Kingdom Justice

There is a fairly common line of thought that Christians should be involved in 'social action', concerned for issues of justice for and wide. The need for a theological justification of this is rarely felt these days and when it is, it tends to be generally rather tiresomely produced by references to Amos and appeal to the 'goodness' of creation reaffirmed by the bodily resurrection of Christ.

Ho hum.

There seems to be something missing. Isn't there something fundamentally world-denying in Christ's kingdom teaching and actions? I couldn't dispute for a moment that Christ brought the good news to the downtrodden and powerless, but did he not equally deny his mother and brothers? And, to get to the meat of the matter, did he not instruct his disciples to take up their crosses, to lose their lives for the sake of the Gospel and, further, is that not precisely what he did himself?

So, here's my contention. Hear me through to the end. The Church is not called to bring justice to the world. Instead, or perhaps more precisely, the Church is called to give up all claim on this world in worshipful obedience to Christ and in order to love the world. In so doing, the Church is to call the world in its turn to give up its claim on this world in worshipful obedience to Christ and in acts of love for others.

In other words, I suppose this is an appeal for ethics to be considered as part discipleship in Christ.