Perhaps the most difficult component of accountable discipleship is doing acts of justice. Devotion and worship seem “normal” for most churchgoers, and compassion comes easily to the caring folks of a faith community. But justice requires time, effort, and determination—and it is often controversial. The issues tend to be overwhelming and complex; the victories can seem small and infrequent compared to the remaining injustices.

So many of us are tempted into “pseudo-justice” projects. We want to call it justice but it is really a compassionate response to a justice issue. We feed the homeless, carpool to work, or buy baby formula for a single parent—without really addressing why people are homeless, why public transportation is inadequate, or why the parent isn’t able to work. We help the poor and marginalized, but we don’t really change the system. And that is what justice is all about—changing the system.

Acts of justice create change. The political ramifications or the controversy related to a justice issue often intimidate adults involved in accountable discipleship. The complexity and size of the problem can overwhelm children and youth. However, with adult guidance and support, children and youth can often achieve small victories.

At the very least, children and youth can understand the difference between acts of compassion and acts of justice. In the process, children, youth, and adults can learn from each other how compassion and justic go hand in hand.

If your group is struggling with the distinction between compassion and justice, perhaps this addendum to Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-35) will help. It suggests some actions the Samaritan may have taken in the aftermath of his compassionate response toward the stranger on the road between Jerusalem and Jericho. This story illustrates how an act of compassion often leads us toward acts of justice.

A Possible Justice Issue
When the Samaritan got home he talked with his priest about the incident. He and the priest called a meeting of the Church and Society Commission. They discussed how dangerous the road from Jerusalem to Jericho had become and how many people had been injured. The group decided to make the road safer. They wrote letters to the centurion in charge of that stretch of road, asking that he increase the soldier patrols and improve the night-time lighting along the road. They instituted a Neighborhood Watch project among the houses and businesses along the road. The Watch group noticed that there were a number of ex-Roman soldiers in the area who had been discharged but had not been able to find a job because their skills were limited to fighting. A number of local farmers hired some of them; a few artisans took others as apprentices. Soon there were no unemployed ex-soldiers unable to support themselves and their families. Within six months, robberies and assaults along the road had been nearly eliminated.

Permission is granted to reproduce this parable for your CD group. Credit should be given to Edie Genung Harris.) Edie is the author of the Sprouts insert in this newsletter and co-author of the book, Sprouts: Nurturing Children Through Covenant Discipleship (Discipleship Resources). She is also a member of the Council for Accountable Discipleship.