The Justice Conference 2017 – Report Out
I’ve been concerned about justice from the first time I whined as a child that something wasn’t fair. My parents told me the same thing that I told my kids: life often isn’t fair, and you need to learn to deal with it. Yet, regardless of what life has and hasn’t dealt me, I still have a strong sense of fair play, especially with regard to vulnerable and oppressed people groups. I am stridently opposed to anything other than egalitarianism. Period. I firmly believe that all human beings reflect the Image of God, that all have equal value and worth, and the SAME INHERENT RIGHTS. I believe it is quite Biblical to be concerned about justice.
The Justice Conference is an incredible resource for information and education about current justice issues for evangelicals. It was jointly founded by leaders at Antioch Church in Bend, Oregon, and World Relief. Its sponsors range from Moody Bible Institute to Sojourners. You can read more about the organization here.
This is the second one I’ve attended, and I highly recommend it. I will be blogging in-depth reflections about some of the sessions over the next couple weeks. Here are some initial thoughts and observations.
The speakers were all awesome, leading edge thinkers and practitioners in areas of current social justice issues. While most spoke from the perspective of conservative evangelical Christianity, not all were evangelical, nor even Christian. The completely delightful Rabbi Sharon Brous (Founder, IKAR) was a panelist, while the exquisite Muslim student activist Zaynab Abdi was interviewed. I appreciate the diversity. (Sadly, not everyone does. A rude white man heckled continuously, was finally called to account near the end.)
A wide range of topics was covered, from a variety of perspectives (gun violence, racial reconciliation, Israel/Palestinian conflict, First Nations, public policy, public education, human trafficking/slavery). But this year the focus was clearly on refugees and immigrants, with 2 recent refugees invited to share their stories (Mariela Shaker, Zaynab Abdi), and quite a few other speakers with first hand refugee/immigrant experience. Some relevant topics that were blatantly missing were abortion, LGBTQ, and disabilities. The first two were no doubt intentionally and strategically excluded, while disabilities was probably a simple oversight.
I was very disappointed that Opal Tometi (co-founder, BLM) was unable to participate due to a family emergency. I really wanted to hear what she had to say! Also, I would have loved to hear more from Charles and Siouxsan Bullshields Robinson (The Red Road). The Native American voice is grossly under-represented, in my opinion. I really appreciated hearing Mark Charles’ perspective at last year’s conference. My three favorite speakers (although all were excellent) in order, were Christena Cleveland, Ed Rene Kivitz, and Jenny Yang/Sandra Van Opstal in a close tie for 3rd fav. Trip Lee wasn’t really part of the conference, but he preached on Friday night at the Hillsong concert, and he’s a standout in my mind. He can preach!
Overall, I had a wonderful time. I was challenged in my thinking and inspired to greater action.
What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8