May 22. WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY & LAUDATO SI WEEK.  Day 2. “When Justice is done.”    Scripture: Matt 23:23.  “Justice and mercy and faithfulness.  These you ought to have done”. 

From CUW. The righteous rejoice when justice is done. But justice upsets the workers of iniquity. Christians, across their separations, should be united in joy when justice is done, and prepared to stand together when this justice brings opposition. Those who benefit from the structures buttressed by White supremacy and other oppressive ideologies such as patriarchy will seek to delay and deny justice, often violently. But to seek justice is to strike at the heart of the powers, making space for God’s just ordering and enduring wisdom in a world all too often unmoved by suffering.

And yet, there is joy in doing what is right. There is joy in seeking reconciliation with other Christians so that we may better serve the proclamation of the kingdom. Let that joy manifest itself through our shared experiences of God’s presence in community in the known and unknown spaces where God journeys with us.

The religious leaders Jesus addresses in the Gospel passage have grown accustomed and comfortable with the injustices of the world. They are happy to perform religious duties but neglect the weightier demands of justice, mercy and faithfulness. Similarly, Christians have grown accustomed and comfortable with the divisions that exist between us. We are faithful in our religious observance, but often we neglect the Lord’s challenging desire that all his disciples be one.

Challenge. How can local congregations support one another to withstand the opposition that may follow from doing justice?  Pray the Christian Unity prayer and the Laudato si’ prayer for the Covenant Churches.