“You have been told, O mortal, what is good,
and what the LORD requires of you:
Only to act justly and to love goodness,
and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8
What could be easier, right? I keep this scripture before me as a beacon to light my path. Most Vincentians point to Matthew 25:40 for their guidance: “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers (and sisters) of mine, you did for me.” These words have been bedrock for me as I live my vocation and share with others our Christian call to service. Many people, Vincentians and others, care about their neighbors and work to provide for their corporal needs. As Vincentians, we strive to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, house the homeless, visit the sick and those in prison. All very laudable and Christ-like activities. When we measure how we are “acting justly,” it’s much easier to think and act on these corporal needs or, for some, to give money toward providing for these good works.
There is another component, however, to our Vincentian charism: Working to break down unjust systems which make it much harder for those in poverty to escape from its ravages. It can be challenging. We are called to be a voice for the voiceless. Speaking out and speaking up can be uncomfortable. But if not us, who? It means getting outside our comfort zone, engaging folks in dialogue, sharing information (after doing due diligence to ensure the information is accurate), reaching out to those who have been elected to represent us, etc. Many feel the world is upside down, that we have lost touch with our neighbors, our community, the common good. There are so many injustices in today’s world that it can be overwhelming. I have found it best to just start with one. One that truly resonates with your being. Action does have to be at the national level if you’re not ready. Start with a local initiative in your community, county or state. The most important thing is to engage.
USCCB’s program, “The Two Feet of Love in Action” (Social Justice and Charitable Works) says it all. Providing service for those who live in poverty is a must for those of us called to follow Christ. Working with our neighbors for the common good of all, working to change unjust systems, speaking up for those who can’t speak for themselves (or their voices not heard), stepping out of our comfort zones to bring light into the world – all of these are also Christ’s call to us as people of faith and love.
Allow me to close with Matthew 25:45, seldom used when calling folks to service, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of ones, you did not do for me.”
Editors note: This is a group of Vincentian Family members who meet regularly at the request of the leaders of their respective branches. Their reflections do not represent Vincentian Family policy, but are shared to spur our reflection and action. Look for these contributions the third Thursday of each month. Comments are very much appreciated.
Thank you for reflecting that we need to engage at policy level to fulfil our Vincentian mission to advocate for marginalised people. What direct connection has this group with policy makers? Are they engaging with the NGOs at a global level, Federal/State Policy or local policy?
Thank you Dee for you question. We, the social justice representatives of individual Vincentian Family organizations, are not a formalized group but a collaboration asked by Vincentian Family leaders to share social justice information and activities across VinFam organizations. As individuals within our our congregations and organizations, we promote engagement of our members at all levels of government as well as action responses NGOs and others promulgate. We hope by sharing these reflections on famvin, more of our family members will feel called to engage in advocacy activities.