

GOD WITH SLEEVES ROLLED UP

God with sleeves rolled up

God in the noise and the rush

God most clearly in the pauseGive us the strength for today

And the courage for what must be done

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God Loves Justice 17

Te God who sweats in the street

Te God with the weathered face

Tatrsquos why I can talk to you

Te language my own people talk

Because God you are the laborer God

Te worker Christ

Hand in hand you walk with my people

you struggle in the fields and the city

And from the Sanctus

You are three times holy

you are three times just

Free us from the yoke

And give us liberty2

Tis Nicaraguan Mass reflects a God who understandsstruggles the God of justice But it doesnrsquot lose the poetic and

creative understanding of God As the creed recited during the

mass says

I firmly believe Lord

that from your fertile thought

this whole world was bornthat from your artistrsquos hand

like a primativist painter

all beauty flourished

the stars and the moon

the little houses lagoons

the little boats floating

down the river to the seathe immense coffee plantations

the white cotton fields

and the forests mutilated

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18 O

by the criminal axe

In you I trust

Maker of thought and music

Maker of the wind

Maker of peace and love

And this reminds me of that other aspect of Godmdashthe God who

stands with us

THE GOD WHO DANCES

Henri Matisse is rumored to have said

Tat hersquod only believe in a God

Who understood how to dance

I believe you are the God of dance

You are the God who moves in creation

You are interwoven throughout evolution

You are the God who dances at dawn

You are the sparkle of light

You are the rhythm of life

Moving in mysterious ways

I feel you dancing on the earth

I sense your whisper in the trees

I breathe your spirit on the wind

You are the rhythm of life

Moving in mysterious ways

But always dancing

You are the God who dances

Te ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo challenges us to do the

samemdashto be the hands and feet of Jesus and make the com-

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God Loves Justice 19

munity of God visible But God is also the God who is always

beside us the God who suffers with us the God who restores

our hope Tis is the God who gives us courage to be prophetic

when we donrsquot want to be

Tis is also ldquothe God who dancesrdquo the God who is interwoven

throughout evolution the God who dances at dawn and gives

us hope for the new day Tis is the God who inspires our cre-

ativity our passion for justice and our joy as the values of the

kingdomcommunity become visible and as the poor and op-pressed are treated with dignity

J I R

In I founded the Amos rust a small creative Christian

human rights agency that works with vibrant grassroots partners

around the world One of those Gustavo Parajon (ndash)

was a great friend and inspiration to me and a key mentor to us

in Amos rust A doctor pastor and peacemaker in Nicaragua

Gustavo said

Te Christian faith impels us to seek justice We see this

especially in Jesusrsquo ministry and in the message of the

prophets and so it is very clear that God loves justice It

is an integral part of the gospel Tis is what Jesus didmdashministering to the people that were marginalized and

oppressedmdashministering to the people that didnrsquot count

in his time3

We need a living theology like this that changes usmdasha justice

theology rooted in the way and teachings of Jesus and in the

Hebrew prophets Justice is mentioned more times in the Biblethan we often realizemdashit just gets clouded by the way it is trans-

lated Canon Naim Ateek (Palestinian Israeli theologian from

East Jerusalem and director of the Sabeel Teology Group) has

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20 O

pointed out how the word righteousness in the Bible would be

better translated justice in many instances both in the Hebrew

Scriptures and the New estament We usually understand the

word righteousness as having an individual personal aspect

whereas the meaning is social and political not only personal It

identifies how we should live and care for one another in society

Tis is highly significant perhaps the key point for helping us

understand the way of Jesus and the kingdom of God So when

we then think about the words from the Sermon on the MountldquoBlessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice for they will

be filledrdquo the use of justice adds a different understanding and

challengemdashit sets those words alight

Matthew is equally powerful ldquoBlessed are those who are

persecuted for justice sakerdquo And then in Matthew ldquoUnless

your justice exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees you will

never enter the kingdom of heavenrdquo and further on in Matthew

ldquobut strive first for the kingdom of God and Godrsquos justicerdquo

Tis is a hugely important point because many of us are used

to interpreting righteousness in a purely personal way As we fail

to see the breadth of the challenge of justice we are missing the

message at the heart of the gospel Seeking Godrsquos justice and

living the way of Godrsquos justice is what the Christian communityand the Christian way is all about

T T L

I first heard the term folk theologian at the Dalit Resource Centre

at amil Nadu Teological Seminary in Madurai India Dalits

are those formerly called ldquooutcastesrdquo and ldquountouchablerdquo and

have no social status But these people have embraced the nameldquoDalitrdquo which means the ldquocrushedrdquo or ldquooppressedrdquo Over

million Dalits now struggle for equality dignity and human

rights I rather like the term folk theologian Often when we talk

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God Loves Justice 21

about theology we are referring to it in an academic sense and

yet I believe there is a theology that is more grassroots that is

the theology of ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo It is the theology of

action or praxis theology that combines reflection and action

lived and expressed in the life of the community

Tis turns theology on its head instead of being something

we export from universities in the West we now let theology

express itself in the context where people live So we hear from

the poor and the marginalized we hear the gospel through theirwords and lives and there is something true to the incarnation

of Christ in their situation

Te term folk theologian reminds us that our theology should

not just be from books or an academic context but also learned

from people struggling with oppression Faith or religion too

can oppress But it also has the ability to liberatemdashif it listens

A H A E

A couple of years ago on Christmas Eve I was in India and stood

at a Buddhist meditative center dedicated to Dr B R Ambedkar

Ambedkar was a most significant player in Indian politics a

Dalit who rose up to become the chair of those who put to-

gether the Indian constitution Te center is opposite the ajMahal over the Yamuna River On the wall outside are the

words that Ambedkar wrote to explain his reasons for con-

version from Hinduism to Buddhism It is couched in the shape

of twenty-two oaths he took and he starts off by saying ldquoBy

discarding my ancient religion which stood for inequality and

oppression today I am reborn Buddhism is a true religion and

I will lead a life guided by the three principles of knowledgeright path and compassionrdquo

Ambedkar converted with hundreds of thousands of other

so-called untouchables to get away from the Varna system

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God Loves Justice 23

and sometimes it helps us understand it better if we move away

from the word kingdom and perhaps think of the community of

God a community that is underpinned not only by the lifestyle

of Jesus but also by the teachings of Jesus and especially the

teachings of the Sermon on the Mount But ldquocommunity of Godrdquo

loses the political emphasis of the ldquokingdom of Godrdquo a delib-

erate use of words by Jesus that go up against the rulers of the

time Kingdom of God challenges rulers dictators empires and

kingdoms because it is suggesting a style of community and astyle of values that brings a revolutionary difference a way of

making community for the benefit of all It is the kingdom

community of ldquolove your neighbor as yourself rdquo and ldquodo to others

as you would have them do to yourdquo of those who acknowledge

that ldquothose who take the sword will perish by the swordrdquo

One of the problems of sharing the gospel message is the church

too often embraces the ldquoConstantinian Compromiserdquo (the com-

promise that the church makes to become acceptable to the

empiremdashin the first case the Roman Empire) It is nice to be liked

to be acceptable within a community It is attractive to be accepted

by those in power but we must never lose our prophetic role We

must ldquoendeavor to establish equalityrdquo (quoting the tenth oath of

Ambedkar)mdashour call is to speak truth to power We must neverlose the double-edged sword of the gospel or the power of Godrsquos

revolution of love which is a direct challenge to the way of empire

B B

Te words justice and peace often go together but sometimes

people try to reach peace before there is justice or even recon-

ciliation before there is justice Te temptation to be ldquoeven-handedrdquo or ldquobalancedrdquo is another danger Tese terms are used

when we would prefer to endorse the status quo Isaiah

instructs us about bringing justice

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24 O

Every valley shall be lifted up

and every mountain and hill be made low

the uneven ground shall become level

and the rough places a plain

Injustice is badly imbalanced and so unless we lift up those who

are oppressed dominated and forgotten and challenge those

who are dominating there will be no equality or justice Tere

has to be a change of balancemdasha change of power I am reminded

of the words often attributed to Martin Luther King Jr ldquoNo one

is free until all are freerdquo and this is why the struggle for justice is

so worthwhile

N D V O G

Lukersquos Gospel reveals something important about the attitude

of God in Jesusrsquo character When Jesus first talks about his min-istry in Nazareth (Luke -) he says

Te Spirit of the Lord is upon me

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind

to let the oppressed go free

to proclaim the year of the Lordrsquos favor

Jesus is quoting here from Isaiah - It is a very close quote

except he leaves out the words about ldquothe day of vengeance of

our Godrdquo which is interesting Te theology that becomes a re-

ality in Bethlehem the revolution that comes to Bethlehem is

not a revolution of vengeance but one that seems to suggest that

a permanent year of jubileemdashldquothe year of the Lordrsquos favorrdquomdashwill

come when justice is brought to people

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God Loves Justice 25

So Jesus sees himself as bringing a revolution of justice as

was foreseen in Isaiah

For a child has been born for us

a son given to us

authority rests upon his shoulders

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor Mighty God

Everlasting Father Prince of Peace

We often forget when we think about the birth of Jesus that

he was soon a refugee his family fleeing for their lives We live

in a world where because of the imbalance of resources people

often have to flee either for economic reasons or because of

conflict And yet many times people are not welcomed by com-

munities that have more resources But ldquoGod with usrdquo whom we

meet in the Bethlehem story is God of the refugee God of theasylum seeker God of the oppressed God of the poor and God

of nonviolencemdashGod of a revolution of love

In Colossians - we are challenged to clothe ourselves

with ldquocompassion kindness humility meekness and patiencerdquo to

ldquobear with one anotherrdquo to forgive and ldquoabove all to clothe our-

selves with love which binds everything together in perfect

harmony And let the peace of Christ rule in our heartsrdquo and with

gratitude ldquosing psalms hymns and spiritual songs to Godrdquo Tese

words are much tougher to do than they might appear Tey are

powerful and even painful words What does it mean to be

humble and meek and to have the patience that will change this

world What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in our

hearts What does it mean to clothe ourselves with loveAt the very least it means to embrace and live by the words

that echo from the beginning of the Bible that every human

being is made in the ldquoimage of Godrdquomdashwe are all equalmdashin Christ

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26 O

the barriers come down It means journeying the way of Jesus

which we see reflected in Colossians and also in the Sermon

on the Mount

Te wonderful challenge of the Sermon on the Mount and

Colossians is to be peacemakers to bring wholeness into a

broken and unjust community to echo the prophets of old to

do justice to show mercy and walk humbly with God Humility

itself is so important because it refuses to dominate it refuses

to colonize it sees everyone through the eyes of God When wefail to do that we deny the gospel We deny the tremendous

message of the incarnation which started in such a humble but

powerful way in Bethlehem in the end people will not walk our

way unless they see the power of this humble just faithmdasha faith

that includes everyone and treats everyone equally

We are called to be a community that brings down the moun-

tains of oppression and lifts up the valleys of justice and right-

eousness so the pathways are made straightmdashas Martin Luther

King Jr was so fond of quoting from Isaiah

Micah talks of doing justice showing mercy and walking

humbly with Godmdashthis relates to the passage in Colossians

where we are called to clothe ourselves with compassion to bear

with one another to forgive and above all to clothe ourselveswith love Tis is the lifestyle of justicemdasha lifestyle of mercy

peacemaking and loving our neighbor as ourself

HE BROKE THE RULES AND BROUGHT THE REVOLUTION

What a wonderful moment when Jesus

reached through the divisions that hold people back

Jesus affirmed the woman at the well in

a world that would not treat women as equal

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God Loves Justice 27

He touched the ldquountouchablerdquomdashreached out to the outcast

broke through the barriers of racism of

class of gender and of caste

Tis prophet was the great rule breaker

He broke the rules that bind people and hold them back

May we courageously follow this example

and exclude no one and welcome all

May our churches be communities that

welcome all and may we understand the

deep joy of a gospel that nails our

prejudices and human divisions to a cross of shame

and awakens us to a resurrection of community love equality and joy

Q R D

1 If you were asked what you think ldquoGodrsquos calling cardrdquo would

look like what would you say In what ways is ldquojusticerdquo a

better answer

2 In what ways can faith or religion oppress How can it lib-

erate in a practical way

3 What are the implications of saying that the word ldquoright-

eousnessrdquo would be better translated ldquojusticerdquo

4 What does the author mean when he says ldquoIt is nice to be

liked to be acceptable within a community It is attractive tobe accepted by those in power but we must never lose our

prophetic rolerdquo What danger is he warning the church or

Christians about

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28 O

5 Te author says ldquoWe are all equalmdashin Christ the barriers

come downrdquo What barriers come down because of Christ

6 Do you find it challenging to realize that theology has been

ldquosomething we export from universities in the Westrdquo rather

than letting ldquotheology express itself in the context where

people liverdquomdasheven though most of the worldrsquos Christians are

not within a Western culture What do you think this means

What can Western Christians learn from other cultures

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CONTENTS

Preface 983097

983089 God Loves Justice 983089983091

983090 Bethlehem Is Calling 983090983097

983091 Be the Hands of Jesus 983093983089

he Community of Love

983092 ime for Action 983095983091

Let Justice Roll

983093 Money War and Equality 983097983089

ackling the Big Issues

983094 Godrsquos Revolution of Love 983089983090983089

Appendix 983089 Te Justice of Amos 983089983092983089

Appendix 983090 Let Justice Roll 983089983092983097

Amos rust Liturgies

Appendix 983091 Kairos Palestine 983089983094983095

A Moment of ruth

Appendix 983092 Let Justice Roll Down Like Water 983089983095983089 A Study on the Prophet Amos by Jasmine Devadason

Notes 983089983095983096

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PREFACE

Somewhere around the Prince of Peace was born A word

a statement an action a lifestyle a revolution of love burst with

hope from Bethlehemmdashat the time an occupied territorymdash

showing us how to live as a kingdom or community of love

Now Bethlehem is occupied territory once again But a

movement is being born again there from the followers of the

Prince of Peace that says there is a better way a nonviolent way

Tis community is sending a message of love and justice and

peace a prophecy that offers hope to the whole world

I was appointed as a canon of St Georgersquos Anglican Cathedralin Jerusalem by Bishop Riah Abu El-Assal the previous bishop

of Jerusalem (He was succeeded by Bishop Suheil Dawani) I

thanked Bishop Riah very much for the appointment and then

I asked ldquoWhat does a canon dordquo

ldquoWe would normally say lsquoell our storyrsquordquo he responded ldquobut

you have been telling our story in songs and in words So con-

tinue to do thatrdquo I have learned from this church whose membersin Israel and Palestine are predominantly Palestinian and so I

feel the responsibility and the challenge to tell its story to let their

voices be heard (I do this primarily in chapters two and four)

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10 O

When one talks about Palestine and Israel it is very easy to be

accused of being on one side or the other My commitment is for

a win-win situation there Our commitment at Amos rust and

my commitment is to be pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli we do

not see it as a victory if one side dominates another So we work

toward the day when justice for the Palestinians will mean peace

and security for both communities I try to make sure that our

views reflect those of our friends and partners and particularly

of the Christians who have put together the new Kairos Pal-estine document which I will talk about in chapter four But also

I am reflecting the advice of Jewish and Muslim friends who

have shown courage in their stand for justice

Te Amos rust has become a significant human rights

organization committed to justice and working with partners in

Nicaragua South Africa India and PalestineIsrael (I tell the

story of the Amos rust in appendix one) Teir stories appear

throughout the book We have learned from these partners how

to live the gospel they have helped us understand what the

kingdomcommunity of God looks like in practicemdashthey have

made justice visible

When Jeff Crosby of InterVarsity Press asked me to think

about writing a book on justice I was immediately interested asChris Rose director of the Amos rust had just made a similar

suggestion I think it all comes together in this book So thanks

to Jeff and Chris Tanks also to Dave Zimmerman my editor

for all his helpful comments and to Isobel my assistant for her

typing reading and helpful advice Tanks to all the Amos team

staff and trustees My thanks also to Rev Dr Jasmine Devadason

for her piece on the prophet Amos that she wrote especially forthe book And also to those in Bethlehem and Jerusalem whom

I interviewed for the book Canon Naim Ateek Sami Awad Rev

Dr Mitri Raheb Zoughbi Zoughbi and Dr Mazin Qumsiyeh

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Preface 11

Writing books can be quite unsociable so much love and

special thanks as always to my wife Gill for support much tol-

erance and many good ideas

Bethlehem is surrounded by a wall that reaches twenty-five

feet high And yet once behind the wall you find that God is al-

ready present theremdashalready present everywhere there are the

oppressed or forgotten God is present often in secret amongDalits in India among street children and the rural poor

among refugees running from conflict among asylum seekers

among victims of various kinds of discrimination and marginal-

ization among women and girls seeking basic human rights

among those struggling to make a living in economies domi-

nated by the one percentmdashand the list could go on Te con-

spiracy of love born in Bethlehem makes itself known in theseplaces and among these communities and so when we go to

meet them and stand with them we find that God is already

there waiting for us to join them

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1

GOD LOVES JUSTICE

Justice is Godrsquos calling card that

introduces the Kingdom of God

JOEL EDWARDS

International Director

for Micah Challenge

JUSTICE LIKE A RIVER

Justice like a river Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Good news for the poor

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Like a never failing stream

Of justice and of peace

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Letrsquos unite under one tree

Under the branches of the olive tree

Letrsquos unite under one tree

Under the shadow of a tree of life

Mercy flowing strongly Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Healing love and peace

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

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14 O

Strength for the struggles

Dignity for all

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

One Sunday afternoon when I was sixteen I went to hear

Martin Luther King Jr speak in St Paulrsquos Cathedral London on

his way to Oslo to pick up the Nobel Peace Prize It had a huge

impact on me and helped me to better understand the justice of

the gospel and the importance of affirming all people equally

Civil rights and human rights are crucial bases for our society

and we find them rooted in the Bible

I remember what a profound effect this had on me becauseof Kingrsquos very complete presentation of the gospel His sermon

was on the subject of right relationships and his text was Reve-

lation ldquothe length and the breadth and the height of it

are equalrdquo () words from Johnrsquos vision that refer to the new

Jerusalem King said that the new city God was building would

not be an unbalanced entity with caring virtues on one side

and degrading vices on the other Te most noble thing aboutit would be its completeness whereas the troubles of our

world are due to incompleteness He said the length of some-

onersquos life is his or her self-understanding and the discovery of

self-fulfillment

Te second dimension he said is the breadth which is the

concern for and identification with onersquos fellow human the rec-

ognition of the oneness of humanity and the need for active

brotherly concern for the welfare of others

Te third dimension is height King said that humans must

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God Loves Justice 15

actively seek God We were made for God and we will be restless

until we find rest in God

He ended up by saying ldquoLove yourself if that means healthy

self-interest this is the length of life Love your neighbor as we

are commanded to do this is the breadth of life And the greatest

commandment lsquoLove the Lord your God with all your heart

with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your

strengthrsquo this is the height of liferdquo1

It seemed to me then and it still seems to me now to be a very complete presentation Ever since then it has affected my

thinking my reading of the Bible my understanding of the

gospelrsquos commitment to justice and hopefully the way I live

I am only yards from where I heard and saw Martin Luther

King Jr as I write this book in my studio right by St Paulrsquos

Cathedral Tis book is an attempt to reflect how I have tried

to live out what I heard that day and particularly the justice

that was at its heart

T W S G

I think there are two ways to look at God One is something I

have reflected in a morning prayer that has turned into a song

called ldquoGod with Sleeves Rolled Uprdquo Later we will see the otherwaymdashas God who stands with us

GOD WITH SLEEVES ROLLED UP

God with sleeves rolled up

God in the noise and the rush

God most clearly in the pauseGive us the strength for today

And the courage for what must be done

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God Loves Justice 17

Te God who sweats in the street

Te God with the weathered face

Tatrsquos why I can talk to you

Te language my own people talk

Because God you are the laborer God

Te worker Christ

Hand in hand you walk with my people

you struggle in the fields and the city

And from the Sanctus

You are three times holy

you are three times just

Free us from the yoke

And give us liberty2

Tis Nicaraguan Mass reflects a God who understandsstruggles the God of justice But it doesnrsquot lose the poetic and

creative understanding of God As the creed recited during the

mass says

I firmly believe Lord

that from your fertile thought

this whole world was bornthat from your artistrsquos hand

like a primativist painter

all beauty flourished

the stars and the moon

the little houses lagoons

the little boats floating

down the river to the seathe immense coffee plantations

the white cotton fields

and the forests mutilated

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18 O

by the criminal axe

In you I trust

Maker of thought and music

Maker of the wind

Maker of peace and love

And this reminds me of that other aspect of Godmdashthe God who

stands with us

THE GOD WHO DANCES

Henri Matisse is rumored to have said

Tat hersquod only believe in a God

Who understood how to dance

I believe you are the God of dance

You are the God who moves in creation

You are interwoven throughout evolution

You are the God who dances at dawn

You are the sparkle of light

You are the rhythm of life

Moving in mysterious ways

I feel you dancing on the earth

I sense your whisper in the trees

I breathe your spirit on the wind

You are the rhythm of life

Moving in mysterious ways

But always dancing

You are the God who dances

Te ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo challenges us to do the

samemdashto be the hands and feet of Jesus and make the com-

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God Loves Justice 19

munity of God visible But God is also the God who is always

beside us the God who suffers with us the God who restores

our hope Tis is the God who gives us courage to be prophetic

when we donrsquot want to be

Tis is also ldquothe God who dancesrdquo the God who is interwoven

throughout evolution the God who dances at dawn and gives

us hope for the new day Tis is the God who inspires our cre-

ativity our passion for justice and our joy as the values of the

kingdomcommunity become visible and as the poor and op-pressed are treated with dignity

J I R

In I founded the Amos rust a small creative Christian

human rights agency that works with vibrant grassroots partners

around the world One of those Gustavo Parajon (ndash)

was a great friend and inspiration to me and a key mentor to us

in Amos rust A doctor pastor and peacemaker in Nicaragua

Gustavo said

Te Christian faith impels us to seek justice We see this

especially in Jesusrsquo ministry and in the message of the

prophets and so it is very clear that God loves justice It

is an integral part of the gospel Tis is what Jesus didmdashministering to the people that were marginalized and

oppressedmdashministering to the people that didnrsquot count

in his time3

We need a living theology like this that changes usmdasha justice

theology rooted in the way and teachings of Jesus and in the

Hebrew prophets Justice is mentioned more times in the Biblethan we often realizemdashit just gets clouded by the way it is trans-

lated Canon Naim Ateek (Palestinian Israeli theologian from

East Jerusalem and director of the Sabeel Teology Group) has

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20 O

pointed out how the word righteousness in the Bible would be

better translated justice in many instances both in the Hebrew

Scriptures and the New estament We usually understand the

word righteousness as having an individual personal aspect

whereas the meaning is social and political not only personal It

identifies how we should live and care for one another in society

Tis is highly significant perhaps the key point for helping us

understand the way of Jesus and the kingdom of God So when

we then think about the words from the Sermon on the MountldquoBlessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice for they will

be filledrdquo the use of justice adds a different understanding and

challengemdashit sets those words alight

Matthew is equally powerful ldquoBlessed are those who are

persecuted for justice sakerdquo And then in Matthew ldquoUnless

your justice exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees you will

never enter the kingdom of heavenrdquo and further on in Matthew

ldquobut strive first for the kingdom of God and Godrsquos justicerdquo

Tis is a hugely important point because many of us are used

to interpreting righteousness in a purely personal way As we fail

to see the breadth of the challenge of justice we are missing the

message at the heart of the gospel Seeking Godrsquos justice and

living the way of Godrsquos justice is what the Christian communityand the Christian way is all about

T T L

I first heard the term folk theologian at the Dalit Resource Centre

at amil Nadu Teological Seminary in Madurai India Dalits

are those formerly called ldquooutcastesrdquo and ldquountouchablerdquo and

have no social status But these people have embraced the nameldquoDalitrdquo which means the ldquocrushedrdquo or ldquooppressedrdquo Over

million Dalits now struggle for equality dignity and human

rights I rather like the term folk theologian Often when we talk

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God Loves Justice 21

about theology we are referring to it in an academic sense and

yet I believe there is a theology that is more grassroots that is

the theology of ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo It is the theology of

action or praxis theology that combines reflection and action

lived and expressed in the life of the community

Tis turns theology on its head instead of being something

we export from universities in the West we now let theology

express itself in the context where people live So we hear from

the poor and the marginalized we hear the gospel through theirwords and lives and there is something true to the incarnation

of Christ in their situation

Te term folk theologian reminds us that our theology should

not just be from books or an academic context but also learned

from people struggling with oppression Faith or religion too

can oppress But it also has the ability to liberatemdashif it listens

A H A E

A couple of years ago on Christmas Eve I was in India and stood

at a Buddhist meditative center dedicated to Dr B R Ambedkar

Ambedkar was a most significant player in Indian politics a

Dalit who rose up to become the chair of those who put to-

gether the Indian constitution Te center is opposite the ajMahal over the Yamuna River On the wall outside are the

words that Ambedkar wrote to explain his reasons for con-

version from Hinduism to Buddhism It is couched in the shape

of twenty-two oaths he took and he starts off by saying ldquoBy

discarding my ancient religion which stood for inequality and

oppression today I am reborn Buddhism is a true religion and

I will lead a life guided by the three principles of knowledgeright path and compassionrdquo

Ambedkar converted with hundreds of thousands of other

so-called untouchables to get away from the Varna system

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God Loves Justice 23

and sometimes it helps us understand it better if we move away

from the word kingdom and perhaps think of the community of

God a community that is underpinned not only by the lifestyle

of Jesus but also by the teachings of Jesus and especially the

teachings of the Sermon on the Mount But ldquocommunity of Godrdquo

loses the political emphasis of the ldquokingdom of Godrdquo a delib-

erate use of words by Jesus that go up against the rulers of the

time Kingdom of God challenges rulers dictators empires and

kingdoms because it is suggesting a style of community and astyle of values that brings a revolutionary difference a way of

making community for the benefit of all It is the kingdom

community of ldquolove your neighbor as yourself rdquo and ldquodo to others

as you would have them do to yourdquo of those who acknowledge

that ldquothose who take the sword will perish by the swordrdquo

One of the problems of sharing the gospel message is the church

too often embraces the ldquoConstantinian Compromiserdquo (the com-

promise that the church makes to become acceptable to the

empiremdashin the first case the Roman Empire) It is nice to be liked

to be acceptable within a community It is attractive to be accepted

by those in power but we must never lose our prophetic role We

must ldquoendeavor to establish equalityrdquo (quoting the tenth oath of

Ambedkar)mdashour call is to speak truth to power We must neverlose the double-edged sword of the gospel or the power of Godrsquos

revolution of love which is a direct challenge to the way of empire

B B

Te words justice and peace often go together but sometimes

people try to reach peace before there is justice or even recon-

ciliation before there is justice Te temptation to be ldquoeven-handedrdquo or ldquobalancedrdquo is another danger Tese terms are used

when we would prefer to endorse the status quo Isaiah

instructs us about bringing justice

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24 O

Every valley shall be lifted up

and every mountain and hill be made low

the uneven ground shall become level

and the rough places a plain

Injustice is badly imbalanced and so unless we lift up those who

are oppressed dominated and forgotten and challenge those

who are dominating there will be no equality or justice Tere

has to be a change of balancemdasha change of power I am reminded

of the words often attributed to Martin Luther King Jr ldquoNo one

is free until all are freerdquo and this is why the struggle for justice is

so worthwhile

N D V O G

Lukersquos Gospel reveals something important about the attitude

of God in Jesusrsquo character When Jesus first talks about his min-istry in Nazareth (Luke -) he says

Te Spirit of the Lord is upon me

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind

to let the oppressed go free

to proclaim the year of the Lordrsquos favor

Jesus is quoting here from Isaiah - It is a very close quote

except he leaves out the words about ldquothe day of vengeance of

our Godrdquo which is interesting Te theology that becomes a re-

ality in Bethlehem the revolution that comes to Bethlehem is

not a revolution of vengeance but one that seems to suggest that

a permanent year of jubileemdashldquothe year of the Lordrsquos favorrdquomdashwill

come when justice is brought to people

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God Loves Justice 25

So Jesus sees himself as bringing a revolution of justice as

was foreseen in Isaiah

For a child has been born for us

a son given to us

authority rests upon his shoulders

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor Mighty God

Everlasting Father Prince of Peace

We often forget when we think about the birth of Jesus that

he was soon a refugee his family fleeing for their lives We live

in a world where because of the imbalance of resources people

often have to flee either for economic reasons or because of

conflict And yet many times people are not welcomed by com-

munities that have more resources But ldquoGod with usrdquo whom we

meet in the Bethlehem story is God of the refugee God of theasylum seeker God of the oppressed God of the poor and God

of nonviolencemdashGod of a revolution of love

In Colossians - we are challenged to clothe ourselves

with ldquocompassion kindness humility meekness and patiencerdquo to

ldquobear with one anotherrdquo to forgive and ldquoabove all to clothe our-

selves with love which binds everything together in perfect

harmony And let the peace of Christ rule in our heartsrdquo and with

gratitude ldquosing psalms hymns and spiritual songs to Godrdquo Tese

words are much tougher to do than they might appear Tey are

powerful and even painful words What does it mean to be

humble and meek and to have the patience that will change this

world What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in our

hearts What does it mean to clothe ourselves with loveAt the very least it means to embrace and live by the words

that echo from the beginning of the Bible that every human

being is made in the ldquoimage of Godrdquomdashwe are all equalmdashin Christ

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26 O

the barriers come down It means journeying the way of Jesus

which we see reflected in Colossians and also in the Sermon

on the Mount

Te wonderful challenge of the Sermon on the Mount and

Colossians is to be peacemakers to bring wholeness into a

broken and unjust community to echo the prophets of old to

do justice to show mercy and walk humbly with God Humility

itself is so important because it refuses to dominate it refuses

to colonize it sees everyone through the eyes of God When wefail to do that we deny the gospel We deny the tremendous

message of the incarnation which started in such a humble but

powerful way in Bethlehem in the end people will not walk our

way unless they see the power of this humble just faithmdasha faith

that includes everyone and treats everyone equally

We are called to be a community that brings down the moun-

tains of oppression and lifts up the valleys of justice and right-

eousness so the pathways are made straightmdashas Martin Luther

King Jr was so fond of quoting from Isaiah

Micah talks of doing justice showing mercy and walking

humbly with Godmdashthis relates to the passage in Colossians

where we are called to clothe ourselves with compassion to bear

with one another to forgive and above all to clothe ourselveswith love Tis is the lifestyle of justicemdasha lifestyle of mercy

peacemaking and loving our neighbor as ourself

HE BROKE THE RULES AND BROUGHT THE REVOLUTION

What a wonderful moment when Jesus

reached through the divisions that hold people back

Jesus affirmed the woman at the well in

a world that would not treat women as equal

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God Loves Justice 27

He touched the ldquountouchablerdquomdashreached out to the outcast

broke through the barriers of racism of

class of gender and of caste

Tis prophet was the great rule breaker

He broke the rules that bind people and hold them back

May we courageously follow this example

and exclude no one and welcome all

May our churches be communities that

welcome all and may we understand the

deep joy of a gospel that nails our

prejudices and human divisions to a cross of shame

and awakens us to a resurrection of community love equality and joy

Q R D

1 If you were asked what you think ldquoGodrsquos calling cardrdquo would

look like what would you say In what ways is ldquojusticerdquo a

better answer

2 In what ways can faith or religion oppress How can it lib-

erate in a practical way

3 What are the implications of saying that the word ldquoright-

eousnessrdquo would be better translated ldquojusticerdquo

4 What does the author mean when he says ldquoIt is nice to be

liked to be acceptable within a community It is attractive tobe accepted by those in power but we must never lose our

prophetic rolerdquo What danger is he warning the church or

Christians about

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28 O

5 Te author says ldquoWe are all equalmdashin Christ the barriers

come downrdquo What barriers come down because of Christ

6 Do you find it challenging to realize that theology has been

ldquosomething we export from universities in the Westrdquo rather

than letting ldquotheology express itself in the context where

people liverdquomdasheven though most of the worldrsquos Christians are

not within a Western culture What do you think this means

What can Western Christians learn from other cultures

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PREFACE

Somewhere around the Prince of Peace was born A word

a statement an action a lifestyle a revolution of love burst with

hope from Bethlehemmdashat the time an occupied territorymdash

showing us how to live as a kingdom or community of love

Now Bethlehem is occupied territory once again But a

movement is being born again there from the followers of the

Prince of Peace that says there is a better way a nonviolent way

Tis community is sending a message of love and justice and

peace a prophecy that offers hope to the whole world

I was appointed as a canon of St Georgersquos Anglican Cathedralin Jerusalem by Bishop Riah Abu El-Assal the previous bishop

of Jerusalem (He was succeeded by Bishop Suheil Dawani) I

thanked Bishop Riah very much for the appointment and then

I asked ldquoWhat does a canon dordquo

ldquoWe would normally say lsquoell our storyrsquordquo he responded ldquobut

you have been telling our story in songs and in words So con-

tinue to do thatrdquo I have learned from this church whose membersin Israel and Palestine are predominantly Palestinian and so I

feel the responsibility and the challenge to tell its story to let their

voices be heard (I do this primarily in chapters two and four)

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10 O

When one talks about Palestine and Israel it is very easy to be

accused of being on one side or the other My commitment is for

a win-win situation there Our commitment at Amos rust and

my commitment is to be pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli we do

not see it as a victory if one side dominates another So we work

toward the day when justice for the Palestinians will mean peace

and security for both communities I try to make sure that our

views reflect those of our friends and partners and particularly

of the Christians who have put together the new Kairos Pal-estine document which I will talk about in chapter four But also

I am reflecting the advice of Jewish and Muslim friends who

have shown courage in their stand for justice

Te Amos rust has become a significant human rights

organization committed to justice and working with partners in

Nicaragua South Africa India and PalestineIsrael (I tell the

story of the Amos rust in appendix one) Teir stories appear

throughout the book We have learned from these partners how

to live the gospel they have helped us understand what the

kingdomcommunity of God looks like in practicemdashthey have

made justice visible

When Jeff Crosby of InterVarsity Press asked me to think

about writing a book on justice I was immediately interested asChris Rose director of the Amos rust had just made a similar

suggestion I think it all comes together in this book So thanks

to Jeff and Chris Tanks also to Dave Zimmerman my editor

for all his helpful comments and to Isobel my assistant for her

typing reading and helpful advice Tanks to all the Amos team

staff and trustees My thanks also to Rev Dr Jasmine Devadason

for her piece on the prophet Amos that she wrote especially forthe book And also to those in Bethlehem and Jerusalem whom

I interviewed for the book Canon Naim Ateek Sami Awad Rev

Dr Mitri Raheb Zoughbi Zoughbi and Dr Mazin Qumsiyeh

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Preface 11

Writing books can be quite unsociable so much love and

special thanks as always to my wife Gill for support much tol-

erance and many good ideas

Bethlehem is surrounded by a wall that reaches twenty-five

feet high And yet once behind the wall you find that God is al-

ready present theremdashalready present everywhere there are the

oppressed or forgotten God is present often in secret amongDalits in India among street children and the rural poor

among refugees running from conflict among asylum seekers

among victims of various kinds of discrimination and marginal-

ization among women and girls seeking basic human rights

among those struggling to make a living in economies domi-

nated by the one percentmdashand the list could go on Te con-

spiracy of love born in Bethlehem makes itself known in theseplaces and among these communities and so when we go to

meet them and stand with them we find that God is already

there waiting for us to join them

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

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1

GOD LOVES JUSTICE

Justice is Godrsquos calling card that

introduces the Kingdom of God

JOEL EDWARDS

International Director

for Micah Challenge

JUSTICE LIKE A RIVER

Justice like a river Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Good news for the poor

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Like a never failing stream

Of justice and of peace

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Letrsquos unite under one tree

Under the branches of the olive tree

Letrsquos unite under one tree

Under the shadow of a tree of life

Mercy flowing strongly Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Healing love and peace

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

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14 O

Strength for the struggles

Dignity for all

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

One Sunday afternoon when I was sixteen I went to hear

Martin Luther King Jr speak in St Paulrsquos Cathedral London on

his way to Oslo to pick up the Nobel Peace Prize It had a huge

impact on me and helped me to better understand the justice of

the gospel and the importance of affirming all people equally

Civil rights and human rights are crucial bases for our society

and we find them rooted in the Bible

I remember what a profound effect this had on me becauseof Kingrsquos very complete presentation of the gospel His sermon

was on the subject of right relationships and his text was Reve-

lation ldquothe length and the breadth and the height of it

are equalrdquo () words from Johnrsquos vision that refer to the new

Jerusalem King said that the new city God was building would

not be an unbalanced entity with caring virtues on one side

and degrading vices on the other Te most noble thing aboutit would be its completeness whereas the troubles of our

world are due to incompleteness He said the length of some-

onersquos life is his or her self-understanding and the discovery of

self-fulfillment

Te second dimension he said is the breadth which is the

concern for and identification with onersquos fellow human the rec-

ognition of the oneness of humanity and the need for active

brotherly concern for the welfare of others

Te third dimension is height King said that humans must

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God Loves Justice 15

actively seek God We were made for God and we will be restless

until we find rest in God

He ended up by saying ldquoLove yourself if that means healthy

self-interest this is the length of life Love your neighbor as we

are commanded to do this is the breadth of life And the greatest

commandment lsquoLove the Lord your God with all your heart

with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your

strengthrsquo this is the height of liferdquo1

It seemed to me then and it still seems to me now to be a very complete presentation Ever since then it has affected my

thinking my reading of the Bible my understanding of the

gospelrsquos commitment to justice and hopefully the way I live

I am only yards from where I heard and saw Martin Luther

King Jr as I write this book in my studio right by St Paulrsquos

Cathedral Tis book is an attempt to reflect how I have tried

to live out what I heard that day and particularly the justice

that was at its heart

T W S G

I think there are two ways to look at God One is something I

have reflected in a morning prayer that has turned into a song

called ldquoGod with Sleeves Rolled Uprdquo Later we will see the otherwaymdashas God who stands with us

GOD WITH SLEEVES ROLLED UP

God with sleeves rolled up

God in the noise and the rush

God most clearly in the pauseGive us the strength for today

And the courage for what must be done

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God Loves Justice 17

Te God who sweats in the street

Te God with the weathered face

Tatrsquos why I can talk to you

Te language my own people talk

Because God you are the laborer God

Te worker Christ

Hand in hand you walk with my people

you struggle in the fields and the city

And from the Sanctus

You are three times holy

you are three times just

Free us from the yoke

And give us liberty2

Tis Nicaraguan Mass reflects a God who understandsstruggles the God of justice But it doesnrsquot lose the poetic and

creative understanding of God As the creed recited during the

mass says

I firmly believe Lord

that from your fertile thought

this whole world was bornthat from your artistrsquos hand

like a primativist painter

all beauty flourished

the stars and the moon

the little houses lagoons

the little boats floating

down the river to the seathe immense coffee plantations

the white cotton fields

and the forests mutilated

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18 O

by the criminal axe

In you I trust

Maker of thought and music

Maker of the wind

Maker of peace and love

And this reminds me of that other aspect of Godmdashthe God who

stands with us

THE GOD WHO DANCES

Henri Matisse is rumored to have said

Tat hersquod only believe in a God

Who understood how to dance

I believe you are the God of dance

You are the God who moves in creation

You are interwoven throughout evolution

You are the God who dances at dawn

You are the sparkle of light

You are the rhythm of life

Moving in mysterious ways

I feel you dancing on the earth

I sense your whisper in the trees

I breathe your spirit on the wind

You are the rhythm of life

Moving in mysterious ways

But always dancing

You are the God who dances

Te ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo challenges us to do the

samemdashto be the hands and feet of Jesus and make the com-

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God Loves Justice 19

munity of God visible But God is also the God who is always

beside us the God who suffers with us the God who restores

our hope Tis is the God who gives us courage to be prophetic

when we donrsquot want to be

Tis is also ldquothe God who dancesrdquo the God who is interwoven

throughout evolution the God who dances at dawn and gives

us hope for the new day Tis is the God who inspires our cre-

ativity our passion for justice and our joy as the values of the

kingdomcommunity become visible and as the poor and op-pressed are treated with dignity

J I R

In I founded the Amos rust a small creative Christian

human rights agency that works with vibrant grassroots partners

around the world One of those Gustavo Parajon (ndash)

was a great friend and inspiration to me and a key mentor to us

in Amos rust A doctor pastor and peacemaker in Nicaragua

Gustavo said

Te Christian faith impels us to seek justice We see this

especially in Jesusrsquo ministry and in the message of the

prophets and so it is very clear that God loves justice It

is an integral part of the gospel Tis is what Jesus didmdashministering to the people that were marginalized and

oppressedmdashministering to the people that didnrsquot count

in his time3

We need a living theology like this that changes usmdasha justice

theology rooted in the way and teachings of Jesus and in the

Hebrew prophets Justice is mentioned more times in the Biblethan we often realizemdashit just gets clouded by the way it is trans-

lated Canon Naim Ateek (Palestinian Israeli theologian from

East Jerusalem and director of the Sabeel Teology Group) has

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20 O

pointed out how the word righteousness in the Bible would be

better translated justice in many instances both in the Hebrew

Scriptures and the New estament We usually understand the

word righteousness as having an individual personal aspect

whereas the meaning is social and political not only personal It

identifies how we should live and care for one another in society

Tis is highly significant perhaps the key point for helping us

understand the way of Jesus and the kingdom of God So when

we then think about the words from the Sermon on the MountldquoBlessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice for they will

be filledrdquo the use of justice adds a different understanding and

challengemdashit sets those words alight

Matthew is equally powerful ldquoBlessed are those who are

persecuted for justice sakerdquo And then in Matthew ldquoUnless

your justice exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees you will

never enter the kingdom of heavenrdquo and further on in Matthew

ldquobut strive first for the kingdom of God and Godrsquos justicerdquo

Tis is a hugely important point because many of us are used

to interpreting righteousness in a purely personal way As we fail

to see the breadth of the challenge of justice we are missing the

message at the heart of the gospel Seeking Godrsquos justice and

living the way of Godrsquos justice is what the Christian communityand the Christian way is all about

T T L

I first heard the term folk theologian at the Dalit Resource Centre

at amil Nadu Teological Seminary in Madurai India Dalits

are those formerly called ldquooutcastesrdquo and ldquountouchablerdquo and

have no social status But these people have embraced the nameldquoDalitrdquo which means the ldquocrushedrdquo or ldquooppressedrdquo Over

million Dalits now struggle for equality dignity and human

rights I rather like the term folk theologian Often when we talk

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God Loves Justice 21

about theology we are referring to it in an academic sense and

yet I believe there is a theology that is more grassroots that is

the theology of ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo It is the theology of

action or praxis theology that combines reflection and action

lived and expressed in the life of the community

Tis turns theology on its head instead of being something

we export from universities in the West we now let theology

express itself in the context where people live So we hear from

the poor and the marginalized we hear the gospel through theirwords and lives and there is something true to the incarnation

of Christ in their situation

Te term folk theologian reminds us that our theology should

not just be from books or an academic context but also learned

from people struggling with oppression Faith or religion too

can oppress But it also has the ability to liberatemdashif it listens

A H A E

A couple of years ago on Christmas Eve I was in India and stood

at a Buddhist meditative center dedicated to Dr B R Ambedkar

Ambedkar was a most significant player in Indian politics a

Dalit who rose up to become the chair of those who put to-

gether the Indian constitution Te center is opposite the ajMahal over the Yamuna River On the wall outside are the

words that Ambedkar wrote to explain his reasons for con-

version from Hinduism to Buddhism It is couched in the shape

of twenty-two oaths he took and he starts off by saying ldquoBy

discarding my ancient religion which stood for inequality and

oppression today I am reborn Buddhism is a true religion and

I will lead a life guided by the three principles of knowledgeright path and compassionrdquo

Ambedkar converted with hundreds of thousands of other

so-called untouchables to get away from the Varna system

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8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

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God Loves Justice 23

and sometimes it helps us understand it better if we move away

from the word kingdom and perhaps think of the community of

God a community that is underpinned not only by the lifestyle

of Jesus but also by the teachings of Jesus and especially the

teachings of the Sermon on the Mount But ldquocommunity of Godrdquo

loses the political emphasis of the ldquokingdom of Godrdquo a delib-

erate use of words by Jesus that go up against the rulers of the

time Kingdom of God challenges rulers dictators empires and

kingdoms because it is suggesting a style of community and astyle of values that brings a revolutionary difference a way of

making community for the benefit of all It is the kingdom

community of ldquolove your neighbor as yourself rdquo and ldquodo to others

as you would have them do to yourdquo of those who acknowledge

that ldquothose who take the sword will perish by the swordrdquo

One of the problems of sharing the gospel message is the church

too often embraces the ldquoConstantinian Compromiserdquo (the com-

promise that the church makes to become acceptable to the

empiremdashin the first case the Roman Empire) It is nice to be liked

to be acceptable within a community It is attractive to be accepted

by those in power but we must never lose our prophetic role We

must ldquoendeavor to establish equalityrdquo (quoting the tenth oath of

Ambedkar)mdashour call is to speak truth to power We must neverlose the double-edged sword of the gospel or the power of Godrsquos

revolution of love which is a direct challenge to the way of empire

B B

Te words justice and peace often go together but sometimes

people try to reach peace before there is justice or even recon-

ciliation before there is justice Te temptation to be ldquoeven-handedrdquo or ldquobalancedrdquo is another danger Tese terms are used

when we would prefer to endorse the status quo Isaiah

instructs us about bringing justice

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24 O

Every valley shall be lifted up

and every mountain and hill be made low

the uneven ground shall become level

and the rough places a plain

Injustice is badly imbalanced and so unless we lift up those who

are oppressed dominated and forgotten and challenge those

who are dominating there will be no equality or justice Tere

has to be a change of balancemdasha change of power I am reminded

of the words often attributed to Martin Luther King Jr ldquoNo one

is free until all are freerdquo and this is why the struggle for justice is

so worthwhile

N D V O G

Lukersquos Gospel reveals something important about the attitude

of God in Jesusrsquo character When Jesus first talks about his min-istry in Nazareth (Luke -) he says

Te Spirit of the Lord is upon me

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind

to let the oppressed go free

to proclaim the year of the Lordrsquos favor

Jesus is quoting here from Isaiah - It is a very close quote

except he leaves out the words about ldquothe day of vengeance of

our Godrdquo which is interesting Te theology that becomes a re-

ality in Bethlehem the revolution that comes to Bethlehem is

not a revolution of vengeance but one that seems to suggest that

a permanent year of jubileemdashldquothe year of the Lordrsquos favorrdquomdashwill

come when justice is brought to people

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God Loves Justice 25

So Jesus sees himself as bringing a revolution of justice as

was foreseen in Isaiah

For a child has been born for us

a son given to us

authority rests upon his shoulders

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor Mighty God

Everlasting Father Prince of Peace

We often forget when we think about the birth of Jesus that

he was soon a refugee his family fleeing for their lives We live

in a world where because of the imbalance of resources people

often have to flee either for economic reasons or because of

conflict And yet many times people are not welcomed by com-

munities that have more resources But ldquoGod with usrdquo whom we

meet in the Bethlehem story is God of the refugee God of theasylum seeker God of the oppressed God of the poor and God

of nonviolencemdashGod of a revolution of love

In Colossians - we are challenged to clothe ourselves

with ldquocompassion kindness humility meekness and patiencerdquo to

ldquobear with one anotherrdquo to forgive and ldquoabove all to clothe our-

selves with love which binds everything together in perfect

harmony And let the peace of Christ rule in our heartsrdquo and with

gratitude ldquosing psalms hymns and spiritual songs to Godrdquo Tese

words are much tougher to do than they might appear Tey are

powerful and even painful words What does it mean to be

humble and meek and to have the patience that will change this

world What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in our

hearts What does it mean to clothe ourselves with loveAt the very least it means to embrace and live by the words

that echo from the beginning of the Bible that every human

being is made in the ldquoimage of Godrdquomdashwe are all equalmdashin Christ

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26 O

the barriers come down It means journeying the way of Jesus

which we see reflected in Colossians and also in the Sermon

on the Mount

Te wonderful challenge of the Sermon on the Mount and

Colossians is to be peacemakers to bring wholeness into a

broken and unjust community to echo the prophets of old to

do justice to show mercy and walk humbly with God Humility

itself is so important because it refuses to dominate it refuses

to colonize it sees everyone through the eyes of God When wefail to do that we deny the gospel We deny the tremendous

message of the incarnation which started in such a humble but

powerful way in Bethlehem in the end people will not walk our

way unless they see the power of this humble just faithmdasha faith

that includes everyone and treats everyone equally

We are called to be a community that brings down the moun-

tains of oppression and lifts up the valleys of justice and right-

eousness so the pathways are made straightmdashas Martin Luther

King Jr was so fond of quoting from Isaiah

Micah talks of doing justice showing mercy and walking

humbly with Godmdashthis relates to the passage in Colossians

where we are called to clothe ourselves with compassion to bear

with one another to forgive and above all to clothe ourselveswith love Tis is the lifestyle of justicemdasha lifestyle of mercy

peacemaking and loving our neighbor as ourself

HE BROKE THE RULES AND BROUGHT THE REVOLUTION

What a wonderful moment when Jesus

reached through the divisions that hold people back

Jesus affirmed the woman at the well in

a world that would not treat women as equal

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God Loves Justice 27

He touched the ldquountouchablerdquomdashreached out to the outcast

broke through the barriers of racism of

class of gender and of caste

Tis prophet was the great rule breaker

He broke the rules that bind people and hold them back

May we courageously follow this example

and exclude no one and welcome all

May our churches be communities that

welcome all and may we understand the

deep joy of a gospel that nails our

prejudices and human divisions to a cross of shame

and awakens us to a resurrection of community love equality and joy

Q R D

1 If you were asked what you think ldquoGodrsquos calling cardrdquo would

look like what would you say In what ways is ldquojusticerdquo a

better answer

2 In what ways can faith or religion oppress How can it lib-

erate in a practical way

3 What are the implications of saying that the word ldquoright-

eousnessrdquo would be better translated ldquojusticerdquo

4 What does the author mean when he says ldquoIt is nice to be

liked to be acceptable within a community It is attractive tobe accepted by those in power but we must never lose our

prophetic rolerdquo What danger is he warning the church or

Christians about

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28 O

5 Te author says ldquoWe are all equalmdashin Christ the barriers

come downrdquo What barriers come down because of Christ

6 Do you find it challenging to realize that theology has been

ldquosomething we export from universities in the Westrdquo rather

than letting ldquotheology express itself in the context where

people liverdquomdasheven though most of the worldrsquos Christians are

not within a Western culture What do you think this means

What can Western Christians learn from other cultures

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10 O

When one talks about Palestine and Israel it is very easy to be

accused of being on one side or the other My commitment is for

a win-win situation there Our commitment at Amos rust and

my commitment is to be pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli we do

not see it as a victory if one side dominates another So we work

toward the day when justice for the Palestinians will mean peace

and security for both communities I try to make sure that our

views reflect those of our friends and partners and particularly

of the Christians who have put together the new Kairos Pal-estine document which I will talk about in chapter four But also

I am reflecting the advice of Jewish and Muslim friends who

have shown courage in their stand for justice

Te Amos rust has become a significant human rights

organization committed to justice and working with partners in

Nicaragua South Africa India and PalestineIsrael (I tell the

story of the Amos rust in appendix one) Teir stories appear

throughout the book We have learned from these partners how

to live the gospel they have helped us understand what the

kingdomcommunity of God looks like in practicemdashthey have

made justice visible

When Jeff Crosby of InterVarsity Press asked me to think

about writing a book on justice I was immediately interested asChris Rose director of the Amos rust had just made a similar

suggestion I think it all comes together in this book So thanks

to Jeff and Chris Tanks also to Dave Zimmerman my editor

for all his helpful comments and to Isobel my assistant for her

typing reading and helpful advice Tanks to all the Amos team

staff and trustees My thanks also to Rev Dr Jasmine Devadason

for her piece on the prophet Amos that she wrote especially forthe book And also to those in Bethlehem and Jerusalem whom

I interviewed for the book Canon Naim Ateek Sami Awad Rev

Dr Mitri Raheb Zoughbi Zoughbi and Dr Mazin Qumsiyeh

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

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Preface 11

Writing books can be quite unsociable so much love and

special thanks as always to my wife Gill for support much tol-

erance and many good ideas

Bethlehem is surrounded by a wall that reaches twenty-five

feet high And yet once behind the wall you find that God is al-

ready present theremdashalready present everywhere there are the

oppressed or forgotten God is present often in secret amongDalits in India among street children and the rural poor

among refugees running from conflict among asylum seekers

among victims of various kinds of discrimination and marginal-

ization among women and girls seeking basic human rights

among those struggling to make a living in economies domi-

nated by the one percentmdashand the list could go on Te con-

spiracy of love born in Bethlehem makes itself known in theseplaces and among these communities and so when we go to

meet them and stand with them we find that God is already

there waiting for us to join them

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 924

1

GOD LOVES JUSTICE

Justice is Godrsquos calling card that

introduces the Kingdom of God

JOEL EDWARDS

International Director

for Micah Challenge

JUSTICE LIKE A RIVER

Justice like a river Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Good news for the poor

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Like a never failing stream

Of justice and of peace

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Letrsquos unite under one tree

Under the branches of the olive tree

Letrsquos unite under one tree

Under the shadow of a tree of life

Mercy flowing strongly Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Healing love and peace

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

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14 O

Strength for the struggles

Dignity for all

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

One Sunday afternoon when I was sixteen I went to hear

Martin Luther King Jr speak in St Paulrsquos Cathedral London on

his way to Oslo to pick up the Nobel Peace Prize It had a huge

impact on me and helped me to better understand the justice of

the gospel and the importance of affirming all people equally

Civil rights and human rights are crucial bases for our society

and we find them rooted in the Bible

I remember what a profound effect this had on me becauseof Kingrsquos very complete presentation of the gospel His sermon

was on the subject of right relationships and his text was Reve-

lation ldquothe length and the breadth and the height of it

are equalrdquo () words from Johnrsquos vision that refer to the new

Jerusalem King said that the new city God was building would

not be an unbalanced entity with caring virtues on one side

and degrading vices on the other Te most noble thing aboutit would be its completeness whereas the troubles of our

world are due to incompleteness He said the length of some-

onersquos life is his or her self-understanding and the discovery of

self-fulfillment

Te second dimension he said is the breadth which is the

concern for and identification with onersquos fellow human the rec-

ognition of the oneness of humanity and the need for active

brotherly concern for the welfare of others

Te third dimension is height King said that humans must

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8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

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God Loves Justice 15

actively seek God We were made for God and we will be restless

until we find rest in God

He ended up by saying ldquoLove yourself if that means healthy

self-interest this is the length of life Love your neighbor as we

are commanded to do this is the breadth of life And the greatest

commandment lsquoLove the Lord your God with all your heart

with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your

strengthrsquo this is the height of liferdquo1

It seemed to me then and it still seems to me now to be a very complete presentation Ever since then it has affected my

thinking my reading of the Bible my understanding of the

gospelrsquos commitment to justice and hopefully the way I live

I am only yards from where I heard and saw Martin Luther

King Jr as I write this book in my studio right by St Paulrsquos

Cathedral Tis book is an attempt to reflect how I have tried

to live out what I heard that day and particularly the justice

that was at its heart

T W S G

I think there are two ways to look at God One is something I

have reflected in a morning prayer that has turned into a song

called ldquoGod with Sleeves Rolled Uprdquo Later we will see the otherwaymdashas God who stands with us

GOD WITH SLEEVES ROLLED UP

God with sleeves rolled up

God in the noise and the rush

God most clearly in the pauseGive us the strength for today

And the courage for what must be done

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God Loves Justice 17

Te God who sweats in the street

Te God with the weathered face

Tatrsquos why I can talk to you

Te language my own people talk

Because God you are the laborer God

Te worker Christ

Hand in hand you walk with my people

you struggle in the fields and the city

And from the Sanctus

You are three times holy

you are three times just

Free us from the yoke

And give us liberty2

Tis Nicaraguan Mass reflects a God who understandsstruggles the God of justice But it doesnrsquot lose the poetic and

creative understanding of God As the creed recited during the

mass says

I firmly believe Lord

that from your fertile thought

this whole world was bornthat from your artistrsquos hand

like a primativist painter

all beauty flourished

the stars and the moon

the little houses lagoons

the little boats floating

down the river to the seathe immense coffee plantations

the white cotton fields

and the forests mutilated

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1424

18 O

by the criminal axe

In you I trust

Maker of thought and music

Maker of the wind

Maker of peace and love

And this reminds me of that other aspect of Godmdashthe God who

stands with us

THE GOD WHO DANCES

Henri Matisse is rumored to have said

Tat hersquod only believe in a God

Who understood how to dance

I believe you are the God of dance

You are the God who moves in creation

You are interwoven throughout evolution

You are the God who dances at dawn

You are the sparkle of light

You are the rhythm of life

Moving in mysterious ways

I feel you dancing on the earth

I sense your whisper in the trees

I breathe your spirit on the wind

You are the rhythm of life

Moving in mysterious ways

But always dancing

You are the God who dances

Te ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo challenges us to do the

samemdashto be the hands and feet of Jesus and make the com-

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1524

God Loves Justice 19

munity of God visible But God is also the God who is always

beside us the God who suffers with us the God who restores

our hope Tis is the God who gives us courage to be prophetic

when we donrsquot want to be

Tis is also ldquothe God who dancesrdquo the God who is interwoven

throughout evolution the God who dances at dawn and gives

us hope for the new day Tis is the God who inspires our cre-

ativity our passion for justice and our joy as the values of the

kingdomcommunity become visible and as the poor and op-pressed are treated with dignity

J I R

In I founded the Amos rust a small creative Christian

human rights agency that works with vibrant grassroots partners

around the world One of those Gustavo Parajon (ndash)

was a great friend and inspiration to me and a key mentor to us

in Amos rust A doctor pastor and peacemaker in Nicaragua

Gustavo said

Te Christian faith impels us to seek justice We see this

especially in Jesusrsquo ministry and in the message of the

prophets and so it is very clear that God loves justice It

is an integral part of the gospel Tis is what Jesus didmdashministering to the people that were marginalized and

oppressedmdashministering to the people that didnrsquot count

in his time3

We need a living theology like this that changes usmdasha justice

theology rooted in the way and teachings of Jesus and in the

Hebrew prophets Justice is mentioned more times in the Biblethan we often realizemdashit just gets clouded by the way it is trans-

lated Canon Naim Ateek (Palestinian Israeli theologian from

East Jerusalem and director of the Sabeel Teology Group) has

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1624

20 O

pointed out how the word righteousness in the Bible would be

better translated justice in many instances both in the Hebrew

Scriptures and the New estament We usually understand the

word righteousness as having an individual personal aspect

whereas the meaning is social and political not only personal It

identifies how we should live and care for one another in society

Tis is highly significant perhaps the key point for helping us

understand the way of Jesus and the kingdom of God So when

we then think about the words from the Sermon on the MountldquoBlessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice for they will

be filledrdquo the use of justice adds a different understanding and

challengemdashit sets those words alight

Matthew is equally powerful ldquoBlessed are those who are

persecuted for justice sakerdquo And then in Matthew ldquoUnless

your justice exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees you will

never enter the kingdom of heavenrdquo and further on in Matthew

ldquobut strive first for the kingdom of God and Godrsquos justicerdquo

Tis is a hugely important point because many of us are used

to interpreting righteousness in a purely personal way As we fail

to see the breadth of the challenge of justice we are missing the

message at the heart of the gospel Seeking Godrsquos justice and

living the way of Godrsquos justice is what the Christian communityand the Christian way is all about

T T L

I first heard the term folk theologian at the Dalit Resource Centre

at amil Nadu Teological Seminary in Madurai India Dalits

are those formerly called ldquooutcastesrdquo and ldquountouchablerdquo and

have no social status But these people have embraced the nameldquoDalitrdquo which means the ldquocrushedrdquo or ldquooppressedrdquo Over

million Dalits now struggle for equality dignity and human

rights I rather like the term folk theologian Often when we talk

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God Loves Justice 21

about theology we are referring to it in an academic sense and

yet I believe there is a theology that is more grassroots that is

the theology of ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo It is the theology of

action or praxis theology that combines reflection and action

lived and expressed in the life of the community

Tis turns theology on its head instead of being something

we export from universities in the West we now let theology

express itself in the context where people live So we hear from

the poor and the marginalized we hear the gospel through theirwords and lives and there is something true to the incarnation

of Christ in their situation

Te term folk theologian reminds us that our theology should

not just be from books or an academic context but also learned

from people struggling with oppression Faith or religion too

can oppress But it also has the ability to liberatemdashif it listens

A H A E

A couple of years ago on Christmas Eve I was in India and stood

at a Buddhist meditative center dedicated to Dr B R Ambedkar

Ambedkar was a most significant player in Indian politics a

Dalit who rose up to become the chair of those who put to-

gether the Indian constitution Te center is opposite the ajMahal over the Yamuna River On the wall outside are the

words that Ambedkar wrote to explain his reasons for con-

version from Hinduism to Buddhism It is couched in the shape

of twenty-two oaths he took and he starts off by saying ldquoBy

discarding my ancient religion which stood for inequality and

oppression today I am reborn Buddhism is a true religion and

I will lead a life guided by the three principles of knowledgeright path and compassionrdquo

Ambedkar converted with hundreds of thousands of other

so-called untouchables to get away from the Varna system

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8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1924

God Loves Justice 23

and sometimes it helps us understand it better if we move away

from the word kingdom and perhaps think of the community of

God a community that is underpinned not only by the lifestyle

of Jesus but also by the teachings of Jesus and especially the

teachings of the Sermon on the Mount But ldquocommunity of Godrdquo

loses the political emphasis of the ldquokingdom of Godrdquo a delib-

erate use of words by Jesus that go up against the rulers of the

time Kingdom of God challenges rulers dictators empires and

kingdoms because it is suggesting a style of community and astyle of values that brings a revolutionary difference a way of

making community for the benefit of all It is the kingdom

community of ldquolove your neighbor as yourself rdquo and ldquodo to others

as you would have them do to yourdquo of those who acknowledge

that ldquothose who take the sword will perish by the swordrdquo

One of the problems of sharing the gospel message is the church

too often embraces the ldquoConstantinian Compromiserdquo (the com-

promise that the church makes to become acceptable to the

empiremdashin the first case the Roman Empire) It is nice to be liked

to be acceptable within a community It is attractive to be accepted

by those in power but we must never lose our prophetic role We

must ldquoendeavor to establish equalityrdquo (quoting the tenth oath of

Ambedkar)mdashour call is to speak truth to power We must neverlose the double-edged sword of the gospel or the power of Godrsquos

revolution of love which is a direct challenge to the way of empire

B B

Te words justice and peace often go together but sometimes

people try to reach peace before there is justice or even recon-

ciliation before there is justice Te temptation to be ldquoeven-handedrdquo or ldquobalancedrdquo is another danger Tese terms are used

when we would prefer to endorse the status quo Isaiah

instructs us about bringing justice

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24 O

Every valley shall be lifted up

and every mountain and hill be made low

the uneven ground shall become level

and the rough places a plain

Injustice is badly imbalanced and so unless we lift up those who

are oppressed dominated and forgotten and challenge those

who are dominating there will be no equality or justice Tere

has to be a change of balancemdasha change of power I am reminded

of the words often attributed to Martin Luther King Jr ldquoNo one

is free until all are freerdquo and this is why the struggle for justice is

so worthwhile

N D V O G

Lukersquos Gospel reveals something important about the attitude

of God in Jesusrsquo character When Jesus first talks about his min-istry in Nazareth (Luke -) he says

Te Spirit of the Lord is upon me

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind

to let the oppressed go free

to proclaim the year of the Lordrsquos favor

Jesus is quoting here from Isaiah - It is a very close quote

except he leaves out the words about ldquothe day of vengeance of

our Godrdquo which is interesting Te theology that becomes a re-

ality in Bethlehem the revolution that comes to Bethlehem is

not a revolution of vengeance but one that seems to suggest that

a permanent year of jubileemdashldquothe year of the Lordrsquos favorrdquomdashwill

come when justice is brought to people

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God Loves Justice 25

So Jesus sees himself as bringing a revolution of justice as

was foreseen in Isaiah

For a child has been born for us

a son given to us

authority rests upon his shoulders

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor Mighty God

Everlasting Father Prince of Peace

We often forget when we think about the birth of Jesus that

he was soon a refugee his family fleeing for their lives We live

in a world where because of the imbalance of resources people

often have to flee either for economic reasons or because of

conflict And yet many times people are not welcomed by com-

munities that have more resources But ldquoGod with usrdquo whom we

meet in the Bethlehem story is God of the refugee God of theasylum seeker God of the oppressed God of the poor and God

of nonviolencemdashGod of a revolution of love

In Colossians - we are challenged to clothe ourselves

with ldquocompassion kindness humility meekness and patiencerdquo to

ldquobear with one anotherrdquo to forgive and ldquoabove all to clothe our-

selves with love which binds everything together in perfect

harmony And let the peace of Christ rule in our heartsrdquo and with

gratitude ldquosing psalms hymns and spiritual songs to Godrdquo Tese

words are much tougher to do than they might appear Tey are

powerful and even painful words What does it mean to be

humble and meek and to have the patience that will change this

world What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in our

hearts What does it mean to clothe ourselves with loveAt the very least it means to embrace and live by the words

that echo from the beginning of the Bible that every human

being is made in the ldquoimage of Godrdquomdashwe are all equalmdashin Christ

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26 O

the barriers come down It means journeying the way of Jesus

which we see reflected in Colossians and also in the Sermon

on the Mount

Te wonderful challenge of the Sermon on the Mount and

Colossians is to be peacemakers to bring wholeness into a

broken and unjust community to echo the prophets of old to

do justice to show mercy and walk humbly with God Humility

itself is so important because it refuses to dominate it refuses

to colonize it sees everyone through the eyes of God When wefail to do that we deny the gospel We deny the tremendous

message of the incarnation which started in such a humble but

powerful way in Bethlehem in the end people will not walk our

way unless they see the power of this humble just faithmdasha faith

that includes everyone and treats everyone equally

We are called to be a community that brings down the moun-

tains of oppression and lifts up the valleys of justice and right-

eousness so the pathways are made straightmdashas Martin Luther

King Jr was so fond of quoting from Isaiah

Micah talks of doing justice showing mercy and walking

humbly with Godmdashthis relates to the passage in Colossians

where we are called to clothe ourselves with compassion to bear

with one another to forgive and above all to clothe ourselveswith love Tis is the lifestyle of justicemdasha lifestyle of mercy

peacemaking and loving our neighbor as ourself

HE BROKE THE RULES AND BROUGHT THE REVOLUTION

What a wonderful moment when Jesus

reached through the divisions that hold people back

Jesus affirmed the woman at the well in

a world that would not treat women as equal

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God Loves Justice 27

He touched the ldquountouchablerdquomdashreached out to the outcast

broke through the barriers of racism of

class of gender and of caste

Tis prophet was the great rule breaker

He broke the rules that bind people and hold them back

May we courageously follow this example

and exclude no one and welcome all

May our churches be communities that

welcome all and may we understand the

deep joy of a gospel that nails our

prejudices and human divisions to a cross of shame

and awakens us to a resurrection of community love equality and joy

Q R D

1 If you were asked what you think ldquoGodrsquos calling cardrdquo would

look like what would you say In what ways is ldquojusticerdquo a

better answer

2 In what ways can faith or religion oppress How can it lib-

erate in a practical way

3 What are the implications of saying that the word ldquoright-

eousnessrdquo would be better translated ldquojusticerdquo

4 What does the author mean when he says ldquoIt is nice to be

liked to be acceptable within a community It is attractive tobe accepted by those in power but we must never lose our

prophetic rolerdquo What danger is he warning the church or

Christians about

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28 O

5 Te author says ldquoWe are all equalmdashin Christ the barriers

come downrdquo What barriers come down because of Christ

6 Do you find it challenging to realize that theology has been

ldquosomething we export from universities in the Westrdquo rather

than letting ldquotheology express itself in the context where

people liverdquomdasheven though most of the worldrsquos Christians are

not within a Western culture What do you think this means

What can Western Christians learn from other cultures

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Preface 11

Writing books can be quite unsociable so much love and

special thanks as always to my wife Gill for support much tol-

erance and many good ideas

Bethlehem is surrounded by a wall that reaches twenty-five

feet high And yet once behind the wall you find that God is al-

ready present theremdashalready present everywhere there are the

oppressed or forgotten God is present often in secret amongDalits in India among street children and the rural poor

among refugees running from conflict among asylum seekers

among victims of various kinds of discrimination and marginal-

ization among women and girls seeking basic human rights

among those struggling to make a living in economies domi-

nated by the one percentmdashand the list could go on Te con-

spiracy of love born in Bethlehem makes itself known in theseplaces and among these communities and so when we go to

meet them and stand with them we find that God is already

there waiting for us to join them

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httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 924

1

GOD LOVES JUSTICE

Justice is Godrsquos calling card that

introduces the Kingdom of God

JOEL EDWARDS

International Director

for Micah Challenge

JUSTICE LIKE A RIVER

Justice like a river Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Good news for the poor

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Like a never failing stream

Of justice and of peace

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Letrsquos unite under one tree

Under the branches of the olive tree

Letrsquos unite under one tree

Under the shadow of a tree of life

Mercy flowing strongly Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Healing love and peace

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

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14 O

Strength for the struggles

Dignity for all

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

One Sunday afternoon when I was sixteen I went to hear

Martin Luther King Jr speak in St Paulrsquos Cathedral London on

his way to Oslo to pick up the Nobel Peace Prize It had a huge

impact on me and helped me to better understand the justice of

the gospel and the importance of affirming all people equally

Civil rights and human rights are crucial bases for our society

and we find them rooted in the Bible

I remember what a profound effect this had on me becauseof Kingrsquos very complete presentation of the gospel His sermon

was on the subject of right relationships and his text was Reve-

lation ldquothe length and the breadth and the height of it

are equalrdquo () words from Johnrsquos vision that refer to the new

Jerusalem King said that the new city God was building would

not be an unbalanced entity with caring virtues on one side

and degrading vices on the other Te most noble thing aboutit would be its completeness whereas the troubles of our

world are due to incompleteness He said the length of some-

onersquos life is his or her self-understanding and the discovery of

self-fulfillment

Te second dimension he said is the breadth which is the

concern for and identification with onersquos fellow human the rec-

ognition of the oneness of humanity and the need for active

brotherly concern for the welfare of others

Te third dimension is height King said that humans must

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1124

God Loves Justice 15

actively seek God We were made for God and we will be restless

until we find rest in God

He ended up by saying ldquoLove yourself if that means healthy

self-interest this is the length of life Love your neighbor as we

are commanded to do this is the breadth of life And the greatest

commandment lsquoLove the Lord your God with all your heart

with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your

strengthrsquo this is the height of liferdquo1

It seemed to me then and it still seems to me now to be a very complete presentation Ever since then it has affected my

thinking my reading of the Bible my understanding of the

gospelrsquos commitment to justice and hopefully the way I live

I am only yards from where I heard and saw Martin Luther

King Jr as I write this book in my studio right by St Paulrsquos

Cathedral Tis book is an attempt to reflect how I have tried

to live out what I heard that day and particularly the justice

that was at its heart

T W S G

I think there are two ways to look at God One is something I

have reflected in a morning prayer that has turned into a song

called ldquoGod with Sleeves Rolled Uprdquo Later we will see the otherwaymdashas God who stands with us

GOD WITH SLEEVES ROLLED UP

God with sleeves rolled up

God in the noise and the rush

God most clearly in the pauseGive us the strength for today

And the courage for what must be done

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1224

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1324

God Loves Justice 17

Te God who sweats in the street

Te God with the weathered face

Tatrsquos why I can talk to you

Te language my own people talk

Because God you are the laborer God

Te worker Christ

Hand in hand you walk with my people

you struggle in the fields and the city

And from the Sanctus

You are three times holy

you are three times just

Free us from the yoke

And give us liberty2

Tis Nicaraguan Mass reflects a God who understandsstruggles the God of justice But it doesnrsquot lose the poetic and

creative understanding of God As the creed recited during the

mass says

I firmly believe Lord

that from your fertile thought

this whole world was bornthat from your artistrsquos hand

like a primativist painter

all beauty flourished

the stars and the moon

the little houses lagoons

the little boats floating

down the river to the seathe immense coffee plantations

the white cotton fields

and the forests mutilated

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1424

18 O

by the criminal axe

In you I trust

Maker of thought and music

Maker of the wind

Maker of peace and love

And this reminds me of that other aspect of Godmdashthe God who

stands with us

THE GOD WHO DANCES

Henri Matisse is rumored to have said

Tat hersquod only believe in a God

Who understood how to dance

I believe you are the God of dance

You are the God who moves in creation

You are interwoven throughout evolution

You are the God who dances at dawn

You are the sparkle of light

You are the rhythm of life

Moving in mysterious ways

I feel you dancing on the earth

I sense your whisper in the trees

I breathe your spirit on the wind

You are the rhythm of life

Moving in mysterious ways

But always dancing

You are the God who dances

Te ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo challenges us to do the

samemdashto be the hands and feet of Jesus and make the com-

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1524

God Loves Justice 19

munity of God visible But God is also the God who is always

beside us the God who suffers with us the God who restores

our hope Tis is the God who gives us courage to be prophetic

when we donrsquot want to be

Tis is also ldquothe God who dancesrdquo the God who is interwoven

throughout evolution the God who dances at dawn and gives

us hope for the new day Tis is the God who inspires our cre-

ativity our passion for justice and our joy as the values of the

kingdomcommunity become visible and as the poor and op-pressed are treated with dignity

J I R

In I founded the Amos rust a small creative Christian

human rights agency that works with vibrant grassroots partners

around the world One of those Gustavo Parajon (ndash)

was a great friend and inspiration to me and a key mentor to us

in Amos rust A doctor pastor and peacemaker in Nicaragua

Gustavo said

Te Christian faith impels us to seek justice We see this

especially in Jesusrsquo ministry and in the message of the

prophets and so it is very clear that God loves justice It

is an integral part of the gospel Tis is what Jesus didmdashministering to the people that were marginalized and

oppressedmdashministering to the people that didnrsquot count

in his time3

We need a living theology like this that changes usmdasha justice

theology rooted in the way and teachings of Jesus and in the

Hebrew prophets Justice is mentioned more times in the Biblethan we often realizemdashit just gets clouded by the way it is trans-

lated Canon Naim Ateek (Palestinian Israeli theologian from

East Jerusalem and director of the Sabeel Teology Group) has

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1624

20 O

pointed out how the word righteousness in the Bible would be

better translated justice in many instances both in the Hebrew

Scriptures and the New estament We usually understand the

word righteousness as having an individual personal aspect

whereas the meaning is social and political not only personal It

identifies how we should live and care for one another in society

Tis is highly significant perhaps the key point for helping us

understand the way of Jesus and the kingdom of God So when

we then think about the words from the Sermon on the MountldquoBlessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice for they will

be filledrdquo the use of justice adds a different understanding and

challengemdashit sets those words alight

Matthew is equally powerful ldquoBlessed are those who are

persecuted for justice sakerdquo And then in Matthew ldquoUnless

your justice exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees you will

never enter the kingdom of heavenrdquo and further on in Matthew

ldquobut strive first for the kingdom of God and Godrsquos justicerdquo

Tis is a hugely important point because many of us are used

to interpreting righteousness in a purely personal way As we fail

to see the breadth of the challenge of justice we are missing the

message at the heart of the gospel Seeking Godrsquos justice and

living the way of Godrsquos justice is what the Christian communityand the Christian way is all about

T T L

I first heard the term folk theologian at the Dalit Resource Centre

at amil Nadu Teological Seminary in Madurai India Dalits

are those formerly called ldquooutcastesrdquo and ldquountouchablerdquo and

have no social status But these people have embraced the nameldquoDalitrdquo which means the ldquocrushedrdquo or ldquooppressedrdquo Over

million Dalits now struggle for equality dignity and human

rights I rather like the term folk theologian Often when we talk

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1724

God Loves Justice 21

about theology we are referring to it in an academic sense and

yet I believe there is a theology that is more grassroots that is

the theology of ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo It is the theology of

action or praxis theology that combines reflection and action

lived and expressed in the life of the community

Tis turns theology on its head instead of being something

we export from universities in the West we now let theology

express itself in the context where people live So we hear from

the poor and the marginalized we hear the gospel through theirwords and lives and there is something true to the incarnation

of Christ in their situation

Te term folk theologian reminds us that our theology should

not just be from books or an academic context but also learned

from people struggling with oppression Faith or religion too

can oppress But it also has the ability to liberatemdashif it listens

A H A E

A couple of years ago on Christmas Eve I was in India and stood

at a Buddhist meditative center dedicated to Dr B R Ambedkar

Ambedkar was a most significant player in Indian politics a

Dalit who rose up to become the chair of those who put to-

gether the Indian constitution Te center is opposite the ajMahal over the Yamuna River On the wall outside are the

words that Ambedkar wrote to explain his reasons for con-

version from Hinduism to Buddhism It is couched in the shape

of twenty-two oaths he took and he starts off by saying ldquoBy

discarding my ancient religion which stood for inequality and

oppression today I am reborn Buddhism is a true religion and

I will lead a life guided by the three principles of knowledgeright path and compassionrdquo

Ambedkar converted with hundreds of thousands of other

so-called untouchables to get away from the Varna system

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1824

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1924

God Loves Justice 23

and sometimes it helps us understand it better if we move away

from the word kingdom and perhaps think of the community of

God a community that is underpinned not only by the lifestyle

of Jesus but also by the teachings of Jesus and especially the

teachings of the Sermon on the Mount But ldquocommunity of Godrdquo

loses the political emphasis of the ldquokingdom of Godrdquo a delib-

erate use of words by Jesus that go up against the rulers of the

time Kingdom of God challenges rulers dictators empires and

kingdoms because it is suggesting a style of community and astyle of values that brings a revolutionary difference a way of

making community for the benefit of all It is the kingdom

community of ldquolove your neighbor as yourself rdquo and ldquodo to others

as you would have them do to yourdquo of those who acknowledge

that ldquothose who take the sword will perish by the swordrdquo

One of the problems of sharing the gospel message is the church

too often embraces the ldquoConstantinian Compromiserdquo (the com-

promise that the church makes to become acceptable to the

empiremdashin the first case the Roman Empire) It is nice to be liked

to be acceptable within a community It is attractive to be accepted

by those in power but we must never lose our prophetic role We

must ldquoendeavor to establish equalityrdquo (quoting the tenth oath of

Ambedkar)mdashour call is to speak truth to power We must neverlose the double-edged sword of the gospel or the power of Godrsquos

revolution of love which is a direct challenge to the way of empire

B B

Te words justice and peace often go together but sometimes

people try to reach peace before there is justice or even recon-

ciliation before there is justice Te temptation to be ldquoeven-handedrdquo or ldquobalancedrdquo is another danger Tese terms are used

when we would prefer to endorse the status quo Isaiah

instructs us about bringing justice

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2024

24 O

Every valley shall be lifted up

and every mountain and hill be made low

the uneven ground shall become level

and the rough places a plain

Injustice is badly imbalanced and so unless we lift up those who

are oppressed dominated and forgotten and challenge those

who are dominating there will be no equality or justice Tere

has to be a change of balancemdasha change of power I am reminded

of the words often attributed to Martin Luther King Jr ldquoNo one

is free until all are freerdquo and this is why the struggle for justice is

so worthwhile

N D V O G

Lukersquos Gospel reveals something important about the attitude

of God in Jesusrsquo character When Jesus first talks about his min-istry in Nazareth (Luke -) he says

Te Spirit of the Lord is upon me

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind

to let the oppressed go free

to proclaim the year of the Lordrsquos favor

Jesus is quoting here from Isaiah - It is a very close quote

except he leaves out the words about ldquothe day of vengeance of

our Godrdquo which is interesting Te theology that becomes a re-

ality in Bethlehem the revolution that comes to Bethlehem is

not a revolution of vengeance but one that seems to suggest that

a permanent year of jubileemdashldquothe year of the Lordrsquos favorrdquomdashwill

come when justice is brought to people

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8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2124

God Loves Justice 25

So Jesus sees himself as bringing a revolution of justice as

was foreseen in Isaiah

For a child has been born for us

a son given to us

authority rests upon his shoulders

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor Mighty God

Everlasting Father Prince of Peace

We often forget when we think about the birth of Jesus that

he was soon a refugee his family fleeing for their lives We live

in a world where because of the imbalance of resources people

often have to flee either for economic reasons or because of

conflict And yet many times people are not welcomed by com-

munities that have more resources But ldquoGod with usrdquo whom we

meet in the Bethlehem story is God of the refugee God of theasylum seeker God of the oppressed God of the poor and God

of nonviolencemdashGod of a revolution of love

In Colossians - we are challenged to clothe ourselves

with ldquocompassion kindness humility meekness and patiencerdquo to

ldquobear with one anotherrdquo to forgive and ldquoabove all to clothe our-

selves with love which binds everything together in perfect

harmony And let the peace of Christ rule in our heartsrdquo and with

gratitude ldquosing psalms hymns and spiritual songs to Godrdquo Tese

words are much tougher to do than they might appear Tey are

powerful and even painful words What does it mean to be

humble and meek and to have the patience that will change this

world What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in our

hearts What does it mean to clothe ourselves with loveAt the very least it means to embrace and live by the words

that echo from the beginning of the Bible that every human

being is made in the ldquoimage of Godrdquomdashwe are all equalmdashin Christ

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2224

26 O

the barriers come down It means journeying the way of Jesus

which we see reflected in Colossians and also in the Sermon

on the Mount

Te wonderful challenge of the Sermon on the Mount and

Colossians is to be peacemakers to bring wholeness into a

broken and unjust community to echo the prophets of old to

do justice to show mercy and walk humbly with God Humility

itself is so important because it refuses to dominate it refuses

to colonize it sees everyone through the eyes of God When wefail to do that we deny the gospel We deny the tremendous

message of the incarnation which started in such a humble but

powerful way in Bethlehem in the end people will not walk our

way unless they see the power of this humble just faithmdasha faith

that includes everyone and treats everyone equally

We are called to be a community that brings down the moun-

tains of oppression and lifts up the valleys of justice and right-

eousness so the pathways are made straightmdashas Martin Luther

King Jr was so fond of quoting from Isaiah

Micah talks of doing justice showing mercy and walking

humbly with Godmdashthis relates to the passage in Colossians

where we are called to clothe ourselves with compassion to bear

with one another to forgive and above all to clothe ourselveswith love Tis is the lifestyle of justicemdasha lifestyle of mercy

peacemaking and loving our neighbor as ourself

HE BROKE THE RULES AND BROUGHT THE REVOLUTION

What a wonderful moment when Jesus

reached through the divisions that hold people back

Jesus affirmed the woman at the well in

a world that would not treat women as equal

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8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2324

God Loves Justice 27

He touched the ldquountouchablerdquomdashreached out to the outcast

broke through the barriers of racism of

class of gender and of caste

Tis prophet was the great rule breaker

He broke the rules that bind people and hold them back

May we courageously follow this example

and exclude no one and welcome all

May our churches be communities that

welcome all and may we understand the

deep joy of a gospel that nails our

prejudices and human divisions to a cross of shame

and awakens us to a resurrection of community love equality and joy

Q R D

1 If you were asked what you think ldquoGodrsquos calling cardrdquo would

look like what would you say In what ways is ldquojusticerdquo a

better answer

2 In what ways can faith or religion oppress How can it lib-

erate in a practical way

3 What are the implications of saying that the word ldquoright-

eousnessrdquo would be better translated ldquojusticerdquo

4 What does the author mean when he says ldquoIt is nice to be

liked to be acceptable within a community It is attractive tobe accepted by those in power but we must never lose our

prophetic rolerdquo What danger is he warning the church or

Christians about

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8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

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28 O

5 Te author says ldquoWe are all equalmdashin Christ the barriers

come downrdquo What barriers come down because of Christ

6 Do you find it challenging to realize that theology has been

ldquosomething we export from universities in the Westrdquo rather

than letting ldquotheology express itself in the context where

people liverdquomdasheven though most of the worldrsquos Christians are

not within a Western culture What do you think this means

What can Western Christians learn from other cultures

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8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 924

1

GOD LOVES JUSTICE

Justice is Godrsquos calling card that

introduces the Kingdom of God

JOEL EDWARDS

International Director

for Micah Challenge

JUSTICE LIKE A RIVER

Justice like a river Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Good news for the poor

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Like a never failing stream

Of justice and of peace

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Letrsquos unite under one tree

Under the branches of the olive tree

Letrsquos unite under one tree

Under the shadow of a tree of life

Mercy flowing strongly Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Healing love and peace

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

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14 O

Strength for the struggles

Dignity for all

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

One Sunday afternoon when I was sixteen I went to hear

Martin Luther King Jr speak in St Paulrsquos Cathedral London on

his way to Oslo to pick up the Nobel Peace Prize It had a huge

impact on me and helped me to better understand the justice of

the gospel and the importance of affirming all people equally

Civil rights and human rights are crucial bases for our society

and we find them rooted in the Bible

I remember what a profound effect this had on me becauseof Kingrsquos very complete presentation of the gospel His sermon

was on the subject of right relationships and his text was Reve-

lation ldquothe length and the breadth and the height of it

are equalrdquo () words from Johnrsquos vision that refer to the new

Jerusalem King said that the new city God was building would

not be an unbalanced entity with caring virtues on one side

and degrading vices on the other Te most noble thing aboutit would be its completeness whereas the troubles of our

world are due to incompleteness He said the length of some-

onersquos life is his or her self-understanding and the discovery of

self-fulfillment

Te second dimension he said is the breadth which is the

concern for and identification with onersquos fellow human the rec-

ognition of the oneness of humanity and the need for active

brotherly concern for the welfare of others

Te third dimension is height King said that humans must

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God Loves Justice 15

actively seek God We were made for God and we will be restless

until we find rest in God

He ended up by saying ldquoLove yourself if that means healthy

self-interest this is the length of life Love your neighbor as we

are commanded to do this is the breadth of life And the greatest

commandment lsquoLove the Lord your God with all your heart

with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your

strengthrsquo this is the height of liferdquo1

It seemed to me then and it still seems to me now to be a very complete presentation Ever since then it has affected my

thinking my reading of the Bible my understanding of the

gospelrsquos commitment to justice and hopefully the way I live

I am only yards from where I heard and saw Martin Luther

King Jr as I write this book in my studio right by St Paulrsquos

Cathedral Tis book is an attempt to reflect how I have tried

to live out what I heard that day and particularly the justice

that was at its heart

T W S G

I think there are two ways to look at God One is something I

have reflected in a morning prayer that has turned into a song

called ldquoGod with Sleeves Rolled Uprdquo Later we will see the otherwaymdashas God who stands with us

GOD WITH SLEEVES ROLLED UP

God with sleeves rolled up

God in the noise and the rush

God most clearly in the pauseGive us the strength for today

And the courage for what must be done

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8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1324

God Loves Justice 17

Te God who sweats in the street

Te God with the weathered face

Tatrsquos why I can talk to you

Te language my own people talk

Because God you are the laborer God

Te worker Christ

Hand in hand you walk with my people

you struggle in the fields and the city

And from the Sanctus

You are three times holy

you are three times just

Free us from the yoke

And give us liberty2

Tis Nicaraguan Mass reflects a God who understandsstruggles the God of justice But it doesnrsquot lose the poetic and

creative understanding of God As the creed recited during the

mass says

I firmly believe Lord

that from your fertile thought

this whole world was bornthat from your artistrsquos hand

like a primativist painter

all beauty flourished

the stars and the moon

the little houses lagoons

the little boats floating

down the river to the seathe immense coffee plantations

the white cotton fields

and the forests mutilated

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8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

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18 O

by the criminal axe

In you I trust

Maker of thought and music

Maker of the wind

Maker of peace and love

And this reminds me of that other aspect of Godmdashthe God who

stands with us

THE GOD WHO DANCES

Henri Matisse is rumored to have said

Tat hersquod only believe in a God

Who understood how to dance

I believe you are the God of dance

You are the God who moves in creation

You are interwoven throughout evolution

You are the God who dances at dawn

You are the sparkle of light

You are the rhythm of life

Moving in mysterious ways

I feel you dancing on the earth

I sense your whisper in the trees

I breathe your spirit on the wind

You are the rhythm of life

Moving in mysterious ways

But always dancing

You are the God who dances

Te ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo challenges us to do the

samemdashto be the hands and feet of Jesus and make the com-

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8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1524

God Loves Justice 19

munity of God visible But God is also the God who is always

beside us the God who suffers with us the God who restores

our hope Tis is the God who gives us courage to be prophetic

when we donrsquot want to be

Tis is also ldquothe God who dancesrdquo the God who is interwoven

throughout evolution the God who dances at dawn and gives

us hope for the new day Tis is the God who inspires our cre-

ativity our passion for justice and our joy as the values of the

kingdomcommunity become visible and as the poor and op-pressed are treated with dignity

J I R

In I founded the Amos rust a small creative Christian

human rights agency that works with vibrant grassroots partners

around the world One of those Gustavo Parajon (ndash)

was a great friend and inspiration to me and a key mentor to us

in Amos rust A doctor pastor and peacemaker in Nicaragua

Gustavo said

Te Christian faith impels us to seek justice We see this

especially in Jesusrsquo ministry and in the message of the

prophets and so it is very clear that God loves justice It

is an integral part of the gospel Tis is what Jesus didmdashministering to the people that were marginalized and

oppressedmdashministering to the people that didnrsquot count

in his time3

We need a living theology like this that changes usmdasha justice

theology rooted in the way and teachings of Jesus and in the

Hebrew prophets Justice is mentioned more times in the Biblethan we often realizemdashit just gets clouded by the way it is trans-

lated Canon Naim Ateek (Palestinian Israeli theologian from

East Jerusalem and director of the Sabeel Teology Group) has

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1624

20 O

pointed out how the word righteousness in the Bible would be

better translated justice in many instances both in the Hebrew

Scriptures and the New estament We usually understand the

word righteousness as having an individual personal aspect

whereas the meaning is social and political not only personal It

identifies how we should live and care for one another in society

Tis is highly significant perhaps the key point for helping us

understand the way of Jesus and the kingdom of God So when

we then think about the words from the Sermon on the MountldquoBlessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice for they will

be filledrdquo the use of justice adds a different understanding and

challengemdashit sets those words alight

Matthew is equally powerful ldquoBlessed are those who are

persecuted for justice sakerdquo And then in Matthew ldquoUnless

your justice exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees you will

never enter the kingdom of heavenrdquo and further on in Matthew

ldquobut strive first for the kingdom of God and Godrsquos justicerdquo

Tis is a hugely important point because many of us are used

to interpreting righteousness in a purely personal way As we fail

to see the breadth of the challenge of justice we are missing the

message at the heart of the gospel Seeking Godrsquos justice and

living the way of Godrsquos justice is what the Christian communityand the Christian way is all about

T T L

I first heard the term folk theologian at the Dalit Resource Centre

at amil Nadu Teological Seminary in Madurai India Dalits

are those formerly called ldquooutcastesrdquo and ldquountouchablerdquo and

have no social status But these people have embraced the nameldquoDalitrdquo which means the ldquocrushedrdquo or ldquooppressedrdquo Over

million Dalits now struggle for equality dignity and human

rights I rather like the term folk theologian Often when we talk

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1724

God Loves Justice 21

about theology we are referring to it in an academic sense and

yet I believe there is a theology that is more grassroots that is

the theology of ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo It is the theology of

action or praxis theology that combines reflection and action

lived and expressed in the life of the community

Tis turns theology on its head instead of being something

we export from universities in the West we now let theology

express itself in the context where people live So we hear from

the poor and the marginalized we hear the gospel through theirwords and lives and there is something true to the incarnation

of Christ in their situation

Te term folk theologian reminds us that our theology should

not just be from books or an academic context but also learned

from people struggling with oppression Faith or religion too

can oppress But it also has the ability to liberatemdashif it listens

A H A E

A couple of years ago on Christmas Eve I was in India and stood

at a Buddhist meditative center dedicated to Dr B R Ambedkar

Ambedkar was a most significant player in Indian politics a

Dalit who rose up to become the chair of those who put to-

gether the Indian constitution Te center is opposite the ajMahal over the Yamuna River On the wall outside are the

words that Ambedkar wrote to explain his reasons for con-

version from Hinduism to Buddhism It is couched in the shape

of twenty-two oaths he took and he starts off by saying ldquoBy

discarding my ancient religion which stood for inequality and

oppression today I am reborn Buddhism is a true religion and

I will lead a life guided by the three principles of knowledgeright path and compassionrdquo

Ambedkar converted with hundreds of thousands of other

so-called untouchables to get away from the Varna system

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1824

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1924

God Loves Justice 23

and sometimes it helps us understand it better if we move away

from the word kingdom and perhaps think of the community of

God a community that is underpinned not only by the lifestyle

of Jesus but also by the teachings of Jesus and especially the

teachings of the Sermon on the Mount But ldquocommunity of Godrdquo

loses the political emphasis of the ldquokingdom of Godrdquo a delib-

erate use of words by Jesus that go up against the rulers of the

time Kingdom of God challenges rulers dictators empires and

kingdoms because it is suggesting a style of community and astyle of values that brings a revolutionary difference a way of

making community for the benefit of all It is the kingdom

community of ldquolove your neighbor as yourself rdquo and ldquodo to others

as you would have them do to yourdquo of those who acknowledge

that ldquothose who take the sword will perish by the swordrdquo

One of the problems of sharing the gospel message is the church

too often embraces the ldquoConstantinian Compromiserdquo (the com-

promise that the church makes to become acceptable to the

empiremdashin the first case the Roman Empire) It is nice to be liked

to be acceptable within a community It is attractive to be accepted

by those in power but we must never lose our prophetic role We

must ldquoendeavor to establish equalityrdquo (quoting the tenth oath of

Ambedkar)mdashour call is to speak truth to power We must neverlose the double-edged sword of the gospel or the power of Godrsquos

revolution of love which is a direct challenge to the way of empire

B B

Te words justice and peace often go together but sometimes

people try to reach peace before there is justice or even recon-

ciliation before there is justice Te temptation to be ldquoeven-handedrdquo or ldquobalancedrdquo is another danger Tese terms are used

when we would prefer to endorse the status quo Isaiah

instructs us about bringing justice

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2024

24 O

Every valley shall be lifted up

and every mountain and hill be made low

the uneven ground shall become level

and the rough places a plain

Injustice is badly imbalanced and so unless we lift up those who

are oppressed dominated and forgotten and challenge those

who are dominating there will be no equality or justice Tere

has to be a change of balancemdasha change of power I am reminded

of the words often attributed to Martin Luther King Jr ldquoNo one

is free until all are freerdquo and this is why the struggle for justice is

so worthwhile

N D V O G

Lukersquos Gospel reveals something important about the attitude

of God in Jesusrsquo character When Jesus first talks about his min-istry in Nazareth (Luke -) he says

Te Spirit of the Lord is upon me

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind

to let the oppressed go free

to proclaim the year of the Lordrsquos favor

Jesus is quoting here from Isaiah - It is a very close quote

except he leaves out the words about ldquothe day of vengeance of

our Godrdquo which is interesting Te theology that becomes a re-

ality in Bethlehem the revolution that comes to Bethlehem is

not a revolution of vengeance but one that seems to suggest that

a permanent year of jubileemdashldquothe year of the Lordrsquos favorrdquomdashwill

come when justice is brought to people

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2124

God Loves Justice 25

So Jesus sees himself as bringing a revolution of justice as

was foreseen in Isaiah

For a child has been born for us

a son given to us

authority rests upon his shoulders

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor Mighty God

Everlasting Father Prince of Peace

We often forget when we think about the birth of Jesus that

he was soon a refugee his family fleeing for their lives We live

in a world where because of the imbalance of resources people

often have to flee either for economic reasons or because of

conflict And yet many times people are not welcomed by com-

munities that have more resources But ldquoGod with usrdquo whom we

meet in the Bethlehem story is God of the refugee God of theasylum seeker God of the oppressed God of the poor and God

of nonviolencemdashGod of a revolution of love

In Colossians - we are challenged to clothe ourselves

with ldquocompassion kindness humility meekness and patiencerdquo to

ldquobear with one anotherrdquo to forgive and ldquoabove all to clothe our-

selves with love which binds everything together in perfect

harmony And let the peace of Christ rule in our heartsrdquo and with

gratitude ldquosing psalms hymns and spiritual songs to Godrdquo Tese

words are much tougher to do than they might appear Tey are

powerful and even painful words What does it mean to be

humble and meek and to have the patience that will change this

world What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in our

hearts What does it mean to clothe ourselves with loveAt the very least it means to embrace and live by the words

that echo from the beginning of the Bible that every human

being is made in the ldquoimage of Godrdquomdashwe are all equalmdashin Christ

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2224

26 O

the barriers come down It means journeying the way of Jesus

which we see reflected in Colossians and also in the Sermon

on the Mount

Te wonderful challenge of the Sermon on the Mount and

Colossians is to be peacemakers to bring wholeness into a

broken and unjust community to echo the prophets of old to

do justice to show mercy and walk humbly with God Humility

itself is so important because it refuses to dominate it refuses

to colonize it sees everyone through the eyes of God When wefail to do that we deny the gospel We deny the tremendous

message of the incarnation which started in such a humble but

powerful way in Bethlehem in the end people will not walk our

way unless they see the power of this humble just faithmdasha faith

that includes everyone and treats everyone equally

We are called to be a community that brings down the moun-

tains of oppression and lifts up the valleys of justice and right-

eousness so the pathways are made straightmdashas Martin Luther

King Jr was so fond of quoting from Isaiah

Micah talks of doing justice showing mercy and walking

humbly with Godmdashthis relates to the passage in Colossians

where we are called to clothe ourselves with compassion to bear

with one another to forgive and above all to clothe ourselveswith love Tis is the lifestyle of justicemdasha lifestyle of mercy

peacemaking and loving our neighbor as ourself

HE BROKE THE RULES AND BROUGHT THE REVOLUTION

What a wonderful moment when Jesus

reached through the divisions that hold people back

Jesus affirmed the woman at the well in

a world that would not treat women as equal

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8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2324

God Loves Justice 27

He touched the ldquountouchablerdquomdashreached out to the outcast

broke through the barriers of racism of

class of gender and of caste

Tis prophet was the great rule breaker

He broke the rules that bind people and hold them back

May we courageously follow this example

and exclude no one and welcome all

May our churches be communities that

welcome all and may we understand the

deep joy of a gospel that nails our

prejudices and human divisions to a cross of shame

and awakens us to a resurrection of community love equality and joy

Q R D

1 If you were asked what you think ldquoGodrsquos calling cardrdquo would

look like what would you say In what ways is ldquojusticerdquo a

better answer

2 In what ways can faith or religion oppress How can it lib-

erate in a practical way

3 What are the implications of saying that the word ldquoright-

eousnessrdquo would be better translated ldquojusticerdquo

4 What does the author mean when he says ldquoIt is nice to be

liked to be acceptable within a community It is attractive tobe accepted by those in power but we must never lose our

prophetic rolerdquo What danger is he warning the church or

Christians about

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2424

28 O

5 Te author says ldquoWe are all equalmdashin Christ the barriers

come downrdquo What barriers come down because of Christ

6 Do you find it challenging to realize that theology has been

ldquosomething we export from universities in the Westrdquo rather

than letting ldquotheology express itself in the context where

people liverdquomdasheven though most of the worldrsquos Christians are

not within a Western culture What do you think this means

What can Western Christians learn from other cultures

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8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

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14 O

Strength for the struggles

Dignity for all

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

Justice like a river

Let it flowmdashlet it flow

One Sunday afternoon when I was sixteen I went to hear

Martin Luther King Jr speak in St Paulrsquos Cathedral London on

his way to Oslo to pick up the Nobel Peace Prize It had a huge

impact on me and helped me to better understand the justice of

the gospel and the importance of affirming all people equally

Civil rights and human rights are crucial bases for our society

and we find them rooted in the Bible

I remember what a profound effect this had on me becauseof Kingrsquos very complete presentation of the gospel His sermon

was on the subject of right relationships and his text was Reve-

lation ldquothe length and the breadth and the height of it

are equalrdquo () words from Johnrsquos vision that refer to the new

Jerusalem King said that the new city God was building would

not be an unbalanced entity with caring virtues on one side

and degrading vices on the other Te most noble thing aboutit would be its completeness whereas the troubles of our

world are due to incompleteness He said the length of some-

onersquos life is his or her self-understanding and the discovery of

self-fulfillment

Te second dimension he said is the breadth which is the

concern for and identification with onersquos fellow human the rec-

ognition of the oneness of humanity and the need for active

brotherly concern for the welfare of others

Te third dimension is height King said that humans must

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8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1124

God Loves Justice 15

actively seek God We were made for God and we will be restless

until we find rest in God

He ended up by saying ldquoLove yourself if that means healthy

self-interest this is the length of life Love your neighbor as we

are commanded to do this is the breadth of life And the greatest

commandment lsquoLove the Lord your God with all your heart

with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your

strengthrsquo this is the height of liferdquo1

It seemed to me then and it still seems to me now to be a very complete presentation Ever since then it has affected my

thinking my reading of the Bible my understanding of the

gospelrsquos commitment to justice and hopefully the way I live

I am only yards from where I heard and saw Martin Luther

King Jr as I write this book in my studio right by St Paulrsquos

Cathedral Tis book is an attempt to reflect how I have tried

to live out what I heard that day and particularly the justice

that was at its heart

T W S G

I think there are two ways to look at God One is something I

have reflected in a morning prayer that has turned into a song

called ldquoGod with Sleeves Rolled Uprdquo Later we will see the otherwaymdashas God who stands with us

GOD WITH SLEEVES ROLLED UP

God with sleeves rolled up

God in the noise and the rush

God most clearly in the pauseGive us the strength for today

And the courage for what must be done

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1224

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1324

God Loves Justice 17

Te God who sweats in the street

Te God with the weathered face

Tatrsquos why I can talk to you

Te language my own people talk

Because God you are the laborer God

Te worker Christ

Hand in hand you walk with my people

you struggle in the fields and the city

And from the Sanctus

You are three times holy

you are three times just

Free us from the yoke

And give us liberty2

Tis Nicaraguan Mass reflects a God who understandsstruggles the God of justice But it doesnrsquot lose the poetic and

creative understanding of God As the creed recited during the

mass says

I firmly believe Lord

that from your fertile thought

this whole world was bornthat from your artistrsquos hand

like a primativist painter

all beauty flourished

the stars and the moon

the little houses lagoons

the little boats floating

down the river to the seathe immense coffee plantations

the white cotton fields

and the forests mutilated

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1424

18 O

by the criminal axe

In you I trust

Maker of thought and music

Maker of the wind

Maker of peace and love

And this reminds me of that other aspect of Godmdashthe God who

stands with us

THE GOD WHO DANCES

Henri Matisse is rumored to have said

Tat hersquod only believe in a God

Who understood how to dance

I believe you are the God of dance

You are the God who moves in creation

You are interwoven throughout evolution

You are the God who dances at dawn

You are the sparkle of light

You are the rhythm of life

Moving in mysterious ways

I feel you dancing on the earth

I sense your whisper in the trees

I breathe your spirit on the wind

You are the rhythm of life

Moving in mysterious ways

But always dancing

You are the God who dances

Te ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo challenges us to do the

samemdashto be the hands and feet of Jesus and make the com-

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1524

God Loves Justice 19

munity of God visible But God is also the God who is always

beside us the God who suffers with us the God who restores

our hope Tis is the God who gives us courage to be prophetic

when we donrsquot want to be

Tis is also ldquothe God who dancesrdquo the God who is interwoven

throughout evolution the God who dances at dawn and gives

us hope for the new day Tis is the God who inspires our cre-

ativity our passion for justice and our joy as the values of the

kingdomcommunity become visible and as the poor and op-pressed are treated with dignity

J I R

In I founded the Amos rust a small creative Christian

human rights agency that works with vibrant grassroots partners

around the world One of those Gustavo Parajon (ndash)

was a great friend and inspiration to me and a key mentor to us

in Amos rust A doctor pastor and peacemaker in Nicaragua

Gustavo said

Te Christian faith impels us to seek justice We see this

especially in Jesusrsquo ministry and in the message of the

prophets and so it is very clear that God loves justice It

is an integral part of the gospel Tis is what Jesus didmdashministering to the people that were marginalized and

oppressedmdashministering to the people that didnrsquot count

in his time3

We need a living theology like this that changes usmdasha justice

theology rooted in the way and teachings of Jesus and in the

Hebrew prophets Justice is mentioned more times in the Biblethan we often realizemdashit just gets clouded by the way it is trans-

lated Canon Naim Ateek (Palestinian Israeli theologian from

East Jerusalem and director of the Sabeel Teology Group) has

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1624

20 O

pointed out how the word righteousness in the Bible would be

better translated justice in many instances both in the Hebrew

Scriptures and the New estament We usually understand the

word righteousness as having an individual personal aspect

whereas the meaning is social and political not only personal It

identifies how we should live and care for one another in society

Tis is highly significant perhaps the key point for helping us

understand the way of Jesus and the kingdom of God So when

we then think about the words from the Sermon on the MountldquoBlessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice for they will

be filledrdquo the use of justice adds a different understanding and

challengemdashit sets those words alight

Matthew is equally powerful ldquoBlessed are those who are

persecuted for justice sakerdquo And then in Matthew ldquoUnless

your justice exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees you will

never enter the kingdom of heavenrdquo and further on in Matthew

ldquobut strive first for the kingdom of God and Godrsquos justicerdquo

Tis is a hugely important point because many of us are used

to interpreting righteousness in a purely personal way As we fail

to see the breadth of the challenge of justice we are missing the

message at the heart of the gospel Seeking Godrsquos justice and

living the way of Godrsquos justice is what the Christian communityand the Christian way is all about

T T L

I first heard the term folk theologian at the Dalit Resource Centre

at amil Nadu Teological Seminary in Madurai India Dalits

are those formerly called ldquooutcastesrdquo and ldquountouchablerdquo and

have no social status But these people have embraced the nameldquoDalitrdquo which means the ldquocrushedrdquo or ldquooppressedrdquo Over

million Dalits now struggle for equality dignity and human

rights I rather like the term folk theologian Often when we talk

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8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

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God Loves Justice 21

about theology we are referring to it in an academic sense and

yet I believe there is a theology that is more grassroots that is

the theology of ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo It is the theology of

action or praxis theology that combines reflection and action

lived and expressed in the life of the community

Tis turns theology on its head instead of being something

we export from universities in the West we now let theology

express itself in the context where people live So we hear from

the poor and the marginalized we hear the gospel through theirwords and lives and there is something true to the incarnation

of Christ in their situation

Te term folk theologian reminds us that our theology should

not just be from books or an academic context but also learned

from people struggling with oppression Faith or religion too

can oppress But it also has the ability to liberatemdashif it listens

A H A E

A couple of years ago on Christmas Eve I was in India and stood

at a Buddhist meditative center dedicated to Dr B R Ambedkar

Ambedkar was a most significant player in Indian politics a

Dalit who rose up to become the chair of those who put to-

gether the Indian constitution Te center is opposite the ajMahal over the Yamuna River On the wall outside are the

words that Ambedkar wrote to explain his reasons for con-

version from Hinduism to Buddhism It is couched in the shape

of twenty-two oaths he took and he starts off by saying ldquoBy

discarding my ancient religion which stood for inequality and

oppression today I am reborn Buddhism is a true religion and

I will lead a life guided by the three principles of knowledgeright path and compassionrdquo

Ambedkar converted with hundreds of thousands of other

so-called untouchables to get away from the Varna system

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8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

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8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1924

God Loves Justice 23

and sometimes it helps us understand it better if we move away

from the word kingdom and perhaps think of the community of

God a community that is underpinned not only by the lifestyle

of Jesus but also by the teachings of Jesus and especially the

teachings of the Sermon on the Mount But ldquocommunity of Godrdquo

loses the political emphasis of the ldquokingdom of Godrdquo a delib-

erate use of words by Jesus that go up against the rulers of the

time Kingdom of God challenges rulers dictators empires and

kingdoms because it is suggesting a style of community and astyle of values that brings a revolutionary difference a way of

making community for the benefit of all It is the kingdom

community of ldquolove your neighbor as yourself rdquo and ldquodo to others

as you would have them do to yourdquo of those who acknowledge

that ldquothose who take the sword will perish by the swordrdquo

One of the problems of sharing the gospel message is the church

too often embraces the ldquoConstantinian Compromiserdquo (the com-

promise that the church makes to become acceptable to the

empiremdashin the first case the Roman Empire) It is nice to be liked

to be acceptable within a community It is attractive to be accepted

by those in power but we must never lose our prophetic role We

must ldquoendeavor to establish equalityrdquo (quoting the tenth oath of

Ambedkar)mdashour call is to speak truth to power We must neverlose the double-edged sword of the gospel or the power of Godrsquos

revolution of love which is a direct challenge to the way of empire

B B

Te words justice and peace often go together but sometimes

people try to reach peace before there is justice or even recon-

ciliation before there is justice Te temptation to be ldquoeven-handedrdquo or ldquobalancedrdquo is another danger Tese terms are used

when we would prefer to endorse the status quo Isaiah

instructs us about bringing justice

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8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

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24 O

Every valley shall be lifted up

and every mountain and hill be made low

the uneven ground shall become level

and the rough places a plain

Injustice is badly imbalanced and so unless we lift up those who

are oppressed dominated and forgotten and challenge those

who are dominating there will be no equality or justice Tere

has to be a change of balancemdasha change of power I am reminded

of the words often attributed to Martin Luther King Jr ldquoNo one

is free until all are freerdquo and this is why the struggle for justice is

so worthwhile

N D V O G

Lukersquos Gospel reveals something important about the attitude

of God in Jesusrsquo character When Jesus first talks about his min-istry in Nazareth (Luke -) he says

Te Spirit of the Lord is upon me

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind

to let the oppressed go free

to proclaim the year of the Lordrsquos favor

Jesus is quoting here from Isaiah - It is a very close quote

except he leaves out the words about ldquothe day of vengeance of

our Godrdquo which is interesting Te theology that becomes a re-

ality in Bethlehem the revolution that comes to Bethlehem is

not a revolution of vengeance but one that seems to suggest that

a permanent year of jubileemdashldquothe year of the Lordrsquos favorrdquomdashwill

come when justice is brought to people

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8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

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God Loves Justice 25

So Jesus sees himself as bringing a revolution of justice as

was foreseen in Isaiah

For a child has been born for us

a son given to us

authority rests upon his shoulders

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor Mighty God

Everlasting Father Prince of Peace

We often forget when we think about the birth of Jesus that

he was soon a refugee his family fleeing for their lives We live

in a world where because of the imbalance of resources people

often have to flee either for economic reasons or because of

conflict And yet many times people are not welcomed by com-

munities that have more resources But ldquoGod with usrdquo whom we

meet in the Bethlehem story is God of the refugee God of theasylum seeker God of the oppressed God of the poor and God

of nonviolencemdashGod of a revolution of love

In Colossians - we are challenged to clothe ourselves

with ldquocompassion kindness humility meekness and patiencerdquo to

ldquobear with one anotherrdquo to forgive and ldquoabove all to clothe our-

selves with love which binds everything together in perfect

harmony And let the peace of Christ rule in our heartsrdquo and with

gratitude ldquosing psalms hymns and spiritual songs to Godrdquo Tese

words are much tougher to do than they might appear Tey are

powerful and even painful words What does it mean to be

humble and meek and to have the patience that will change this

world What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in our

hearts What does it mean to clothe ourselves with loveAt the very least it means to embrace and live by the words

that echo from the beginning of the Bible that every human

being is made in the ldquoimage of Godrdquomdashwe are all equalmdashin Christ

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26 O

the barriers come down It means journeying the way of Jesus

which we see reflected in Colossians and also in the Sermon

on the Mount

Te wonderful challenge of the Sermon on the Mount and

Colossians is to be peacemakers to bring wholeness into a

broken and unjust community to echo the prophets of old to

do justice to show mercy and walk humbly with God Humility

itself is so important because it refuses to dominate it refuses

to colonize it sees everyone through the eyes of God When wefail to do that we deny the gospel We deny the tremendous

message of the incarnation which started in such a humble but

powerful way in Bethlehem in the end people will not walk our

way unless they see the power of this humble just faithmdasha faith

that includes everyone and treats everyone equally

We are called to be a community that brings down the moun-

tains of oppression and lifts up the valleys of justice and right-

eousness so the pathways are made straightmdashas Martin Luther

King Jr was so fond of quoting from Isaiah

Micah talks of doing justice showing mercy and walking

humbly with Godmdashthis relates to the passage in Colossians

where we are called to clothe ourselves with compassion to bear

with one another to forgive and above all to clothe ourselveswith love Tis is the lifestyle of justicemdasha lifestyle of mercy

peacemaking and loving our neighbor as ourself

HE BROKE THE RULES AND BROUGHT THE REVOLUTION

What a wonderful moment when Jesus

reached through the divisions that hold people back

Jesus affirmed the woman at the well in

a world that would not treat women as equal

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2324

God Loves Justice 27

He touched the ldquountouchablerdquomdashreached out to the outcast

broke through the barriers of racism of

class of gender and of caste

Tis prophet was the great rule breaker

He broke the rules that bind people and hold them back

May we courageously follow this example

and exclude no one and welcome all

May our churches be communities that

welcome all and may we understand the

deep joy of a gospel that nails our

prejudices and human divisions to a cross of shame

and awakens us to a resurrection of community love equality and joy

Q R D

1 If you were asked what you think ldquoGodrsquos calling cardrdquo would

look like what would you say In what ways is ldquojusticerdquo a

better answer

2 In what ways can faith or religion oppress How can it lib-

erate in a practical way

3 What are the implications of saying that the word ldquoright-

eousnessrdquo would be better translated ldquojusticerdquo

4 What does the author mean when he says ldquoIt is nice to be

liked to be acceptable within a community It is attractive tobe accepted by those in power but we must never lose our

prophetic rolerdquo What danger is he warning the church or

Christians about

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2424

28 O

5 Te author says ldquoWe are all equalmdashin Christ the barriers

come downrdquo What barriers come down because of Christ

6 Do you find it challenging to realize that theology has been

ldquosomething we export from universities in the Westrdquo rather

than letting ldquotheology express itself in the context where

people liverdquomdasheven though most of the worldrsquos Christians are

not within a Western culture What do you think this means

What can Western Christians learn from other cultures

Page 11: Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1124

God Loves Justice 15

actively seek God We were made for God and we will be restless

until we find rest in God

He ended up by saying ldquoLove yourself if that means healthy

self-interest this is the length of life Love your neighbor as we

are commanded to do this is the breadth of life And the greatest

commandment lsquoLove the Lord your God with all your heart

with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your

strengthrsquo this is the height of liferdquo1

It seemed to me then and it still seems to me now to be a very complete presentation Ever since then it has affected my

thinking my reading of the Bible my understanding of the

gospelrsquos commitment to justice and hopefully the way I live

I am only yards from where I heard and saw Martin Luther

King Jr as I write this book in my studio right by St Paulrsquos

Cathedral Tis book is an attempt to reflect how I have tried

to live out what I heard that day and particularly the justice

that was at its heart

T W S G

I think there are two ways to look at God One is something I

have reflected in a morning prayer that has turned into a song

called ldquoGod with Sleeves Rolled Uprdquo Later we will see the otherwaymdashas God who stands with us

GOD WITH SLEEVES ROLLED UP

God with sleeves rolled up

God in the noise and the rush

God most clearly in the pauseGive us the strength for today

And the courage for what must be done

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1224

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1324

God Loves Justice 17

Te God who sweats in the street

Te God with the weathered face

Tatrsquos why I can talk to you

Te language my own people talk

Because God you are the laborer God

Te worker Christ

Hand in hand you walk with my people

you struggle in the fields and the city

And from the Sanctus

You are three times holy

you are three times just

Free us from the yoke

And give us liberty2

Tis Nicaraguan Mass reflects a God who understandsstruggles the God of justice But it doesnrsquot lose the poetic and

creative understanding of God As the creed recited during the

mass says

I firmly believe Lord

that from your fertile thought

this whole world was bornthat from your artistrsquos hand

like a primativist painter

all beauty flourished

the stars and the moon

the little houses lagoons

the little boats floating

down the river to the seathe immense coffee plantations

the white cotton fields

and the forests mutilated

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1424

18 O

by the criminal axe

In you I trust

Maker of thought and music

Maker of the wind

Maker of peace and love

And this reminds me of that other aspect of Godmdashthe God who

stands with us

THE GOD WHO DANCES

Henri Matisse is rumored to have said

Tat hersquod only believe in a God

Who understood how to dance

I believe you are the God of dance

You are the God who moves in creation

You are interwoven throughout evolution

You are the God who dances at dawn

You are the sparkle of light

You are the rhythm of life

Moving in mysterious ways

I feel you dancing on the earth

I sense your whisper in the trees

I breathe your spirit on the wind

You are the rhythm of life

Moving in mysterious ways

But always dancing

You are the God who dances

Te ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo challenges us to do the

samemdashto be the hands and feet of Jesus and make the com-

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1524

God Loves Justice 19

munity of God visible But God is also the God who is always

beside us the God who suffers with us the God who restores

our hope Tis is the God who gives us courage to be prophetic

when we donrsquot want to be

Tis is also ldquothe God who dancesrdquo the God who is interwoven

throughout evolution the God who dances at dawn and gives

us hope for the new day Tis is the God who inspires our cre-

ativity our passion for justice and our joy as the values of the

kingdomcommunity become visible and as the poor and op-pressed are treated with dignity

J I R

In I founded the Amos rust a small creative Christian

human rights agency that works with vibrant grassroots partners

around the world One of those Gustavo Parajon (ndash)

was a great friend and inspiration to me and a key mentor to us

in Amos rust A doctor pastor and peacemaker in Nicaragua

Gustavo said

Te Christian faith impels us to seek justice We see this

especially in Jesusrsquo ministry and in the message of the

prophets and so it is very clear that God loves justice It

is an integral part of the gospel Tis is what Jesus didmdashministering to the people that were marginalized and

oppressedmdashministering to the people that didnrsquot count

in his time3

We need a living theology like this that changes usmdasha justice

theology rooted in the way and teachings of Jesus and in the

Hebrew prophets Justice is mentioned more times in the Biblethan we often realizemdashit just gets clouded by the way it is trans-

lated Canon Naim Ateek (Palestinian Israeli theologian from

East Jerusalem and director of the Sabeel Teology Group) has

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1624

20 O

pointed out how the word righteousness in the Bible would be

better translated justice in many instances both in the Hebrew

Scriptures and the New estament We usually understand the

word righteousness as having an individual personal aspect

whereas the meaning is social and political not only personal It

identifies how we should live and care for one another in society

Tis is highly significant perhaps the key point for helping us

understand the way of Jesus and the kingdom of God So when

we then think about the words from the Sermon on the MountldquoBlessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice for they will

be filledrdquo the use of justice adds a different understanding and

challengemdashit sets those words alight

Matthew is equally powerful ldquoBlessed are those who are

persecuted for justice sakerdquo And then in Matthew ldquoUnless

your justice exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees you will

never enter the kingdom of heavenrdquo and further on in Matthew

ldquobut strive first for the kingdom of God and Godrsquos justicerdquo

Tis is a hugely important point because many of us are used

to interpreting righteousness in a purely personal way As we fail

to see the breadth of the challenge of justice we are missing the

message at the heart of the gospel Seeking Godrsquos justice and

living the way of Godrsquos justice is what the Christian communityand the Christian way is all about

T T L

I first heard the term folk theologian at the Dalit Resource Centre

at amil Nadu Teological Seminary in Madurai India Dalits

are those formerly called ldquooutcastesrdquo and ldquountouchablerdquo and

have no social status But these people have embraced the nameldquoDalitrdquo which means the ldquocrushedrdquo or ldquooppressedrdquo Over

million Dalits now struggle for equality dignity and human

rights I rather like the term folk theologian Often when we talk

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1724

God Loves Justice 21

about theology we are referring to it in an academic sense and

yet I believe there is a theology that is more grassroots that is

the theology of ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo It is the theology of

action or praxis theology that combines reflection and action

lived and expressed in the life of the community

Tis turns theology on its head instead of being something

we export from universities in the West we now let theology

express itself in the context where people live So we hear from

the poor and the marginalized we hear the gospel through theirwords and lives and there is something true to the incarnation

of Christ in their situation

Te term folk theologian reminds us that our theology should

not just be from books or an academic context but also learned

from people struggling with oppression Faith or religion too

can oppress But it also has the ability to liberatemdashif it listens

A H A E

A couple of years ago on Christmas Eve I was in India and stood

at a Buddhist meditative center dedicated to Dr B R Ambedkar

Ambedkar was a most significant player in Indian politics a

Dalit who rose up to become the chair of those who put to-

gether the Indian constitution Te center is opposite the ajMahal over the Yamuna River On the wall outside are the

words that Ambedkar wrote to explain his reasons for con-

version from Hinduism to Buddhism It is couched in the shape

of twenty-two oaths he took and he starts off by saying ldquoBy

discarding my ancient religion which stood for inequality and

oppression today I am reborn Buddhism is a true religion and

I will lead a life guided by the three principles of knowledgeright path and compassionrdquo

Ambedkar converted with hundreds of thousands of other

so-called untouchables to get away from the Varna system

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1824

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1924

God Loves Justice 23

and sometimes it helps us understand it better if we move away

from the word kingdom and perhaps think of the community of

God a community that is underpinned not only by the lifestyle

of Jesus but also by the teachings of Jesus and especially the

teachings of the Sermon on the Mount But ldquocommunity of Godrdquo

loses the political emphasis of the ldquokingdom of Godrdquo a delib-

erate use of words by Jesus that go up against the rulers of the

time Kingdom of God challenges rulers dictators empires and

kingdoms because it is suggesting a style of community and astyle of values that brings a revolutionary difference a way of

making community for the benefit of all It is the kingdom

community of ldquolove your neighbor as yourself rdquo and ldquodo to others

as you would have them do to yourdquo of those who acknowledge

that ldquothose who take the sword will perish by the swordrdquo

One of the problems of sharing the gospel message is the church

too often embraces the ldquoConstantinian Compromiserdquo (the com-

promise that the church makes to become acceptable to the

empiremdashin the first case the Roman Empire) It is nice to be liked

to be acceptable within a community It is attractive to be accepted

by those in power but we must never lose our prophetic role We

must ldquoendeavor to establish equalityrdquo (quoting the tenth oath of

Ambedkar)mdashour call is to speak truth to power We must neverlose the double-edged sword of the gospel or the power of Godrsquos

revolution of love which is a direct challenge to the way of empire

B B

Te words justice and peace often go together but sometimes

people try to reach peace before there is justice or even recon-

ciliation before there is justice Te temptation to be ldquoeven-handedrdquo or ldquobalancedrdquo is another danger Tese terms are used

when we would prefer to endorse the status quo Isaiah

instructs us about bringing justice

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2024

24 O

Every valley shall be lifted up

and every mountain and hill be made low

the uneven ground shall become level

and the rough places a plain

Injustice is badly imbalanced and so unless we lift up those who

are oppressed dominated and forgotten and challenge those

who are dominating there will be no equality or justice Tere

has to be a change of balancemdasha change of power I am reminded

of the words often attributed to Martin Luther King Jr ldquoNo one

is free until all are freerdquo and this is why the struggle for justice is

so worthwhile

N D V O G

Lukersquos Gospel reveals something important about the attitude

of God in Jesusrsquo character When Jesus first talks about his min-istry in Nazareth (Luke -) he says

Te Spirit of the Lord is upon me

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind

to let the oppressed go free

to proclaim the year of the Lordrsquos favor

Jesus is quoting here from Isaiah - It is a very close quote

except he leaves out the words about ldquothe day of vengeance of

our Godrdquo which is interesting Te theology that becomes a re-

ality in Bethlehem the revolution that comes to Bethlehem is

not a revolution of vengeance but one that seems to suggest that

a permanent year of jubileemdashldquothe year of the Lordrsquos favorrdquomdashwill

come when justice is brought to people

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2124

God Loves Justice 25

So Jesus sees himself as bringing a revolution of justice as

was foreseen in Isaiah

For a child has been born for us

a son given to us

authority rests upon his shoulders

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor Mighty God

Everlasting Father Prince of Peace

We often forget when we think about the birth of Jesus that

he was soon a refugee his family fleeing for their lives We live

in a world where because of the imbalance of resources people

often have to flee either for economic reasons or because of

conflict And yet many times people are not welcomed by com-

munities that have more resources But ldquoGod with usrdquo whom we

meet in the Bethlehem story is God of the refugee God of theasylum seeker God of the oppressed God of the poor and God

of nonviolencemdashGod of a revolution of love

In Colossians - we are challenged to clothe ourselves

with ldquocompassion kindness humility meekness and patiencerdquo to

ldquobear with one anotherrdquo to forgive and ldquoabove all to clothe our-

selves with love which binds everything together in perfect

harmony And let the peace of Christ rule in our heartsrdquo and with

gratitude ldquosing psalms hymns and spiritual songs to Godrdquo Tese

words are much tougher to do than they might appear Tey are

powerful and even painful words What does it mean to be

humble and meek and to have the patience that will change this

world What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in our

hearts What does it mean to clothe ourselves with loveAt the very least it means to embrace and live by the words

that echo from the beginning of the Bible that every human

being is made in the ldquoimage of Godrdquomdashwe are all equalmdashin Christ

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2224

26 O

the barriers come down It means journeying the way of Jesus

which we see reflected in Colossians and also in the Sermon

on the Mount

Te wonderful challenge of the Sermon on the Mount and

Colossians is to be peacemakers to bring wholeness into a

broken and unjust community to echo the prophets of old to

do justice to show mercy and walk humbly with God Humility

itself is so important because it refuses to dominate it refuses

to colonize it sees everyone through the eyes of God When wefail to do that we deny the gospel We deny the tremendous

message of the incarnation which started in such a humble but

powerful way in Bethlehem in the end people will not walk our

way unless they see the power of this humble just faithmdasha faith

that includes everyone and treats everyone equally

We are called to be a community that brings down the moun-

tains of oppression and lifts up the valleys of justice and right-

eousness so the pathways are made straightmdashas Martin Luther

King Jr was so fond of quoting from Isaiah

Micah talks of doing justice showing mercy and walking

humbly with Godmdashthis relates to the passage in Colossians

where we are called to clothe ourselves with compassion to bear

with one another to forgive and above all to clothe ourselveswith love Tis is the lifestyle of justicemdasha lifestyle of mercy

peacemaking and loving our neighbor as ourself

HE BROKE THE RULES AND BROUGHT THE REVOLUTION

What a wonderful moment when Jesus

reached through the divisions that hold people back

Jesus affirmed the woman at the well in

a world that would not treat women as equal

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2324

God Loves Justice 27

He touched the ldquountouchablerdquomdashreached out to the outcast

broke through the barriers of racism of

class of gender and of caste

Tis prophet was the great rule breaker

He broke the rules that bind people and hold them back

May we courageously follow this example

and exclude no one and welcome all

May our churches be communities that

welcome all and may we understand the

deep joy of a gospel that nails our

prejudices and human divisions to a cross of shame

and awakens us to a resurrection of community love equality and joy

Q R D

1 If you were asked what you think ldquoGodrsquos calling cardrdquo would

look like what would you say In what ways is ldquojusticerdquo a

better answer

2 In what ways can faith or religion oppress How can it lib-

erate in a practical way

3 What are the implications of saying that the word ldquoright-

eousnessrdquo would be better translated ldquojusticerdquo

4 What does the author mean when he says ldquoIt is nice to be

liked to be acceptable within a community It is attractive tobe accepted by those in power but we must never lose our

prophetic rolerdquo What danger is he warning the church or

Christians about

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2424

28 O

5 Te author says ldquoWe are all equalmdashin Christ the barriers

come downrdquo What barriers come down because of Christ

6 Do you find it challenging to realize that theology has been

ldquosomething we export from universities in the Westrdquo rather

than letting ldquotheology express itself in the context where

people liverdquomdasheven though most of the worldrsquos Christians are

not within a Western culture What do you think this means

What can Western Christians learn from other cultures

Page 12: Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1224

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1324

God Loves Justice 17

Te God who sweats in the street

Te God with the weathered face

Tatrsquos why I can talk to you

Te language my own people talk

Because God you are the laborer God

Te worker Christ

Hand in hand you walk with my people

you struggle in the fields and the city

And from the Sanctus

You are three times holy

you are three times just

Free us from the yoke

And give us liberty2

Tis Nicaraguan Mass reflects a God who understandsstruggles the God of justice But it doesnrsquot lose the poetic and

creative understanding of God As the creed recited during the

mass says

I firmly believe Lord

that from your fertile thought

this whole world was bornthat from your artistrsquos hand

like a primativist painter

all beauty flourished

the stars and the moon

the little houses lagoons

the little boats floating

down the river to the seathe immense coffee plantations

the white cotton fields

and the forests mutilated

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1424

18 O

by the criminal axe

In you I trust

Maker of thought and music

Maker of the wind

Maker of peace and love

And this reminds me of that other aspect of Godmdashthe God who

stands with us

THE GOD WHO DANCES

Henri Matisse is rumored to have said

Tat hersquod only believe in a God

Who understood how to dance

I believe you are the God of dance

You are the God who moves in creation

You are interwoven throughout evolution

You are the God who dances at dawn

You are the sparkle of light

You are the rhythm of life

Moving in mysterious ways

I feel you dancing on the earth

I sense your whisper in the trees

I breathe your spirit on the wind

You are the rhythm of life

Moving in mysterious ways

But always dancing

You are the God who dances

Te ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo challenges us to do the

samemdashto be the hands and feet of Jesus and make the com-

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1524

God Loves Justice 19

munity of God visible But God is also the God who is always

beside us the God who suffers with us the God who restores

our hope Tis is the God who gives us courage to be prophetic

when we donrsquot want to be

Tis is also ldquothe God who dancesrdquo the God who is interwoven

throughout evolution the God who dances at dawn and gives

us hope for the new day Tis is the God who inspires our cre-

ativity our passion for justice and our joy as the values of the

kingdomcommunity become visible and as the poor and op-pressed are treated with dignity

J I R

In I founded the Amos rust a small creative Christian

human rights agency that works with vibrant grassroots partners

around the world One of those Gustavo Parajon (ndash)

was a great friend and inspiration to me and a key mentor to us

in Amos rust A doctor pastor and peacemaker in Nicaragua

Gustavo said

Te Christian faith impels us to seek justice We see this

especially in Jesusrsquo ministry and in the message of the

prophets and so it is very clear that God loves justice It

is an integral part of the gospel Tis is what Jesus didmdashministering to the people that were marginalized and

oppressedmdashministering to the people that didnrsquot count

in his time3

We need a living theology like this that changes usmdasha justice

theology rooted in the way and teachings of Jesus and in the

Hebrew prophets Justice is mentioned more times in the Biblethan we often realizemdashit just gets clouded by the way it is trans-

lated Canon Naim Ateek (Palestinian Israeli theologian from

East Jerusalem and director of the Sabeel Teology Group) has

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1624

20 O

pointed out how the word righteousness in the Bible would be

better translated justice in many instances both in the Hebrew

Scriptures and the New estament We usually understand the

word righteousness as having an individual personal aspect

whereas the meaning is social and political not only personal It

identifies how we should live and care for one another in society

Tis is highly significant perhaps the key point for helping us

understand the way of Jesus and the kingdom of God So when

we then think about the words from the Sermon on the MountldquoBlessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice for they will

be filledrdquo the use of justice adds a different understanding and

challengemdashit sets those words alight

Matthew is equally powerful ldquoBlessed are those who are

persecuted for justice sakerdquo And then in Matthew ldquoUnless

your justice exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees you will

never enter the kingdom of heavenrdquo and further on in Matthew

ldquobut strive first for the kingdom of God and Godrsquos justicerdquo

Tis is a hugely important point because many of us are used

to interpreting righteousness in a purely personal way As we fail

to see the breadth of the challenge of justice we are missing the

message at the heart of the gospel Seeking Godrsquos justice and

living the way of Godrsquos justice is what the Christian communityand the Christian way is all about

T T L

I first heard the term folk theologian at the Dalit Resource Centre

at amil Nadu Teological Seminary in Madurai India Dalits

are those formerly called ldquooutcastesrdquo and ldquountouchablerdquo and

have no social status But these people have embraced the nameldquoDalitrdquo which means the ldquocrushedrdquo or ldquooppressedrdquo Over

million Dalits now struggle for equality dignity and human

rights I rather like the term folk theologian Often when we talk

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1724

God Loves Justice 21

about theology we are referring to it in an academic sense and

yet I believe there is a theology that is more grassroots that is

the theology of ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo It is the theology of

action or praxis theology that combines reflection and action

lived and expressed in the life of the community

Tis turns theology on its head instead of being something

we export from universities in the West we now let theology

express itself in the context where people live So we hear from

the poor and the marginalized we hear the gospel through theirwords and lives and there is something true to the incarnation

of Christ in their situation

Te term folk theologian reminds us that our theology should

not just be from books or an academic context but also learned

from people struggling with oppression Faith or religion too

can oppress But it also has the ability to liberatemdashif it listens

A H A E

A couple of years ago on Christmas Eve I was in India and stood

at a Buddhist meditative center dedicated to Dr B R Ambedkar

Ambedkar was a most significant player in Indian politics a

Dalit who rose up to become the chair of those who put to-

gether the Indian constitution Te center is opposite the ajMahal over the Yamuna River On the wall outside are the

words that Ambedkar wrote to explain his reasons for con-

version from Hinduism to Buddhism It is couched in the shape

of twenty-two oaths he took and he starts off by saying ldquoBy

discarding my ancient religion which stood for inequality and

oppression today I am reborn Buddhism is a true religion and

I will lead a life guided by the three principles of knowledgeright path and compassionrdquo

Ambedkar converted with hundreds of thousands of other

so-called untouchables to get away from the Varna system

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1824

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1924

God Loves Justice 23

and sometimes it helps us understand it better if we move away

from the word kingdom and perhaps think of the community of

God a community that is underpinned not only by the lifestyle

of Jesus but also by the teachings of Jesus and especially the

teachings of the Sermon on the Mount But ldquocommunity of Godrdquo

loses the political emphasis of the ldquokingdom of Godrdquo a delib-

erate use of words by Jesus that go up against the rulers of the

time Kingdom of God challenges rulers dictators empires and

kingdoms because it is suggesting a style of community and astyle of values that brings a revolutionary difference a way of

making community for the benefit of all It is the kingdom

community of ldquolove your neighbor as yourself rdquo and ldquodo to others

as you would have them do to yourdquo of those who acknowledge

that ldquothose who take the sword will perish by the swordrdquo

One of the problems of sharing the gospel message is the church

too often embraces the ldquoConstantinian Compromiserdquo (the com-

promise that the church makes to become acceptable to the

empiremdashin the first case the Roman Empire) It is nice to be liked

to be acceptable within a community It is attractive to be accepted

by those in power but we must never lose our prophetic role We

must ldquoendeavor to establish equalityrdquo (quoting the tenth oath of

Ambedkar)mdashour call is to speak truth to power We must neverlose the double-edged sword of the gospel or the power of Godrsquos

revolution of love which is a direct challenge to the way of empire

B B

Te words justice and peace often go together but sometimes

people try to reach peace before there is justice or even recon-

ciliation before there is justice Te temptation to be ldquoeven-handedrdquo or ldquobalancedrdquo is another danger Tese terms are used

when we would prefer to endorse the status quo Isaiah

instructs us about bringing justice

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2024

24 O

Every valley shall be lifted up

and every mountain and hill be made low

the uneven ground shall become level

and the rough places a plain

Injustice is badly imbalanced and so unless we lift up those who

are oppressed dominated and forgotten and challenge those

who are dominating there will be no equality or justice Tere

has to be a change of balancemdasha change of power I am reminded

of the words often attributed to Martin Luther King Jr ldquoNo one

is free until all are freerdquo and this is why the struggle for justice is

so worthwhile

N D V O G

Lukersquos Gospel reveals something important about the attitude

of God in Jesusrsquo character When Jesus first talks about his min-istry in Nazareth (Luke -) he says

Te Spirit of the Lord is upon me

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind

to let the oppressed go free

to proclaim the year of the Lordrsquos favor

Jesus is quoting here from Isaiah - It is a very close quote

except he leaves out the words about ldquothe day of vengeance of

our Godrdquo which is interesting Te theology that becomes a re-

ality in Bethlehem the revolution that comes to Bethlehem is

not a revolution of vengeance but one that seems to suggest that

a permanent year of jubileemdashldquothe year of the Lordrsquos favorrdquomdashwill

come when justice is brought to people

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2124

God Loves Justice 25

So Jesus sees himself as bringing a revolution of justice as

was foreseen in Isaiah

For a child has been born for us

a son given to us

authority rests upon his shoulders

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor Mighty God

Everlasting Father Prince of Peace

We often forget when we think about the birth of Jesus that

he was soon a refugee his family fleeing for their lives We live

in a world where because of the imbalance of resources people

often have to flee either for economic reasons or because of

conflict And yet many times people are not welcomed by com-

munities that have more resources But ldquoGod with usrdquo whom we

meet in the Bethlehem story is God of the refugee God of theasylum seeker God of the oppressed God of the poor and God

of nonviolencemdashGod of a revolution of love

In Colossians - we are challenged to clothe ourselves

with ldquocompassion kindness humility meekness and patiencerdquo to

ldquobear with one anotherrdquo to forgive and ldquoabove all to clothe our-

selves with love which binds everything together in perfect

harmony And let the peace of Christ rule in our heartsrdquo and with

gratitude ldquosing psalms hymns and spiritual songs to Godrdquo Tese

words are much tougher to do than they might appear Tey are

powerful and even painful words What does it mean to be

humble and meek and to have the patience that will change this

world What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in our

hearts What does it mean to clothe ourselves with loveAt the very least it means to embrace and live by the words

that echo from the beginning of the Bible that every human

being is made in the ldquoimage of Godrdquomdashwe are all equalmdashin Christ

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2224

26 O

the barriers come down It means journeying the way of Jesus

which we see reflected in Colossians and also in the Sermon

on the Mount

Te wonderful challenge of the Sermon on the Mount and

Colossians is to be peacemakers to bring wholeness into a

broken and unjust community to echo the prophets of old to

do justice to show mercy and walk humbly with God Humility

itself is so important because it refuses to dominate it refuses

to colonize it sees everyone through the eyes of God When wefail to do that we deny the gospel We deny the tremendous

message of the incarnation which started in such a humble but

powerful way in Bethlehem in the end people will not walk our

way unless they see the power of this humble just faithmdasha faith

that includes everyone and treats everyone equally

We are called to be a community that brings down the moun-

tains of oppression and lifts up the valleys of justice and right-

eousness so the pathways are made straightmdashas Martin Luther

King Jr was so fond of quoting from Isaiah

Micah talks of doing justice showing mercy and walking

humbly with Godmdashthis relates to the passage in Colossians

where we are called to clothe ourselves with compassion to bear

with one another to forgive and above all to clothe ourselveswith love Tis is the lifestyle of justicemdasha lifestyle of mercy

peacemaking and loving our neighbor as ourself

HE BROKE THE RULES AND BROUGHT THE REVOLUTION

What a wonderful moment when Jesus

reached through the divisions that hold people back

Jesus affirmed the woman at the well in

a world that would not treat women as equal

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2324

God Loves Justice 27

He touched the ldquountouchablerdquomdashreached out to the outcast

broke through the barriers of racism of

class of gender and of caste

Tis prophet was the great rule breaker

He broke the rules that bind people and hold them back

May we courageously follow this example

and exclude no one and welcome all

May our churches be communities that

welcome all and may we understand the

deep joy of a gospel that nails our

prejudices and human divisions to a cross of shame

and awakens us to a resurrection of community love equality and joy

Q R D

1 If you were asked what you think ldquoGodrsquos calling cardrdquo would

look like what would you say In what ways is ldquojusticerdquo a

better answer

2 In what ways can faith or religion oppress How can it lib-

erate in a practical way

3 What are the implications of saying that the word ldquoright-

eousnessrdquo would be better translated ldquojusticerdquo

4 What does the author mean when he says ldquoIt is nice to be

liked to be acceptable within a community It is attractive tobe accepted by those in power but we must never lose our

prophetic rolerdquo What danger is he warning the church or

Christians about

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2424

28 O

5 Te author says ldquoWe are all equalmdashin Christ the barriers

come downrdquo What barriers come down because of Christ

6 Do you find it challenging to realize that theology has been

ldquosomething we export from universities in the Westrdquo rather

than letting ldquotheology express itself in the context where

people liverdquomdasheven though most of the worldrsquos Christians are

not within a Western culture What do you think this means

What can Western Christians learn from other cultures

Page 13: Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1324

God Loves Justice 17

Te God who sweats in the street

Te God with the weathered face

Tatrsquos why I can talk to you

Te language my own people talk

Because God you are the laborer God

Te worker Christ

Hand in hand you walk with my people

you struggle in the fields and the city

And from the Sanctus

You are three times holy

you are three times just

Free us from the yoke

And give us liberty2

Tis Nicaraguan Mass reflects a God who understandsstruggles the God of justice But it doesnrsquot lose the poetic and

creative understanding of God As the creed recited during the

mass says

I firmly believe Lord

that from your fertile thought

this whole world was bornthat from your artistrsquos hand

like a primativist painter

all beauty flourished

the stars and the moon

the little houses lagoons

the little boats floating

down the river to the seathe immense coffee plantations

the white cotton fields

and the forests mutilated

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1424

18 O

by the criminal axe

In you I trust

Maker of thought and music

Maker of the wind

Maker of peace and love

And this reminds me of that other aspect of Godmdashthe God who

stands with us

THE GOD WHO DANCES

Henri Matisse is rumored to have said

Tat hersquod only believe in a God

Who understood how to dance

I believe you are the God of dance

You are the God who moves in creation

You are interwoven throughout evolution

You are the God who dances at dawn

You are the sparkle of light

You are the rhythm of life

Moving in mysterious ways

I feel you dancing on the earth

I sense your whisper in the trees

I breathe your spirit on the wind

You are the rhythm of life

Moving in mysterious ways

But always dancing

You are the God who dances

Te ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo challenges us to do the

samemdashto be the hands and feet of Jesus and make the com-

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1524

God Loves Justice 19

munity of God visible But God is also the God who is always

beside us the God who suffers with us the God who restores

our hope Tis is the God who gives us courage to be prophetic

when we donrsquot want to be

Tis is also ldquothe God who dancesrdquo the God who is interwoven

throughout evolution the God who dances at dawn and gives

us hope for the new day Tis is the God who inspires our cre-

ativity our passion for justice and our joy as the values of the

kingdomcommunity become visible and as the poor and op-pressed are treated with dignity

J I R

In I founded the Amos rust a small creative Christian

human rights agency that works with vibrant grassroots partners

around the world One of those Gustavo Parajon (ndash)

was a great friend and inspiration to me and a key mentor to us

in Amos rust A doctor pastor and peacemaker in Nicaragua

Gustavo said

Te Christian faith impels us to seek justice We see this

especially in Jesusrsquo ministry and in the message of the

prophets and so it is very clear that God loves justice It

is an integral part of the gospel Tis is what Jesus didmdashministering to the people that were marginalized and

oppressedmdashministering to the people that didnrsquot count

in his time3

We need a living theology like this that changes usmdasha justice

theology rooted in the way and teachings of Jesus and in the

Hebrew prophets Justice is mentioned more times in the Biblethan we often realizemdashit just gets clouded by the way it is trans-

lated Canon Naim Ateek (Palestinian Israeli theologian from

East Jerusalem and director of the Sabeel Teology Group) has

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1624

20 O

pointed out how the word righteousness in the Bible would be

better translated justice in many instances both in the Hebrew

Scriptures and the New estament We usually understand the

word righteousness as having an individual personal aspect

whereas the meaning is social and political not only personal It

identifies how we should live and care for one another in society

Tis is highly significant perhaps the key point for helping us

understand the way of Jesus and the kingdom of God So when

we then think about the words from the Sermon on the MountldquoBlessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice for they will

be filledrdquo the use of justice adds a different understanding and

challengemdashit sets those words alight

Matthew is equally powerful ldquoBlessed are those who are

persecuted for justice sakerdquo And then in Matthew ldquoUnless

your justice exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees you will

never enter the kingdom of heavenrdquo and further on in Matthew

ldquobut strive first for the kingdom of God and Godrsquos justicerdquo

Tis is a hugely important point because many of us are used

to interpreting righteousness in a purely personal way As we fail

to see the breadth of the challenge of justice we are missing the

message at the heart of the gospel Seeking Godrsquos justice and

living the way of Godrsquos justice is what the Christian communityand the Christian way is all about

T T L

I first heard the term folk theologian at the Dalit Resource Centre

at amil Nadu Teological Seminary in Madurai India Dalits

are those formerly called ldquooutcastesrdquo and ldquountouchablerdquo and

have no social status But these people have embraced the nameldquoDalitrdquo which means the ldquocrushedrdquo or ldquooppressedrdquo Over

million Dalits now struggle for equality dignity and human

rights I rather like the term folk theologian Often when we talk

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1724

God Loves Justice 21

about theology we are referring to it in an academic sense and

yet I believe there is a theology that is more grassroots that is

the theology of ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo It is the theology of

action or praxis theology that combines reflection and action

lived and expressed in the life of the community

Tis turns theology on its head instead of being something

we export from universities in the West we now let theology

express itself in the context where people live So we hear from

the poor and the marginalized we hear the gospel through theirwords and lives and there is something true to the incarnation

of Christ in their situation

Te term folk theologian reminds us that our theology should

not just be from books or an academic context but also learned

from people struggling with oppression Faith or religion too

can oppress But it also has the ability to liberatemdashif it listens

A H A E

A couple of years ago on Christmas Eve I was in India and stood

at a Buddhist meditative center dedicated to Dr B R Ambedkar

Ambedkar was a most significant player in Indian politics a

Dalit who rose up to become the chair of those who put to-

gether the Indian constitution Te center is opposite the ajMahal over the Yamuna River On the wall outside are the

words that Ambedkar wrote to explain his reasons for con-

version from Hinduism to Buddhism It is couched in the shape

of twenty-two oaths he took and he starts off by saying ldquoBy

discarding my ancient religion which stood for inequality and

oppression today I am reborn Buddhism is a true religion and

I will lead a life guided by the three principles of knowledgeright path and compassionrdquo

Ambedkar converted with hundreds of thousands of other

so-called untouchables to get away from the Varna system

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1824

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1924

God Loves Justice 23

and sometimes it helps us understand it better if we move away

from the word kingdom and perhaps think of the community of

God a community that is underpinned not only by the lifestyle

of Jesus but also by the teachings of Jesus and especially the

teachings of the Sermon on the Mount But ldquocommunity of Godrdquo

loses the political emphasis of the ldquokingdom of Godrdquo a delib-

erate use of words by Jesus that go up against the rulers of the

time Kingdom of God challenges rulers dictators empires and

kingdoms because it is suggesting a style of community and astyle of values that brings a revolutionary difference a way of

making community for the benefit of all It is the kingdom

community of ldquolove your neighbor as yourself rdquo and ldquodo to others

as you would have them do to yourdquo of those who acknowledge

that ldquothose who take the sword will perish by the swordrdquo

One of the problems of sharing the gospel message is the church

too often embraces the ldquoConstantinian Compromiserdquo (the com-

promise that the church makes to become acceptable to the

empiremdashin the first case the Roman Empire) It is nice to be liked

to be acceptable within a community It is attractive to be accepted

by those in power but we must never lose our prophetic role We

must ldquoendeavor to establish equalityrdquo (quoting the tenth oath of

Ambedkar)mdashour call is to speak truth to power We must neverlose the double-edged sword of the gospel or the power of Godrsquos

revolution of love which is a direct challenge to the way of empire

B B

Te words justice and peace often go together but sometimes

people try to reach peace before there is justice or even recon-

ciliation before there is justice Te temptation to be ldquoeven-handedrdquo or ldquobalancedrdquo is another danger Tese terms are used

when we would prefer to endorse the status quo Isaiah

instructs us about bringing justice

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2024

24 O

Every valley shall be lifted up

and every mountain and hill be made low

the uneven ground shall become level

and the rough places a plain

Injustice is badly imbalanced and so unless we lift up those who

are oppressed dominated and forgotten and challenge those

who are dominating there will be no equality or justice Tere

has to be a change of balancemdasha change of power I am reminded

of the words often attributed to Martin Luther King Jr ldquoNo one

is free until all are freerdquo and this is why the struggle for justice is

so worthwhile

N D V O G

Lukersquos Gospel reveals something important about the attitude

of God in Jesusrsquo character When Jesus first talks about his min-istry in Nazareth (Luke -) he says

Te Spirit of the Lord is upon me

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind

to let the oppressed go free

to proclaim the year of the Lordrsquos favor

Jesus is quoting here from Isaiah - It is a very close quote

except he leaves out the words about ldquothe day of vengeance of

our Godrdquo which is interesting Te theology that becomes a re-

ality in Bethlehem the revolution that comes to Bethlehem is

not a revolution of vengeance but one that seems to suggest that

a permanent year of jubileemdashldquothe year of the Lordrsquos favorrdquomdashwill

come when justice is brought to people

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2124

God Loves Justice 25

So Jesus sees himself as bringing a revolution of justice as

was foreseen in Isaiah

For a child has been born for us

a son given to us

authority rests upon his shoulders

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor Mighty God

Everlasting Father Prince of Peace

We often forget when we think about the birth of Jesus that

he was soon a refugee his family fleeing for their lives We live

in a world where because of the imbalance of resources people

often have to flee either for economic reasons or because of

conflict And yet many times people are not welcomed by com-

munities that have more resources But ldquoGod with usrdquo whom we

meet in the Bethlehem story is God of the refugee God of theasylum seeker God of the oppressed God of the poor and God

of nonviolencemdashGod of a revolution of love

In Colossians - we are challenged to clothe ourselves

with ldquocompassion kindness humility meekness and patiencerdquo to

ldquobear with one anotherrdquo to forgive and ldquoabove all to clothe our-

selves with love which binds everything together in perfect

harmony And let the peace of Christ rule in our heartsrdquo and with

gratitude ldquosing psalms hymns and spiritual songs to Godrdquo Tese

words are much tougher to do than they might appear Tey are

powerful and even painful words What does it mean to be

humble and meek and to have the patience that will change this

world What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in our

hearts What does it mean to clothe ourselves with loveAt the very least it means to embrace and live by the words

that echo from the beginning of the Bible that every human

being is made in the ldquoimage of Godrdquomdashwe are all equalmdashin Christ

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2224

26 O

the barriers come down It means journeying the way of Jesus

which we see reflected in Colossians and also in the Sermon

on the Mount

Te wonderful challenge of the Sermon on the Mount and

Colossians is to be peacemakers to bring wholeness into a

broken and unjust community to echo the prophets of old to

do justice to show mercy and walk humbly with God Humility

itself is so important because it refuses to dominate it refuses

to colonize it sees everyone through the eyes of God When wefail to do that we deny the gospel We deny the tremendous

message of the incarnation which started in such a humble but

powerful way in Bethlehem in the end people will not walk our

way unless they see the power of this humble just faithmdasha faith

that includes everyone and treats everyone equally

We are called to be a community that brings down the moun-

tains of oppression and lifts up the valleys of justice and right-

eousness so the pathways are made straightmdashas Martin Luther

King Jr was so fond of quoting from Isaiah

Micah talks of doing justice showing mercy and walking

humbly with Godmdashthis relates to the passage in Colossians

where we are called to clothe ourselves with compassion to bear

with one another to forgive and above all to clothe ourselveswith love Tis is the lifestyle of justicemdasha lifestyle of mercy

peacemaking and loving our neighbor as ourself

HE BROKE THE RULES AND BROUGHT THE REVOLUTION

What a wonderful moment when Jesus

reached through the divisions that hold people back

Jesus affirmed the woman at the well in

a world that would not treat women as equal

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2324

God Loves Justice 27

He touched the ldquountouchablerdquomdashreached out to the outcast

broke through the barriers of racism of

class of gender and of caste

Tis prophet was the great rule breaker

He broke the rules that bind people and hold them back

May we courageously follow this example

and exclude no one and welcome all

May our churches be communities that

welcome all and may we understand the

deep joy of a gospel that nails our

prejudices and human divisions to a cross of shame

and awakens us to a resurrection of community love equality and joy

Q R D

1 If you were asked what you think ldquoGodrsquos calling cardrdquo would

look like what would you say In what ways is ldquojusticerdquo a

better answer

2 In what ways can faith or religion oppress How can it lib-

erate in a practical way

3 What are the implications of saying that the word ldquoright-

eousnessrdquo would be better translated ldquojusticerdquo

4 What does the author mean when he says ldquoIt is nice to be

liked to be acceptable within a community It is attractive tobe accepted by those in power but we must never lose our

prophetic rolerdquo What danger is he warning the church or

Christians about

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2424

28 O

5 Te author says ldquoWe are all equalmdashin Christ the barriers

come downrdquo What barriers come down because of Christ

6 Do you find it challenging to realize that theology has been

ldquosomething we export from universities in the Westrdquo rather

than letting ldquotheology express itself in the context where

people liverdquomdasheven though most of the worldrsquos Christians are

not within a Western culture What do you think this means

What can Western Christians learn from other cultures

Page 14: Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1424

18 O

by the criminal axe

In you I trust

Maker of thought and music

Maker of the wind

Maker of peace and love

And this reminds me of that other aspect of Godmdashthe God who

stands with us

THE GOD WHO DANCES

Henri Matisse is rumored to have said

Tat hersquod only believe in a God

Who understood how to dance

I believe you are the God of dance

You are the God who moves in creation

You are interwoven throughout evolution

You are the God who dances at dawn

You are the sparkle of light

You are the rhythm of life

Moving in mysterious ways

I feel you dancing on the earth

I sense your whisper in the trees

I breathe your spirit on the wind

You are the rhythm of life

Moving in mysterious ways

But always dancing

You are the God who dances

Te ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo challenges us to do the

samemdashto be the hands and feet of Jesus and make the com-

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1524

God Loves Justice 19

munity of God visible But God is also the God who is always

beside us the God who suffers with us the God who restores

our hope Tis is the God who gives us courage to be prophetic

when we donrsquot want to be

Tis is also ldquothe God who dancesrdquo the God who is interwoven

throughout evolution the God who dances at dawn and gives

us hope for the new day Tis is the God who inspires our cre-

ativity our passion for justice and our joy as the values of the

kingdomcommunity become visible and as the poor and op-pressed are treated with dignity

J I R

In I founded the Amos rust a small creative Christian

human rights agency that works with vibrant grassroots partners

around the world One of those Gustavo Parajon (ndash)

was a great friend and inspiration to me and a key mentor to us

in Amos rust A doctor pastor and peacemaker in Nicaragua

Gustavo said

Te Christian faith impels us to seek justice We see this

especially in Jesusrsquo ministry and in the message of the

prophets and so it is very clear that God loves justice It

is an integral part of the gospel Tis is what Jesus didmdashministering to the people that were marginalized and

oppressedmdashministering to the people that didnrsquot count

in his time3

We need a living theology like this that changes usmdasha justice

theology rooted in the way and teachings of Jesus and in the

Hebrew prophets Justice is mentioned more times in the Biblethan we often realizemdashit just gets clouded by the way it is trans-

lated Canon Naim Ateek (Palestinian Israeli theologian from

East Jerusalem and director of the Sabeel Teology Group) has

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1624

20 O

pointed out how the word righteousness in the Bible would be

better translated justice in many instances both in the Hebrew

Scriptures and the New estament We usually understand the

word righteousness as having an individual personal aspect

whereas the meaning is social and political not only personal It

identifies how we should live and care for one another in society

Tis is highly significant perhaps the key point for helping us

understand the way of Jesus and the kingdom of God So when

we then think about the words from the Sermon on the MountldquoBlessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice for they will

be filledrdquo the use of justice adds a different understanding and

challengemdashit sets those words alight

Matthew is equally powerful ldquoBlessed are those who are

persecuted for justice sakerdquo And then in Matthew ldquoUnless

your justice exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees you will

never enter the kingdom of heavenrdquo and further on in Matthew

ldquobut strive first for the kingdom of God and Godrsquos justicerdquo

Tis is a hugely important point because many of us are used

to interpreting righteousness in a purely personal way As we fail

to see the breadth of the challenge of justice we are missing the

message at the heart of the gospel Seeking Godrsquos justice and

living the way of Godrsquos justice is what the Christian communityand the Christian way is all about

T T L

I first heard the term folk theologian at the Dalit Resource Centre

at amil Nadu Teological Seminary in Madurai India Dalits

are those formerly called ldquooutcastesrdquo and ldquountouchablerdquo and

have no social status But these people have embraced the nameldquoDalitrdquo which means the ldquocrushedrdquo or ldquooppressedrdquo Over

million Dalits now struggle for equality dignity and human

rights I rather like the term folk theologian Often when we talk

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1724

God Loves Justice 21

about theology we are referring to it in an academic sense and

yet I believe there is a theology that is more grassroots that is

the theology of ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo It is the theology of

action or praxis theology that combines reflection and action

lived and expressed in the life of the community

Tis turns theology on its head instead of being something

we export from universities in the West we now let theology

express itself in the context where people live So we hear from

the poor and the marginalized we hear the gospel through theirwords and lives and there is something true to the incarnation

of Christ in their situation

Te term folk theologian reminds us that our theology should

not just be from books or an academic context but also learned

from people struggling with oppression Faith or religion too

can oppress But it also has the ability to liberatemdashif it listens

A H A E

A couple of years ago on Christmas Eve I was in India and stood

at a Buddhist meditative center dedicated to Dr B R Ambedkar

Ambedkar was a most significant player in Indian politics a

Dalit who rose up to become the chair of those who put to-

gether the Indian constitution Te center is opposite the ajMahal over the Yamuna River On the wall outside are the

words that Ambedkar wrote to explain his reasons for con-

version from Hinduism to Buddhism It is couched in the shape

of twenty-two oaths he took and he starts off by saying ldquoBy

discarding my ancient religion which stood for inequality and

oppression today I am reborn Buddhism is a true religion and

I will lead a life guided by the three principles of knowledgeright path and compassionrdquo

Ambedkar converted with hundreds of thousands of other

so-called untouchables to get away from the Varna system

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1824

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1924

God Loves Justice 23

and sometimes it helps us understand it better if we move away

from the word kingdom and perhaps think of the community of

God a community that is underpinned not only by the lifestyle

of Jesus but also by the teachings of Jesus and especially the

teachings of the Sermon on the Mount But ldquocommunity of Godrdquo

loses the political emphasis of the ldquokingdom of Godrdquo a delib-

erate use of words by Jesus that go up against the rulers of the

time Kingdom of God challenges rulers dictators empires and

kingdoms because it is suggesting a style of community and astyle of values that brings a revolutionary difference a way of

making community for the benefit of all It is the kingdom

community of ldquolove your neighbor as yourself rdquo and ldquodo to others

as you would have them do to yourdquo of those who acknowledge

that ldquothose who take the sword will perish by the swordrdquo

One of the problems of sharing the gospel message is the church

too often embraces the ldquoConstantinian Compromiserdquo (the com-

promise that the church makes to become acceptable to the

empiremdashin the first case the Roman Empire) It is nice to be liked

to be acceptable within a community It is attractive to be accepted

by those in power but we must never lose our prophetic role We

must ldquoendeavor to establish equalityrdquo (quoting the tenth oath of

Ambedkar)mdashour call is to speak truth to power We must neverlose the double-edged sword of the gospel or the power of Godrsquos

revolution of love which is a direct challenge to the way of empire

B B

Te words justice and peace often go together but sometimes

people try to reach peace before there is justice or even recon-

ciliation before there is justice Te temptation to be ldquoeven-handedrdquo or ldquobalancedrdquo is another danger Tese terms are used

when we would prefer to endorse the status quo Isaiah

instructs us about bringing justice

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2024

24 O

Every valley shall be lifted up

and every mountain and hill be made low

the uneven ground shall become level

and the rough places a plain

Injustice is badly imbalanced and so unless we lift up those who

are oppressed dominated and forgotten and challenge those

who are dominating there will be no equality or justice Tere

has to be a change of balancemdasha change of power I am reminded

of the words often attributed to Martin Luther King Jr ldquoNo one

is free until all are freerdquo and this is why the struggle for justice is

so worthwhile

N D V O G

Lukersquos Gospel reveals something important about the attitude

of God in Jesusrsquo character When Jesus first talks about his min-istry in Nazareth (Luke -) he says

Te Spirit of the Lord is upon me

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind

to let the oppressed go free

to proclaim the year of the Lordrsquos favor

Jesus is quoting here from Isaiah - It is a very close quote

except he leaves out the words about ldquothe day of vengeance of

our Godrdquo which is interesting Te theology that becomes a re-

ality in Bethlehem the revolution that comes to Bethlehem is

not a revolution of vengeance but one that seems to suggest that

a permanent year of jubileemdashldquothe year of the Lordrsquos favorrdquomdashwill

come when justice is brought to people

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2124

God Loves Justice 25

So Jesus sees himself as bringing a revolution of justice as

was foreseen in Isaiah

For a child has been born for us

a son given to us

authority rests upon his shoulders

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor Mighty God

Everlasting Father Prince of Peace

We often forget when we think about the birth of Jesus that

he was soon a refugee his family fleeing for their lives We live

in a world where because of the imbalance of resources people

often have to flee either for economic reasons or because of

conflict And yet many times people are not welcomed by com-

munities that have more resources But ldquoGod with usrdquo whom we

meet in the Bethlehem story is God of the refugee God of theasylum seeker God of the oppressed God of the poor and God

of nonviolencemdashGod of a revolution of love

In Colossians - we are challenged to clothe ourselves

with ldquocompassion kindness humility meekness and patiencerdquo to

ldquobear with one anotherrdquo to forgive and ldquoabove all to clothe our-

selves with love which binds everything together in perfect

harmony And let the peace of Christ rule in our heartsrdquo and with

gratitude ldquosing psalms hymns and spiritual songs to Godrdquo Tese

words are much tougher to do than they might appear Tey are

powerful and even painful words What does it mean to be

humble and meek and to have the patience that will change this

world What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in our

hearts What does it mean to clothe ourselves with loveAt the very least it means to embrace and live by the words

that echo from the beginning of the Bible that every human

being is made in the ldquoimage of Godrdquomdashwe are all equalmdashin Christ

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2224

26 O

the barriers come down It means journeying the way of Jesus

which we see reflected in Colossians and also in the Sermon

on the Mount

Te wonderful challenge of the Sermon on the Mount and

Colossians is to be peacemakers to bring wholeness into a

broken and unjust community to echo the prophets of old to

do justice to show mercy and walk humbly with God Humility

itself is so important because it refuses to dominate it refuses

to colonize it sees everyone through the eyes of God When wefail to do that we deny the gospel We deny the tremendous

message of the incarnation which started in such a humble but

powerful way in Bethlehem in the end people will not walk our

way unless they see the power of this humble just faithmdasha faith

that includes everyone and treats everyone equally

We are called to be a community that brings down the moun-

tains of oppression and lifts up the valleys of justice and right-

eousness so the pathways are made straightmdashas Martin Luther

King Jr was so fond of quoting from Isaiah

Micah talks of doing justice showing mercy and walking

humbly with Godmdashthis relates to the passage in Colossians

where we are called to clothe ourselves with compassion to bear

with one another to forgive and above all to clothe ourselveswith love Tis is the lifestyle of justicemdasha lifestyle of mercy

peacemaking and loving our neighbor as ourself

HE BROKE THE RULES AND BROUGHT THE REVOLUTION

What a wonderful moment when Jesus

reached through the divisions that hold people back

Jesus affirmed the woman at the well in

a world that would not treat women as equal

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2324

God Loves Justice 27

He touched the ldquountouchablerdquomdashreached out to the outcast

broke through the barriers of racism of

class of gender and of caste

Tis prophet was the great rule breaker

He broke the rules that bind people and hold them back

May we courageously follow this example

and exclude no one and welcome all

May our churches be communities that

welcome all and may we understand the

deep joy of a gospel that nails our

prejudices and human divisions to a cross of shame

and awakens us to a resurrection of community love equality and joy

Q R D

1 If you were asked what you think ldquoGodrsquos calling cardrdquo would

look like what would you say In what ways is ldquojusticerdquo a

better answer

2 In what ways can faith or religion oppress How can it lib-

erate in a practical way

3 What are the implications of saying that the word ldquoright-

eousnessrdquo would be better translated ldquojusticerdquo

4 What does the author mean when he says ldquoIt is nice to be

liked to be acceptable within a community It is attractive tobe accepted by those in power but we must never lose our

prophetic rolerdquo What danger is he warning the church or

Christians about

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2424

28 O

5 Te author says ldquoWe are all equalmdashin Christ the barriers

come downrdquo What barriers come down because of Christ

6 Do you find it challenging to realize that theology has been

ldquosomething we export from universities in the Westrdquo rather

than letting ldquotheology express itself in the context where

people liverdquomdasheven though most of the worldrsquos Christians are

not within a Western culture What do you think this means

What can Western Christians learn from other cultures

Page 15: Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1524

God Loves Justice 19

munity of God visible But God is also the God who is always

beside us the God who suffers with us the God who restores

our hope Tis is the God who gives us courage to be prophetic

when we donrsquot want to be

Tis is also ldquothe God who dancesrdquo the God who is interwoven

throughout evolution the God who dances at dawn and gives

us hope for the new day Tis is the God who inspires our cre-

ativity our passion for justice and our joy as the values of the

kingdomcommunity become visible and as the poor and op-pressed are treated with dignity

J I R

In I founded the Amos rust a small creative Christian

human rights agency that works with vibrant grassroots partners

around the world One of those Gustavo Parajon (ndash)

was a great friend and inspiration to me and a key mentor to us

in Amos rust A doctor pastor and peacemaker in Nicaragua

Gustavo said

Te Christian faith impels us to seek justice We see this

especially in Jesusrsquo ministry and in the message of the

prophets and so it is very clear that God loves justice It

is an integral part of the gospel Tis is what Jesus didmdashministering to the people that were marginalized and

oppressedmdashministering to the people that didnrsquot count

in his time3

We need a living theology like this that changes usmdasha justice

theology rooted in the way and teachings of Jesus and in the

Hebrew prophets Justice is mentioned more times in the Biblethan we often realizemdashit just gets clouded by the way it is trans-

lated Canon Naim Ateek (Palestinian Israeli theologian from

East Jerusalem and director of the Sabeel Teology Group) has

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1624

20 O

pointed out how the word righteousness in the Bible would be

better translated justice in many instances both in the Hebrew

Scriptures and the New estament We usually understand the

word righteousness as having an individual personal aspect

whereas the meaning is social and political not only personal It

identifies how we should live and care for one another in society

Tis is highly significant perhaps the key point for helping us

understand the way of Jesus and the kingdom of God So when

we then think about the words from the Sermon on the MountldquoBlessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice for they will

be filledrdquo the use of justice adds a different understanding and

challengemdashit sets those words alight

Matthew is equally powerful ldquoBlessed are those who are

persecuted for justice sakerdquo And then in Matthew ldquoUnless

your justice exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees you will

never enter the kingdom of heavenrdquo and further on in Matthew

ldquobut strive first for the kingdom of God and Godrsquos justicerdquo

Tis is a hugely important point because many of us are used

to interpreting righteousness in a purely personal way As we fail

to see the breadth of the challenge of justice we are missing the

message at the heart of the gospel Seeking Godrsquos justice and

living the way of Godrsquos justice is what the Christian communityand the Christian way is all about

T T L

I first heard the term folk theologian at the Dalit Resource Centre

at amil Nadu Teological Seminary in Madurai India Dalits

are those formerly called ldquooutcastesrdquo and ldquountouchablerdquo and

have no social status But these people have embraced the nameldquoDalitrdquo which means the ldquocrushedrdquo or ldquooppressedrdquo Over

million Dalits now struggle for equality dignity and human

rights I rather like the term folk theologian Often when we talk

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1724

God Loves Justice 21

about theology we are referring to it in an academic sense and

yet I believe there is a theology that is more grassroots that is

the theology of ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo It is the theology of

action or praxis theology that combines reflection and action

lived and expressed in the life of the community

Tis turns theology on its head instead of being something

we export from universities in the West we now let theology

express itself in the context where people live So we hear from

the poor and the marginalized we hear the gospel through theirwords and lives and there is something true to the incarnation

of Christ in their situation

Te term folk theologian reminds us that our theology should

not just be from books or an academic context but also learned

from people struggling with oppression Faith or religion too

can oppress But it also has the ability to liberatemdashif it listens

A H A E

A couple of years ago on Christmas Eve I was in India and stood

at a Buddhist meditative center dedicated to Dr B R Ambedkar

Ambedkar was a most significant player in Indian politics a

Dalit who rose up to become the chair of those who put to-

gether the Indian constitution Te center is opposite the ajMahal over the Yamuna River On the wall outside are the

words that Ambedkar wrote to explain his reasons for con-

version from Hinduism to Buddhism It is couched in the shape

of twenty-two oaths he took and he starts off by saying ldquoBy

discarding my ancient religion which stood for inequality and

oppression today I am reborn Buddhism is a true religion and

I will lead a life guided by the three principles of knowledgeright path and compassionrdquo

Ambedkar converted with hundreds of thousands of other

so-called untouchables to get away from the Varna system

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1824

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1924

God Loves Justice 23

and sometimes it helps us understand it better if we move away

from the word kingdom and perhaps think of the community of

God a community that is underpinned not only by the lifestyle

of Jesus but also by the teachings of Jesus and especially the

teachings of the Sermon on the Mount But ldquocommunity of Godrdquo

loses the political emphasis of the ldquokingdom of Godrdquo a delib-

erate use of words by Jesus that go up against the rulers of the

time Kingdom of God challenges rulers dictators empires and

kingdoms because it is suggesting a style of community and astyle of values that brings a revolutionary difference a way of

making community for the benefit of all It is the kingdom

community of ldquolove your neighbor as yourself rdquo and ldquodo to others

as you would have them do to yourdquo of those who acknowledge

that ldquothose who take the sword will perish by the swordrdquo

One of the problems of sharing the gospel message is the church

too often embraces the ldquoConstantinian Compromiserdquo (the com-

promise that the church makes to become acceptable to the

empiremdashin the first case the Roman Empire) It is nice to be liked

to be acceptable within a community It is attractive to be accepted

by those in power but we must never lose our prophetic role We

must ldquoendeavor to establish equalityrdquo (quoting the tenth oath of

Ambedkar)mdashour call is to speak truth to power We must neverlose the double-edged sword of the gospel or the power of Godrsquos

revolution of love which is a direct challenge to the way of empire

B B

Te words justice and peace often go together but sometimes

people try to reach peace before there is justice or even recon-

ciliation before there is justice Te temptation to be ldquoeven-handedrdquo or ldquobalancedrdquo is another danger Tese terms are used

when we would prefer to endorse the status quo Isaiah

instructs us about bringing justice

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2024

24 O

Every valley shall be lifted up

and every mountain and hill be made low

the uneven ground shall become level

and the rough places a plain

Injustice is badly imbalanced and so unless we lift up those who

are oppressed dominated and forgotten and challenge those

who are dominating there will be no equality or justice Tere

has to be a change of balancemdasha change of power I am reminded

of the words often attributed to Martin Luther King Jr ldquoNo one

is free until all are freerdquo and this is why the struggle for justice is

so worthwhile

N D V O G

Lukersquos Gospel reveals something important about the attitude

of God in Jesusrsquo character When Jesus first talks about his min-istry in Nazareth (Luke -) he says

Te Spirit of the Lord is upon me

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind

to let the oppressed go free

to proclaim the year of the Lordrsquos favor

Jesus is quoting here from Isaiah - It is a very close quote

except he leaves out the words about ldquothe day of vengeance of

our Godrdquo which is interesting Te theology that becomes a re-

ality in Bethlehem the revolution that comes to Bethlehem is

not a revolution of vengeance but one that seems to suggest that

a permanent year of jubileemdashldquothe year of the Lordrsquos favorrdquomdashwill

come when justice is brought to people

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2124

God Loves Justice 25

So Jesus sees himself as bringing a revolution of justice as

was foreseen in Isaiah

For a child has been born for us

a son given to us

authority rests upon his shoulders

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor Mighty God

Everlasting Father Prince of Peace

We often forget when we think about the birth of Jesus that

he was soon a refugee his family fleeing for their lives We live

in a world where because of the imbalance of resources people

often have to flee either for economic reasons or because of

conflict And yet many times people are not welcomed by com-

munities that have more resources But ldquoGod with usrdquo whom we

meet in the Bethlehem story is God of the refugee God of theasylum seeker God of the oppressed God of the poor and God

of nonviolencemdashGod of a revolution of love

In Colossians - we are challenged to clothe ourselves

with ldquocompassion kindness humility meekness and patiencerdquo to

ldquobear with one anotherrdquo to forgive and ldquoabove all to clothe our-

selves with love which binds everything together in perfect

harmony And let the peace of Christ rule in our heartsrdquo and with

gratitude ldquosing psalms hymns and spiritual songs to Godrdquo Tese

words are much tougher to do than they might appear Tey are

powerful and even painful words What does it mean to be

humble and meek and to have the patience that will change this

world What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in our

hearts What does it mean to clothe ourselves with loveAt the very least it means to embrace and live by the words

that echo from the beginning of the Bible that every human

being is made in the ldquoimage of Godrdquomdashwe are all equalmdashin Christ

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2224

26 O

the barriers come down It means journeying the way of Jesus

which we see reflected in Colossians and also in the Sermon

on the Mount

Te wonderful challenge of the Sermon on the Mount and

Colossians is to be peacemakers to bring wholeness into a

broken and unjust community to echo the prophets of old to

do justice to show mercy and walk humbly with God Humility

itself is so important because it refuses to dominate it refuses

to colonize it sees everyone through the eyes of God When wefail to do that we deny the gospel We deny the tremendous

message of the incarnation which started in such a humble but

powerful way in Bethlehem in the end people will not walk our

way unless they see the power of this humble just faithmdasha faith

that includes everyone and treats everyone equally

We are called to be a community that brings down the moun-

tains of oppression and lifts up the valleys of justice and right-

eousness so the pathways are made straightmdashas Martin Luther

King Jr was so fond of quoting from Isaiah

Micah talks of doing justice showing mercy and walking

humbly with Godmdashthis relates to the passage in Colossians

where we are called to clothe ourselves with compassion to bear

with one another to forgive and above all to clothe ourselveswith love Tis is the lifestyle of justicemdasha lifestyle of mercy

peacemaking and loving our neighbor as ourself

HE BROKE THE RULES AND BROUGHT THE REVOLUTION

What a wonderful moment when Jesus

reached through the divisions that hold people back

Jesus affirmed the woman at the well in

a world that would not treat women as equal

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2324

God Loves Justice 27

He touched the ldquountouchablerdquomdashreached out to the outcast

broke through the barriers of racism of

class of gender and of caste

Tis prophet was the great rule breaker

He broke the rules that bind people and hold them back

May we courageously follow this example

and exclude no one and welcome all

May our churches be communities that

welcome all and may we understand the

deep joy of a gospel that nails our

prejudices and human divisions to a cross of shame

and awakens us to a resurrection of community love equality and joy

Q R D

1 If you were asked what you think ldquoGodrsquos calling cardrdquo would

look like what would you say In what ways is ldquojusticerdquo a

better answer

2 In what ways can faith or religion oppress How can it lib-

erate in a practical way

3 What are the implications of saying that the word ldquoright-

eousnessrdquo would be better translated ldquojusticerdquo

4 What does the author mean when he says ldquoIt is nice to be

liked to be acceptable within a community It is attractive tobe accepted by those in power but we must never lose our

prophetic rolerdquo What danger is he warning the church or

Christians about

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2424

28 O

5 Te author says ldquoWe are all equalmdashin Christ the barriers

come downrdquo What barriers come down because of Christ

6 Do you find it challenging to realize that theology has been

ldquosomething we export from universities in the Westrdquo rather

than letting ldquotheology express itself in the context where

people liverdquomdasheven though most of the worldrsquos Christians are

not within a Western culture What do you think this means

What can Western Christians learn from other cultures

Page 16: Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1624

20 O

pointed out how the word righteousness in the Bible would be

better translated justice in many instances both in the Hebrew

Scriptures and the New estament We usually understand the

word righteousness as having an individual personal aspect

whereas the meaning is social and political not only personal It

identifies how we should live and care for one another in society

Tis is highly significant perhaps the key point for helping us

understand the way of Jesus and the kingdom of God So when

we then think about the words from the Sermon on the MountldquoBlessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice for they will

be filledrdquo the use of justice adds a different understanding and

challengemdashit sets those words alight

Matthew is equally powerful ldquoBlessed are those who are

persecuted for justice sakerdquo And then in Matthew ldquoUnless

your justice exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees you will

never enter the kingdom of heavenrdquo and further on in Matthew

ldquobut strive first for the kingdom of God and Godrsquos justicerdquo

Tis is a hugely important point because many of us are used

to interpreting righteousness in a purely personal way As we fail

to see the breadth of the challenge of justice we are missing the

message at the heart of the gospel Seeking Godrsquos justice and

living the way of Godrsquos justice is what the Christian communityand the Christian way is all about

T T L

I first heard the term folk theologian at the Dalit Resource Centre

at amil Nadu Teological Seminary in Madurai India Dalits

are those formerly called ldquooutcastesrdquo and ldquountouchablerdquo and

have no social status But these people have embraced the nameldquoDalitrdquo which means the ldquocrushedrdquo or ldquooppressedrdquo Over

million Dalits now struggle for equality dignity and human

rights I rather like the term folk theologian Often when we talk

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1724

God Loves Justice 21

about theology we are referring to it in an academic sense and

yet I believe there is a theology that is more grassroots that is

the theology of ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo It is the theology of

action or praxis theology that combines reflection and action

lived and expressed in the life of the community

Tis turns theology on its head instead of being something

we export from universities in the West we now let theology

express itself in the context where people live So we hear from

the poor and the marginalized we hear the gospel through theirwords and lives and there is something true to the incarnation

of Christ in their situation

Te term folk theologian reminds us that our theology should

not just be from books or an academic context but also learned

from people struggling with oppression Faith or religion too

can oppress But it also has the ability to liberatemdashif it listens

A H A E

A couple of years ago on Christmas Eve I was in India and stood

at a Buddhist meditative center dedicated to Dr B R Ambedkar

Ambedkar was a most significant player in Indian politics a

Dalit who rose up to become the chair of those who put to-

gether the Indian constitution Te center is opposite the ajMahal over the Yamuna River On the wall outside are the

words that Ambedkar wrote to explain his reasons for con-

version from Hinduism to Buddhism It is couched in the shape

of twenty-two oaths he took and he starts off by saying ldquoBy

discarding my ancient religion which stood for inequality and

oppression today I am reborn Buddhism is a true religion and

I will lead a life guided by the three principles of knowledgeright path and compassionrdquo

Ambedkar converted with hundreds of thousands of other

so-called untouchables to get away from the Varna system

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1824

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1924

God Loves Justice 23

and sometimes it helps us understand it better if we move away

from the word kingdom and perhaps think of the community of

God a community that is underpinned not only by the lifestyle

of Jesus but also by the teachings of Jesus and especially the

teachings of the Sermon on the Mount But ldquocommunity of Godrdquo

loses the political emphasis of the ldquokingdom of Godrdquo a delib-

erate use of words by Jesus that go up against the rulers of the

time Kingdom of God challenges rulers dictators empires and

kingdoms because it is suggesting a style of community and astyle of values that brings a revolutionary difference a way of

making community for the benefit of all It is the kingdom

community of ldquolove your neighbor as yourself rdquo and ldquodo to others

as you would have them do to yourdquo of those who acknowledge

that ldquothose who take the sword will perish by the swordrdquo

One of the problems of sharing the gospel message is the church

too often embraces the ldquoConstantinian Compromiserdquo (the com-

promise that the church makes to become acceptable to the

empiremdashin the first case the Roman Empire) It is nice to be liked

to be acceptable within a community It is attractive to be accepted

by those in power but we must never lose our prophetic role We

must ldquoendeavor to establish equalityrdquo (quoting the tenth oath of

Ambedkar)mdashour call is to speak truth to power We must neverlose the double-edged sword of the gospel or the power of Godrsquos

revolution of love which is a direct challenge to the way of empire

B B

Te words justice and peace often go together but sometimes

people try to reach peace before there is justice or even recon-

ciliation before there is justice Te temptation to be ldquoeven-handedrdquo or ldquobalancedrdquo is another danger Tese terms are used

when we would prefer to endorse the status quo Isaiah

instructs us about bringing justice

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2024

24 O

Every valley shall be lifted up

and every mountain and hill be made low

the uneven ground shall become level

and the rough places a plain

Injustice is badly imbalanced and so unless we lift up those who

are oppressed dominated and forgotten and challenge those

who are dominating there will be no equality or justice Tere

has to be a change of balancemdasha change of power I am reminded

of the words often attributed to Martin Luther King Jr ldquoNo one

is free until all are freerdquo and this is why the struggle for justice is

so worthwhile

N D V O G

Lukersquos Gospel reveals something important about the attitude

of God in Jesusrsquo character When Jesus first talks about his min-istry in Nazareth (Luke -) he says

Te Spirit of the Lord is upon me

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind

to let the oppressed go free

to proclaim the year of the Lordrsquos favor

Jesus is quoting here from Isaiah - It is a very close quote

except he leaves out the words about ldquothe day of vengeance of

our Godrdquo which is interesting Te theology that becomes a re-

ality in Bethlehem the revolution that comes to Bethlehem is

not a revolution of vengeance but one that seems to suggest that

a permanent year of jubileemdashldquothe year of the Lordrsquos favorrdquomdashwill

come when justice is brought to people

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2124

God Loves Justice 25

So Jesus sees himself as bringing a revolution of justice as

was foreseen in Isaiah

For a child has been born for us

a son given to us

authority rests upon his shoulders

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor Mighty God

Everlasting Father Prince of Peace

We often forget when we think about the birth of Jesus that

he was soon a refugee his family fleeing for their lives We live

in a world where because of the imbalance of resources people

often have to flee either for economic reasons or because of

conflict And yet many times people are not welcomed by com-

munities that have more resources But ldquoGod with usrdquo whom we

meet in the Bethlehem story is God of the refugee God of theasylum seeker God of the oppressed God of the poor and God

of nonviolencemdashGod of a revolution of love

In Colossians - we are challenged to clothe ourselves

with ldquocompassion kindness humility meekness and patiencerdquo to

ldquobear with one anotherrdquo to forgive and ldquoabove all to clothe our-

selves with love which binds everything together in perfect

harmony And let the peace of Christ rule in our heartsrdquo and with

gratitude ldquosing psalms hymns and spiritual songs to Godrdquo Tese

words are much tougher to do than they might appear Tey are

powerful and even painful words What does it mean to be

humble and meek and to have the patience that will change this

world What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in our

hearts What does it mean to clothe ourselves with loveAt the very least it means to embrace and live by the words

that echo from the beginning of the Bible that every human

being is made in the ldquoimage of Godrdquomdashwe are all equalmdashin Christ

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2224

26 O

the barriers come down It means journeying the way of Jesus

which we see reflected in Colossians and also in the Sermon

on the Mount

Te wonderful challenge of the Sermon on the Mount and

Colossians is to be peacemakers to bring wholeness into a

broken and unjust community to echo the prophets of old to

do justice to show mercy and walk humbly with God Humility

itself is so important because it refuses to dominate it refuses

to colonize it sees everyone through the eyes of God When wefail to do that we deny the gospel We deny the tremendous

message of the incarnation which started in such a humble but

powerful way in Bethlehem in the end people will not walk our

way unless they see the power of this humble just faithmdasha faith

that includes everyone and treats everyone equally

We are called to be a community that brings down the moun-

tains of oppression and lifts up the valleys of justice and right-

eousness so the pathways are made straightmdashas Martin Luther

King Jr was so fond of quoting from Isaiah

Micah talks of doing justice showing mercy and walking

humbly with Godmdashthis relates to the passage in Colossians

where we are called to clothe ourselves with compassion to bear

with one another to forgive and above all to clothe ourselveswith love Tis is the lifestyle of justicemdasha lifestyle of mercy

peacemaking and loving our neighbor as ourself

HE BROKE THE RULES AND BROUGHT THE REVOLUTION

What a wonderful moment when Jesus

reached through the divisions that hold people back

Jesus affirmed the woman at the well in

a world that would not treat women as equal

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2324

God Loves Justice 27

He touched the ldquountouchablerdquomdashreached out to the outcast

broke through the barriers of racism of

class of gender and of caste

Tis prophet was the great rule breaker

He broke the rules that bind people and hold them back

May we courageously follow this example

and exclude no one and welcome all

May our churches be communities that

welcome all and may we understand the

deep joy of a gospel that nails our

prejudices and human divisions to a cross of shame

and awakens us to a resurrection of community love equality and joy

Q R D

1 If you were asked what you think ldquoGodrsquos calling cardrdquo would

look like what would you say In what ways is ldquojusticerdquo a

better answer

2 In what ways can faith or religion oppress How can it lib-

erate in a practical way

3 What are the implications of saying that the word ldquoright-

eousnessrdquo would be better translated ldquojusticerdquo

4 What does the author mean when he says ldquoIt is nice to be

liked to be acceptable within a community It is attractive tobe accepted by those in power but we must never lose our

prophetic rolerdquo What danger is he warning the church or

Christians about

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2424

28 O

5 Te author says ldquoWe are all equalmdashin Christ the barriers

come downrdquo What barriers come down because of Christ

6 Do you find it challenging to realize that theology has been

ldquosomething we export from universities in the Westrdquo rather

than letting ldquotheology express itself in the context where

people liverdquomdasheven though most of the worldrsquos Christians are

not within a Western culture What do you think this means

What can Western Christians learn from other cultures

Page 17: Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1724

God Loves Justice 21

about theology we are referring to it in an academic sense and

yet I believe there is a theology that is more grassroots that is

the theology of ldquoGod with sleeves rolled uprdquo It is the theology of

action or praxis theology that combines reflection and action

lived and expressed in the life of the community

Tis turns theology on its head instead of being something

we export from universities in the West we now let theology

express itself in the context where people live So we hear from

the poor and the marginalized we hear the gospel through theirwords and lives and there is something true to the incarnation

of Christ in their situation

Te term folk theologian reminds us that our theology should

not just be from books or an academic context but also learned

from people struggling with oppression Faith or religion too

can oppress But it also has the ability to liberatemdashif it listens

A H A E

A couple of years ago on Christmas Eve I was in India and stood

at a Buddhist meditative center dedicated to Dr B R Ambedkar

Ambedkar was a most significant player in Indian politics a

Dalit who rose up to become the chair of those who put to-

gether the Indian constitution Te center is opposite the ajMahal over the Yamuna River On the wall outside are the

words that Ambedkar wrote to explain his reasons for con-

version from Hinduism to Buddhism It is couched in the shape

of twenty-two oaths he took and he starts off by saying ldquoBy

discarding my ancient religion which stood for inequality and

oppression today I am reborn Buddhism is a true religion and

I will lead a life guided by the three principles of knowledgeright path and compassionrdquo

Ambedkar converted with hundreds of thousands of other

so-called untouchables to get away from the Varna system

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1824

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1924

God Loves Justice 23

and sometimes it helps us understand it better if we move away

from the word kingdom and perhaps think of the community of

God a community that is underpinned not only by the lifestyle

of Jesus but also by the teachings of Jesus and especially the

teachings of the Sermon on the Mount But ldquocommunity of Godrdquo

loses the political emphasis of the ldquokingdom of Godrdquo a delib-

erate use of words by Jesus that go up against the rulers of the

time Kingdom of God challenges rulers dictators empires and

kingdoms because it is suggesting a style of community and astyle of values that brings a revolutionary difference a way of

making community for the benefit of all It is the kingdom

community of ldquolove your neighbor as yourself rdquo and ldquodo to others

as you would have them do to yourdquo of those who acknowledge

that ldquothose who take the sword will perish by the swordrdquo

One of the problems of sharing the gospel message is the church

too often embraces the ldquoConstantinian Compromiserdquo (the com-

promise that the church makes to become acceptable to the

empiremdashin the first case the Roman Empire) It is nice to be liked

to be acceptable within a community It is attractive to be accepted

by those in power but we must never lose our prophetic role We

must ldquoendeavor to establish equalityrdquo (quoting the tenth oath of

Ambedkar)mdashour call is to speak truth to power We must neverlose the double-edged sword of the gospel or the power of Godrsquos

revolution of love which is a direct challenge to the way of empire

B B

Te words justice and peace often go together but sometimes

people try to reach peace before there is justice or even recon-

ciliation before there is justice Te temptation to be ldquoeven-handedrdquo or ldquobalancedrdquo is another danger Tese terms are used

when we would prefer to endorse the status quo Isaiah

instructs us about bringing justice

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2024

24 O

Every valley shall be lifted up

and every mountain and hill be made low

the uneven ground shall become level

and the rough places a plain

Injustice is badly imbalanced and so unless we lift up those who

are oppressed dominated and forgotten and challenge those

who are dominating there will be no equality or justice Tere

has to be a change of balancemdasha change of power I am reminded

of the words often attributed to Martin Luther King Jr ldquoNo one

is free until all are freerdquo and this is why the struggle for justice is

so worthwhile

N D V O G

Lukersquos Gospel reveals something important about the attitude

of God in Jesusrsquo character When Jesus first talks about his min-istry in Nazareth (Luke -) he says

Te Spirit of the Lord is upon me

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind

to let the oppressed go free

to proclaim the year of the Lordrsquos favor

Jesus is quoting here from Isaiah - It is a very close quote

except he leaves out the words about ldquothe day of vengeance of

our Godrdquo which is interesting Te theology that becomes a re-

ality in Bethlehem the revolution that comes to Bethlehem is

not a revolution of vengeance but one that seems to suggest that

a permanent year of jubileemdashldquothe year of the Lordrsquos favorrdquomdashwill

come when justice is brought to people

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2124

God Loves Justice 25

So Jesus sees himself as bringing a revolution of justice as

was foreseen in Isaiah

For a child has been born for us

a son given to us

authority rests upon his shoulders

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor Mighty God

Everlasting Father Prince of Peace

We often forget when we think about the birth of Jesus that

he was soon a refugee his family fleeing for their lives We live

in a world where because of the imbalance of resources people

often have to flee either for economic reasons or because of

conflict And yet many times people are not welcomed by com-

munities that have more resources But ldquoGod with usrdquo whom we

meet in the Bethlehem story is God of the refugee God of theasylum seeker God of the oppressed God of the poor and God

of nonviolencemdashGod of a revolution of love

In Colossians - we are challenged to clothe ourselves

with ldquocompassion kindness humility meekness and patiencerdquo to

ldquobear with one anotherrdquo to forgive and ldquoabove all to clothe our-

selves with love which binds everything together in perfect

harmony And let the peace of Christ rule in our heartsrdquo and with

gratitude ldquosing psalms hymns and spiritual songs to Godrdquo Tese

words are much tougher to do than they might appear Tey are

powerful and even painful words What does it mean to be

humble and meek and to have the patience that will change this

world What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in our

hearts What does it mean to clothe ourselves with loveAt the very least it means to embrace and live by the words

that echo from the beginning of the Bible that every human

being is made in the ldquoimage of Godrdquomdashwe are all equalmdashin Christ

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2224

26 O

the barriers come down It means journeying the way of Jesus

which we see reflected in Colossians and also in the Sermon

on the Mount

Te wonderful challenge of the Sermon on the Mount and

Colossians is to be peacemakers to bring wholeness into a

broken and unjust community to echo the prophets of old to

do justice to show mercy and walk humbly with God Humility

itself is so important because it refuses to dominate it refuses

to colonize it sees everyone through the eyes of God When wefail to do that we deny the gospel We deny the tremendous

message of the incarnation which started in such a humble but

powerful way in Bethlehem in the end people will not walk our

way unless they see the power of this humble just faithmdasha faith

that includes everyone and treats everyone equally

We are called to be a community that brings down the moun-

tains of oppression and lifts up the valleys of justice and right-

eousness so the pathways are made straightmdashas Martin Luther

King Jr was so fond of quoting from Isaiah

Micah talks of doing justice showing mercy and walking

humbly with Godmdashthis relates to the passage in Colossians

where we are called to clothe ourselves with compassion to bear

with one another to forgive and above all to clothe ourselveswith love Tis is the lifestyle of justicemdasha lifestyle of mercy

peacemaking and loving our neighbor as ourself

HE BROKE THE RULES AND BROUGHT THE REVOLUTION

What a wonderful moment when Jesus

reached through the divisions that hold people back

Jesus affirmed the woman at the well in

a world that would not treat women as equal

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2324

God Loves Justice 27

He touched the ldquountouchablerdquomdashreached out to the outcast

broke through the barriers of racism of

class of gender and of caste

Tis prophet was the great rule breaker

He broke the rules that bind people and hold them back

May we courageously follow this example

and exclude no one and welcome all

May our churches be communities that

welcome all and may we understand the

deep joy of a gospel that nails our

prejudices and human divisions to a cross of shame

and awakens us to a resurrection of community love equality and joy

Q R D

1 If you were asked what you think ldquoGodrsquos calling cardrdquo would

look like what would you say In what ways is ldquojusticerdquo a

better answer

2 In what ways can faith or religion oppress How can it lib-

erate in a practical way

3 What are the implications of saying that the word ldquoright-

eousnessrdquo would be better translated ldquojusticerdquo

4 What does the author mean when he says ldquoIt is nice to be

liked to be acceptable within a community It is attractive tobe accepted by those in power but we must never lose our

prophetic rolerdquo What danger is he warning the church or

Christians about

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2424

28 O

5 Te author says ldquoWe are all equalmdashin Christ the barriers

come downrdquo What barriers come down because of Christ

6 Do you find it challenging to realize that theology has been

ldquosomething we export from universities in the Westrdquo rather

than letting ldquotheology express itself in the context where

people liverdquomdasheven though most of the worldrsquos Christians are

not within a Western culture What do you think this means

What can Western Christians learn from other cultures

Page 18: Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1824

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1924

God Loves Justice 23

and sometimes it helps us understand it better if we move away

from the word kingdom and perhaps think of the community of

God a community that is underpinned not only by the lifestyle

of Jesus but also by the teachings of Jesus and especially the

teachings of the Sermon on the Mount But ldquocommunity of Godrdquo

loses the political emphasis of the ldquokingdom of Godrdquo a delib-

erate use of words by Jesus that go up against the rulers of the

time Kingdom of God challenges rulers dictators empires and

kingdoms because it is suggesting a style of community and astyle of values that brings a revolutionary difference a way of

making community for the benefit of all It is the kingdom

community of ldquolove your neighbor as yourself rdquo and ldquodo to others

as you would have them do to yourdquo of those who acknowledge

that ldquothose who take the sword will perish by the swordrdquo

One of the problems of sharing the gospel message is the church

too often embraces the ldquoConstantinian Compromiserdquo (the com-

promise that the church makes to become acceptable to the

empiremdashin the first case the Roman Empire) It is nice to be liked

to be acceptable within a community It is attractive to be accepted

by those in power but we must never lose our prophetic role We

must ldquoendeavor to establish equalityrdquo (quoting the tenth oath of

Ambedkar)mdashour call is to speak truth to power We must neverlose the double-edged sword of the gospel or the power of Godrsquos

revolution of love which is a direct challenge to the way of empire

B B

Te words justice and peace often go together but sometimes

people try to reach peace before there is justice or even recon-

ciliation before there is justice Te temptation to be ldquoeven-handedrdquo or ldquobalancedrdquo is another danger Tese terms are used

when we would prefer to endorse the status quo Isaiah

instructs us about bringing justice

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2024

24 O

Every valley shall be lifted up

and every mountain and hill be made low

the uneven ground shall become level

and the rough places a plain

Injustice is badly imbalanced and so unless we lift up those who

are oppressed dominated and forgotten and challenge those

who are dominating there will be no equality or justice Tere

has to be a change of balancemdasha change of power I am reminded

of the words often attributed to Martin Luther King Jr ldquoNo one

is free until all are freerdquo and this is why the struggle for justice is

so worthwhile

N D V O G

Lukersquos Gospel reveals something important about the attitude

of God in Jesusrsquo character When Jesus first talks about his min-istry in Nazareth (Luke -) he says

Te Spirit of the Lord is upon me

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind

to let the oppressed go free

to proclaim the year of the Lordrsquos favor

Jesus is quoting here from Isaiah - It is a very close quote

except he leaves out the words about ldquothe day of vengeance of

our Godrdquo which is interesting Te theology that becomes a re-

ality in Bethlehem the revolution that comes to Bethlehem is

not a revolution of vengeance but one that seems to suggest that

a permanent year of jubileemdashldquothe year of the Lordrsquos favorrdquomdashwill

come when justice is brought to people

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2124

God Loves Justice 25

So Jesus sees himself as bringing a revolution of justice as

was foreseen in Isaiah

For a child has been born for us

a son given to us

authority rests upon his shoulders

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor Mighty God

Everlasting Father Prince of Peace

We often forget when we think about the birth of Jesus that

he was soon a refugee his family fleeing for their lives We live

in a world where because of the imbalance of resources people

often have to flee either for economic reasons or because of

conflict And yet many times people are not welcomed by com-

munities that have more resources But ldquoGod with usrdquo whom we

meet in the Bethlehem story is God of the refugee God of theasylum seeker God of the oppressed God of the poor and God

of nonviolencemdashGod of a revolution of love

In Colossians - we are challenged to clothe ourselves

with ldquocompassion kindness humility meekness and patiencerdquo to

ldquobear with one anotherrdquo to forgive and ldquoabove all to clothe our-

selves with love which binds everything together in perfect

harmony And let the peace of Christ rule in our heartsrdquo and with

gratitude ldquosing psalms hymns and spiritual songs to Godrdquo Tese

words are much tougher to do than they might appear Tey are

powerful and even painful words What does it mean to be

humble and meek and to have the patience that will change this

world What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in our

hearts What does it mean to clothe ourselves with loveAt the very least it means to embrace and live by the words

that echo from the beginning of the Bible that every human

being is made in the ldquoimage of Godrdquomdashwe are all equalmdashin Christ

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2224

26 O

the barriers come down It means journeying the way of Jesus

which we see reflected in Colossians and also in the Sermon

on the Mount

Te wonderful challenge of the Sermon on the Mount and

Colossians is to be peacemakers to bring wholeness into a

broken and unjust community to echo the prophets of old to

do justice to show mercy and walk humbly with God Humility

itself is so important because it refuses to dominate it refuses

to colonize it sees everyone through the eyes of God When wefail to do that we deny the gospel We deny the tremendous

message of the incarnation which started in such a humble but

powerful way in Bethlehem in the end people will not walk our

way unless they see the power of this humble just faithmdasha faith

that includes everyone and treats everyone equally

We are called to be a community that brings down the moun-

tains of oppression and lifts up the valleys of justice and right-

eousness so the pathways are made straightmdashas Martin Luther

King Jr was so fond of quoting from Isaiah

Micah talks of doing justice showing mercy and walking

humbly with Godmdashthis relates to the passage in Colossians

where we are called to clothe ourselves with compassion to bear

with one another to forgive and above all to clothe ourselveswith love Tis is the lifestyle of justicemdasha lifestyle of mercy

peacemaking and loving our neighbor as ourself

HE BROKE THE RULES AND BROUGHT THE REVOLUTION

What a wonderful moment when Jesus

reached through the divisions that hold people back

Jesus affirmed the woman at the well in

a world that would not treat women as equal

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2324

God Loves Justice 27

He touched the ldquountouchablerdquomdashreached out to the outcast

broke through the barriers of racism of

class of gender and of caste

Tis prophet was the great rule breaker

He broke the rules that bind people and hold them back

May we courageously follow this example

and exclude no one and welcome all

May our churches be communities that

welcome all and may we understand the

deep joy of a gospel that nails our

prejudices and human divisions to a cross of shame

and awakens us to a resurrection of community love equality and joy

Q R D

1 If you were asked what you think ldquoGodrsquos calling cardrdquo would

look like what would you say In what ways is ldquojusticerdquo a

better answer

2 In what ways can faith or religion oppress How can it lib-

erate in a practical way

3 What are the implications of saying that the word ldquoright-

eousnessrdquo would be better translated ldquojusticerdquo

4 What does the author mean when he says ldquoIt is nice to be

liked to be acceptable within a community It is attractive tobe accepted by those in power but we must never lose our

prophetic rolerdquo What danger is he warning the church or

Christians about

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2424

28 O

5 Te author says ldquoWe are all equalmdashin Christ the barriers

come downrdquo What barriers come down because of Christ

6 Do you find it challenging to realize that theology has been

ldquosomething we export from universities in the Westrdquo rather

than letting ldquotheology express itself in the context where

people liverdquomdasheven though most of the worldrsquos Christians are

not within a Western culture What do you think this means

What can Western Christians learn from other cultures

Page 19: Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 1924

God Loves Justice 23

and sometimes it helps us understand it better if we move away

from the word kingdom and perhaps think of the community of

God a community that is underpinned not only by the lifestyle

of Jesus but also by the teachings of Jesus and especially the

teachings of the Sermon on the Mount But ldquocommunity of Godrdquo

loses the political emphasis of the ldquokingdom of Godrdquo a delib-

erate use of words by Jesus that go up against the rulers of the

time Kingdom of God challenges rulers dictators empires and

kingdoms because it is suggesting a style of community and astyle of values that brings a revolutionary difference a way of

making community for the benefit of all It is the kingdom

community of ldquolove your neighbor as yourself rdquo and ldquodo to others

as you would have them do to yourdquo of those who acknowledge

that ldquothose who take the sword will perish by the swordrdquo

One of the problems of sharing the gospel message is the church

too often embraces the ldquoConstantinian Compromiserdquo (the com-

promise that the church makes to become acceptable to the

empiremdashin the first case the Roman Empire) It is nice to be liked

to be acceptable within a community It is attractive to be accepted

by those in power but we must never lose our prophetic role We

must ldquoendeavor to establish equalityrdquo (quoting the tenth oath of

Ambedkar)mdashour call is to speak truth to power We must neverlose the double-edged sword of the gospel or the power of Godrsquos

revolution of love which is a direct challenge to the way of empire

B B

Te words justice and peace often go together but sometimes

people try to reach peace before there is justice or even recon-

ciliation before there is justice Te temptation to be ldquoeven-handedrdquo or ldquobalancedrdquo is another danger Tese terms are used

when we would prefer to endorse the status quo Isaiah

instructs us about bringing justice

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2024

24 O

Every valley shall be lifted up

and every mountain and hill be made low

the uneven ground shall become level

and the rough places a plain

Injustice is badly imbalanced and so unless we lift up those who

are oppressed dominated and forgotten and challenge those

who are dominating there will be no equality or justice Tere

has to be a change of balancemdasha change of power I am reminded

of the words often attributed to Martin Luther King Jr ldquoNo one

is free until all are freerdquo and this is why the struggle for justice is

so worthwhile

N D V O G

Lukersquos Gospel reveals something important about the attitude

of God in Jesusrsquo character When Jesus first talks about his min-istry in Nazareth (Luke -) he says

Te Spirit of the Lord is upon me

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind

to let the oppressed go free

to proclaim the year of the Lordrsquos favor

Jesus is quoting here from Isaiah - It is a very close quote

except he leaves out the words about ldquothe day of vengeance of

our Godrdquo which is interesting Te theology that becomes a re-

ality in Bethlehem the revolution that comes to Bethlehem is

not a revolution of vengeance but one that seems to suggest that

a permanent year of jubileemdashldquothe year of the Lordrsquos favorrdquomdashwill

come when justice is brought to people

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2124

God Loves Justice 25

So Jesus sees himself as bringing a revolution of justice as

was foreseen in Isaiah

For a child has been born for us

a son given to us

authority rests upon his shoulders

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor Mighty God

Everlasting Father Prince of Peace

We often forget when we think about the birth of Jesus that

he was soon a refugee his family fleeing for their lives We live

in a world where because of the imbalance of resources people

often have to flee either for economic reasons or because of

conflict And yet many times people are not welcomed by com-

munities that have more resources But ldquoGod with usrdquo whom we

meet in the Bethlehem story is God of the refugee God of theasylum seeker God of the oppressed God of the poor and God

of nonviolencemdashGod of a revolution of love

In Colossians - we are challenged to clothe ourselves

with ldquocompassion kindness humility meekness and patiencerdquo to

ldquobear with one anotherrdquo to forgive and ldquoabove all to clothe our-

selves with love which binds everything together in perfect

harmony And let the peace of Christ rule in our heartsrdquo and with

gratitude ldquosing psalms hymns and spiritual songs to Godrdquo Tese

words are much tougher to do than they might appear Tey are

powerful and even painful words What does it mean to be

humble and meek and to have the patience that will change this

world What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in our

hearts What does it mean to clothe ourselves with loveAt the very least it means to embrace and live by the words

that echo from the beginning of the Bible that every human

being is made in the ldquoimage of Godrdquomdashwe are all equalmdashin Christ

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2224

26 O

the barriers come down It means journeying the way of Jesus

which we see reflected in Colossians and also in the Sermon

on the Mount

Te wonderful challenge of the Sermon on the Mount and

Colossians is to be peacemakers to bring wholeness into a

broken and unjust community to echo the prophets of old to

do justice to show mercy and walk humbly with God Humility

itself is so important because it refuses to dominate it refuses

to colonize it sees everyone through the eyes of God When wefail to do that we deny the gospel We deny the tremendous

message of the incarnation which started in such a humble but

powerful way in Bethlehem in the end people will not walk our

way unless they see the power of this humble just faithmdasha faith

that includes everyone and treats everyone equally

We are called to be a community that brings down the moun-

tains of oppression and lifts up the valleys of justice and right-

eousness so the pathways are made straightmdashas Martin Luther

King Jr was so fond of quoting from Isaiah

Micah talks of doing justice showing mercy and walking

humbly with Godmdashthis relates to the passage in Colossians

where we are called to clothe ourselves with compassion to bear

with one another to forgive and above all to clothe ourselveswith love Tis is the lifestyle of justicemdasha lifestyle of mercy

peacemaking and loving our neighbor as ourself

HE BROKE THE RULES AND BROUGHT THE REVOLUTION

What a wonderful moment when Jesus

reached through the divisions that hold people back

Jesus affirmed the woman at the well in

a world that would not treat women as equal

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2324

God Loves Justice 27

He touched the ldquountouchablerdquomdashreached out to the outcast

broke through the barriers of racism of

class of gender and of caste

Tis prophet was the great rule breaker

He broke the rules that bind people and hold them back

May we courageously follow this example

and exclude no one and welcome all

May our churches be communities that

welcome all and may we understand the

deep joy of a gospel that nails our

prejudices and human divisions to a cross of shame

and awakens us to a resurrection of community love equality and joy

Q R D

1 If you were asked what you think ldquoGodrsquos calling cardrdquo would

look like what would you say In what ways is ldquojusticerdquo a

better answer

2 In what ways can faith or religion oppress How can it lib-

erate in a practical way

3 What are the implications of saying that the word ldquoright-

eousnessrdquo would be better translated ldquojusticerdquo

4 What does the author mean when he says ldquoIt is nice to be

liked to be acceptable within a community It is attractive tobe accepted by those in power but we must never lose our

prophetic rolerdquo What danger is he warning the church or

Christians about

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2424

28 O

5 Te author says ldquoWe are all equalmdashin Christ the barriers

come downrdquo What barriers come down because of Christ

6 Do you find it challenging to realize that theology has been

ldquosomething we export from universities in the Westrdquo rather

than letting ldquotheology express itself in the context where

people liverdquomdasheven though most of the worldrsquos Christians are

not within a Western culture What do you think this means

What can Western Christians learn from other cultures

Page 20: Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2024

24 O

Every valley shall be lifted up

and every mountain and hill be made low

the uneven ground shall become level

and the rough places a plain

Injustice is badly imbalanced and so unless we lift up those who

are oppressed dominated and forgotten and challenge those

who are dominating there will be no equality or justice Tere

has to be a change of balancemdasha change of power I am reminded

of the words often attributed to Martin Luther King Jr ldquoNo one

is free until all are freerdquo and this is why the struggle for justice is

so worthwhile

N D V O G

Lukersquos Gospel reveals something important about the attitude

of God in Jesusrsquo character When Jesus first talks about his min-istry in Nazareth (Luke -) he says

Te Spirit of the Lord is upon me

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind

to let the oppressed go free

to proclaim the year of the Lordrsquos favor

Jesus is quoting here from Isaiah - It is a very close quote

except he leaves out the words about ldquothe day of vengeance of

our Godrdquo which is interesting Te theology that becomes a re-

ality in Bethlehem the revolution that comes to Bethlehem is

not a revolution of vengeance but one that seems to suggest that

a permanent year of jubileemdashldquothe year of the Lordrsquos favorrdquomdashwill

come when justice is brought to people

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2124

God Loves Justice 25

So Jesus sees himself as bringing a revolution of justice as

was foreseen in Isaiah

For a child has been born for us

a son given to us

authority rests upon his shoulders

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor Mighty God

Everlasting Father Prince of Peace

We often forget when we think about the birth of Jesus that

he was soon a refugee his family fleeing for their lives We live

in a world where because of the imbalance of resources people

often have to flee either for economic reasons or because of

conflict And yet many times people are not welcomed by com-

munities that have more resources But ldquoGod with usrdquo whom we

meet in the Bethlehem story is God of the refugee God of theasylum seeker God of the oppressed God of the poor and God

of nonviolencemdashGod of a revolution of love

In Colossians - we are challenged to clothe ourselves

with ldquocompassion kindness humility meekness and patiencerdquo to

ldquobear with one anotherrdquo to forgive and ldquoabove all to clothe our-

selves with love which binds everything together in perfect

harmony And let the peace of Christ rule in our heartsrdquo and with

gratitude ldquosing psalms hymns and spiritual songs to Godrdquo Tese

words are much tougher to do than they might appear Tey are

powerful and even painful words What does it mean to be

humble and meek and to have the patience that will change this

world What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in our

hearts What does it mean to clothe ourselves with loveAt the very least it means to embrace and live by the words

that echo from the beginning of the Bible that every human

being is made in the ldquoimage of Godrdquomdashwe are all equalmdashin Christ

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2224

26 O

the barriers come down It means journeying the way of Jesus

which we see reflected in Colossians and also in the Sermon

on the Mount

Te wonderful challenge of the Sermon on the Mount and

Colossians is to be peacemakers to bring wholeness into a

broken and unjust community to echo the prophets of old to

do justice to show mercy and walk humbly with God Humility

itself is so important because it refuses to dominate it refuses

to colonize it sees everyone through the eyes of God When wefail to do that we deny the gospel We deny the tremendous

message of the incarnation which started in such a humble but

powerful way in Bethlehem in the end people will not walk our

way unless they see the power of this humble just faithmdasha faith

that includes everyone and treats everyone equally

We are called to be a community that brings down the moun-

tains of oppression and lifts up the valleys of justice and right-

eousness so the pathways are made straightmdashas Martin Luther

King Jr was so fond of quoting from Isaiah

Micah talks of doing justice showing mercy and walking

humbly with Godmdashthis relates to the passage in Colossians

where we are called to clothe ourselves with compassion to bear

with one another to forgive and above all to clothe ourselveswith love Tis is the lifestyle of justicemdasha lifestyle of mercy

peacemaking and loving our neighbor as ourself

HE BROKE THE RULES AND BROUGHT THE REVOLUTION

What a wonderful moment when Jesus

reached through the divisions that hold people back

Jesus affirmed the woman at the well in

a world that would not treat women as equal

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2324

God Loves Justice 27

He touched the ldquountouchablerdquomdashreached out to the outcast

broke through the barriers of racism of

class of gender and of caste

Tis prophet was the great rule breaker

He broke the rules that bind people and hold them back

May we courageously follow this example

and exclude no one and welcome all

May our churches be communities that

welcome all and may we understand the

deep joy of a gospel that nails our

prejudices and human divisions to a cross of shame

and awakens us to a resurrection of community love equality and joy

Q R D

1 If you were asked what you think ldquoGodrsquos calling cardrdquo would

look like what would you say In what ways is ldquojusticerdquo a

better answer

2 In what ways can faith or religion oppress How can it lib-

erate in a practical way

3 What are the implications of saying that the word ldquoright-

eousnessrdquo would be better translated ldquojusticerdquo

4 What does the author mean when he says ldquoIt is nice to be

liked to be acceptable within a community It is attractive tobe accepted by those in power but we must never lose our

prophetic rolerdquo What danger is he warning the church or

Christians about

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2424

28 O

5 Te author says ldquoWe are all equalmdashin Christ the barriers

come downrdquo What barriers come down because of Christ

6 Do you find it challenging to realize that theology has been

ldquosomething we export from universities in the Westrdquo rather

than letting ldquotheology express itself in the context where

people liverdquomdasheven though most of the worldrsquos Christians are

not within a Western culture What do you think this means

What can Western Christians learn from other cultures

Page 21: Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2124

God Loves Justice 25

So Jesus sees himself as bringing a revolution of justice as

was foreseen in Isaiah

For a child has been born for us

a son given to us

authority rests upon his shoulders

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor Mighty God

Everlasting Father Prince of Peace

We often forget when we think about the birth of Jesus that

he was soon a refugee his family fleeing for their lives We live

in a world where because of the imbalance of resources people

often have to flee either for economic reasons or because of

conflict And yet many times people are not welcomed by com-

munities that have more resources But ldquoGod with usrdquo whom we

meet in the Bethlehem story is God of the refugee God of theasylum seeker God of the oppressed God of the poor and God

of nonviolencemdashGod of a revolution of love

In Colossians - we are challenged to clothe ourselves

with ldquocompassion kindness humility meekness and patiencerdquo to

ldquobear with one anotherrdquo to forgive and ldquoabove all to clothe our-

selves with love which binds everything together in perfect

harmony And let the peace of Christ rule in our heartsrdquo and with

gratitude ldquosing psalms hymns and spiritual songs to Godrdquo Tese

words are much tougher to do than they might appear Tey are

powerful and even painful words What does it mean to be

humble and meek and to have the patience that will change this

world What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in our

hearts What does it mean to clothe ourselves with loveAt the very least it means to embrace and live by the words

that echo from the beginning of the Bible that every human

being is made in the ldquoimage of Godrdquomdashwe are all equalmdashin Christ

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2224

26 O

the barriers come down It means journeying the way of Jesus

which we see reflected in Colossians and also in the Sermon

on the Mount

Te wonderful challenge of the Sermon on the Mount and

Colossians is to be peacemakers to bring wholeness into a

broken and unjust community to echo the prophets of old to

do justice to show mercy and walk humbly with God Humility

itself is so important because it refuses to dominate it refuses

to colonize it sees everyone through the eyes of God When wefail to do that we deny the gospel We deny the tremendous

message of the incarnation which started in such a humble but

powerful way in Bethlehem in the end people will not walk our

way unless they see the power of this humble just faithmdasha faith

that includes everyone and treats everyone equally

We are called to be a community that brings down the moun-

tains of oppression and lifts up the valleys of justice and right-

eousness so the pathways are made straightmdashas Martin Luther

King Jr was so fond of quoting from Isaiah

Micah talks of doing justice showing mercy and walking

humbly with Godmdashthis relates to the passage in Colossians

where we are called to clothe ourselves with compassion to bear

with one another to forgive and above all to clothe ourselveswith love Tis is the lifestyle of justicemdasha lifestyle of mercy

peacemaking and loving our neighbor as ourself

HE BROKE THE RULES AND BROUGHT THE REVOLUTION

What a wonderful moment when Jesus

reached through the divisions that hold people back

Jesus affirmed the woman at the well in

a world that would not treat women as equal

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2324

God Loves Justice 27

He touched the ldquountouchablerdquomdashreached out to the outcast

broke through the barriers of racism of

class of gender and of caste

Tis prophet was the great rule breaker

He broke the rules that bind people and hold them back

May we courageously follow this example

and exclude no one and welcome all

May our churches be communities that

welcome all and may we understand the

deep joy of a gospel that nails our

prejudices and human divisions to a cross of shame

and awakens us to a resurrection of community love equality and joy

Q R D

1 If you were asked what you think ldquoGodrsquos calling cardrdquo would

look like what would you say In what ways is ldquojusticerdquo a

better answer

2 In what ways can faith or religion oppress How can it lib-

erate in a practical way

3 What are the implications of saying that the word ldquoright-

eousnessrdquo would be better translated ldquojusticerdquo

4 What does the author mean when he says ldquoIt is nice to be

liked to be acceptable within a community It is attractive tobe accepted by those in power but we must never lose our

prophetic rolerdquo What danger is he warning the church or

Christians about

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2424

28 O

5 Te author says ldquoWe are all equalmdashin Christ the barriers

come downrdquo What barriers come down because of Christ

6 Do you find it challenging to realize that theology has been

ldquosomething we export from universities in the Westrdquo rather

than letting ldquotheology express itself in the context where

people liverdquomdasheven though most of the worldrsquos Christians are

not within a Western culture What do you think this means

What can Western Christians learn from other cultures

Page 22: Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2224

26 O

the barriers come down It means journeying the way of Jesus

which we see reflected in Colossians and also in the Sermon

on the Mount

Te wonderful challenge of the Sermon on the Mount and

Colossians is to be peacemakers to bring wholeness into a

broken and unjust community to echo the prophets of old to

do justice to show mercy and walk humbly with God Humility

itself is so important because it refuses to dominate it refuses

to colonize it sees everyone through the eyes of God When wefail to do that we deny the gospel We deny the tremendous

message of the incarnation which started in such a humble but

powerful way in Bethlehem in the end people will not walk our

way unless they see the power of this humble just faithmdasha faith

that includes everyone and treats everyone equally

We are called to be a community that brings down the moun-

tains of oppression and lifts up the valleys of justice and right-

eousness so the pathways are made straightmdashas Martin Luther

King Jr was so fond of quoting from Isaiah

Micah talks of doing justice showing mercy and walking

humbly with Godmdashthis relates to the passage in Colossians

where we are called to clothe ourselves with compassion to bear

with one another to forgive and above all to clothe ourselveswith love Tis is the lifestyle of justicemdasha lifestyle of mercy

peacemaking and loving our neighbor as ourself

HE BROKE THE RULES AND BROUGHT THE REVOLUTION

What a wonderful moment when Jesus

reached through the divisions that hold people back

Jesus affirmed the woman at the well in

a world that would not treat women as equal

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2324

God Loves Justice 27

He touched the ldquountouchablerdquomdashreached out to the outcast

broke through the barriers of racism of

class of gender and of caste

Tis prophet was the great rule breaker

He broke the rules that bind people and hold them back

May we courageously follow this example

and exclude no one and welcome all

May our churches be communities that

welcome all and may we understand the

deep joy of a gospel that nails our

prejudices and human divisions to a cross of shame

and awakens us to a resurrection of community love equality and joy

Q R D

1 If you were asked what you think ldquoGodrsquos calling cardrdquo would

look like what would you say In what ways is ldquojusticerdquo a

better answer

2 In what ways can faith or religion oppress How can it lib-

erate in a practical way

3 What are the implications of saying that the word ldquoright-

eousnessrdquo would be better translated ldquojusticerdquo

4 What does the author mean when he says ldquoIt is nice to be

liked to be acceptable within a community It is attractive tobe accepted by those in power but we must never lose our

prophetic rolerdquo What danger is he warning the church or

Christians about

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2424

28 O

5 Te author says ldquoWe are all equalmdashin Christ the barriers

come downrdquo What barriers come down because of Christ

6 Do you find it challenging to realize that theology has been

ldquosomething we export from universities in the Westrdquo rather

than letting ldquotheology express itself in the context where

people liverdquomdasheven though most of the worldrsquos Christians are

not within a Western culture What do you think this means

What can Western Christians learn from other cultures

Page 23: Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2324

God Loves Justice 27

He touched the ldquountouchablerdquomdashreached out to the outcast

broke through the barriers of racism of

class of gender and of caste

Tis prophet was the great rule breaker

He broke the rules that bind people and hold them back

May we courageously follow this example

and exclude no one and welcome all

May our churches be communities that

welcome all and may we understand the

deep joy of a gospel that nails our

prejudices and human divisions to a cross of shame

and awakens us to a resurrection of community love equality and joy

Q R D

1 If you were asked what you think ldquoGodrsquos calling cardrdquo would

look like what would you say In what ways is ldquojusticerdquo a

better answer

2 In what ways can faith or religion oppress How can it lib-

erate in a practical way

3 What are the implications of saying that the word ldquoright-

eousnessrdquo would be better translated ldquojusticerdquo

4 What does the author mean when he says ldquoIt is nice to be

liked to be acceptable within a community It is attractive tobe accepted by those in power but we must never lose our

prophetic rolerdquo What danger is he warning the church or

Christians about

Copyrighted Material wwwivpresscompermissions

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2424

28 O

5 Te author says ldquoWe are all equalmdashin Christ the barriers

come downrdquo What barriers come down because of Christ

6 Do you find it challenging to realize that theology has been

ldquosomething we export from universities in the Westrdquo rather

than letting ldquotheology express itself in the context where

people liverdquomdasheven though most of the worldrsquos Christians are

not within a Western culture What do you think this means

What can Western Christians learn from other cultures

Page 24: Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

8122019 Occupied Territories by Garth Hewitt - EXCERPT

httpslidepdfcomreaderfulloccupied-territories-by-garth-hewitt-excerpt 2424

28 O

5 Te author says ldquoWe are all equalmdashin Christ the barriers

come downrdquo What barriers come down because of Christ

6 Do you find it challenging to realize that theology has been

ldquosomething we export from universities in the Westrdquo rather

than letting ldquotheology express itself in the context where

people liverdquomdasheven though most of the worldrsquos Christians are

not within a Western culture What do you think this means

What can Western Christians learn from other cultures