It took Jesus’ death and resurrection to unite faith in Christ with social justice, and with him we build community, solidarity and the common good.
For the bonds which unite the faithful are mightier than anything dividing them.
Gaudium et Spes, sec. 92.
By its very nature, love calls for growth in openness and the ability to accept others as part of a continuing adventure that makes every periphery converge in a greater sense of mutual belonging.
Fratelli Tutti, sec. 95.
The biblical vision for society is rooted in a community of love and belonging among all its creatures. The animals are to enjoy the same Sabbath rest as the king and the pauper. James 2:14-26 summarises this vision by saying that ‘faith without works is dead’ so that we have a duty to put our faith into practice by caring for those in need and challenging injustice wherever we find it.
It took Jesus’ death and resurrection to unite faith in Christ with social justice, and with him we build community, solidarity and the common good. So, we must continue to work towards the peace and reconciliation of a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21).
Pope Francis makes this focus on solidarity very clear in his encyclical Fratelli Tutti when he states that challenging the structural causes of poverty is a key dimension of social action:
Solidarity means much more than engaging in sporadic acts of generosity. It means thinking and acting in terms of community. It means that the lives of all are prior to the appropriation of goods by a few. It also means combatting the structural causes of poverty, inequality, the lack of work, land and housing, the denial of social and labour rights (Fratelli Tutti, sec. 116).
When we challenge social injustice we:
Deepen our relationship with God.
Give generously of ourselves
Advocate and protect human dignity.
Going deeper/Further Reading:
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Biblical Reflections for Discussion >
<< Back to Section 2: Social Justice in Scripture
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Our relationship and responsibilities towards creation need to change urgently. We are co-creators of the earth’s wellbeing not passive consumers of its resources.
This section encourages you to reflect on how God guides us through scripture.
The prophetic role of Pope Francis in particular, has challenged us to think and live in radically new ways.
