Friday 22 October 2010

EVANGELISM & SOCIAL JUSTICE

'Many believe that the job of the church is not to do justice at all, but to preach the Word, to evangelize and build up believers. But if it is true that justice and mercy to the poor are the inevitable signs of justifying faith, it is hard to believe that the church is not to reflect this duty corporately in some way. As soon as you get involved in the lives of people - in evangelism as well as spiritual nuture - you will come upon people with practical needs. You can't love people in word only (cf.1 John 3:16-17) and therefore you can't love people as you are doing evangelism and discipleship without meeting practical and material needs through deeds.'
Timothy Keller, Generous Justice, p.135.