Injustice In The Heart

Now, in what seems like the blink of an eye, we are confronted with an everflowing stream of culturally relevant buzzwords flowing through our news, our social media feeds, our shows, and potentially our conversations. These buzzwords, if you will, are words or phrases like racial injustice, transgender identity, bisexual or asexual or pansexual, preferred pronouns, white privilege, LGBTQIA+, blackness, and the list goes on and on. 

What is your immediate response when you read these words? Take a moment to note what happens in your heart when you encounter words like this. Do you get angry, defensive, numb, or confused? 

Over the past few years, it’s been hard to miss the cultural wars over prominent tension points in our society in the area of justice. Some examples are: The rekindled fight for racial justice after the killing of George Floyd, the fight for justice and equality for LGBTQIA+ people through things like the Equality Act, and the continued battle for justice for women through movements by groups like the US Women’s National Soccer Team.

Watching these fights happen as a white, heterosexual, cisgender (someone whose gender identity aligns with their birth sex) man has been one of the most challenging, yet formative experiences of my life. In my experience, there have been moments where I’ve wrestled with feeling defensive, targeted, hopeless, broken, and apathetic because I am in the category of people that are considered the most privileged in the world. There are many others in the same demographic whose reaction is angry, combative, and antagonistic. When one takes a step back, neither way looks correct. So what is the best way to respond?

As I’ve thoroughly reflected on my heart, my past, my upbringing, my reactions of defensiveness or confusion, and my journey with Christ, Philippians 2:1-5 has gently echoed in my mind. In this passage Paul writes to the church at Philippi, “If, then, there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, make my joy complete by thinking the same way, having the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others. Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus.”

What is the attitude of Christ? He cares about justice, a lot (Isaiah 61:8). He cares about truth, a lot (John 8:31-32). He cares about compassion and understanding, a lot (Exodus 34:6, Mark 6:34). He cares about reconciliation, a lot (Colossians 3:13, 2 Corinthians 5:18-20). 

Proverbs 16:2 brings a reality to our attention. It reminds us, “all a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord.” Therefore, we must submit our ideology, beliefs, or reactive thoughts of “I’m not racist or biased or unjust,” to the One who looks at the heart and knows its motives. It’s in that place that we humbly allow our attitudes towards justice to be transformed into the one Jesus lived out. It’s when we don’t that injustice begins.

In my process of self-examination and walking with some teenagers in our church over the years, here are the two main things that I have taken away from my own process to see and treat others with the attitude of Christ. 

• Injustice first happens in the heart before it ever happens at the expense of someone else. The root cause of this injustice is pride and a symptom of this pandemic that has infected the hearts of so many like myself, is an unwillingness to be wrong. It looks like ideology over empathy, or judgment over mercy, and the insatiable desire to prove oneself “right.” This pride in our hearts is injustice because it degrades our ability to see people like Jesus himself does. 

• I must never discount another person’s experience in life. There are many things that people walk through and experience that I, myself, will never fully understand because it’s not something I have experienced. I haven’t experienced racial prejudice, gender dysphoria, or fear of judgement being attracted to someone of the same sex. Jesus sees people who carry stories like this and others that are laced with pain, trauma, shame, and weariness. Injustice is when we cannot take steps to see and love them all, as we love ourselves.  

The good news is Jesus humbled Himself and became obedient to death on a cross to redeem the injustice in our heart so that we can have the attitude and convictions of Christ. He embodied love perfectly towards all people. The compassion of Jesus is on full display in moments like meeting the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11), washing the disciples feet (John 13: 1-17) or reclining at the table with Zaccheus (Luke 19:1-10). His attitude flows from His humility. One that breeds healing instead of shame and unity instead of indignation. In His compassion, Jesus wants to transform our imperfection to become like Him too. It all begins with our willingness to humble ourselves so that the injustice inside our hearts may be addressed.

Culture isn’t slowing down. We can’t run from or pretend we don’t hear the cries of humans across the world longing for justice. The only thing we can dismiss is the pride likely to take root in our own heart. There begins a dangerous breeding ground for injustice that Jesus loves to transform into an attitude like His own. May we all allow the “Gardener” that Jesus talks about in John 15:1 to do what He does and prune away the calloused, merciless, broken parts of our hearts to make us more like Himself. From there an everflowing stream of compassion, grace, and unity can flow to the hurting people around us.