Posted on by Mark Schaefer

Making a Difference

See, it is not enough for us to opt out of actively supporting evil things and unjust systems, if we are passively supporting them in other ways. It’s not enough to decry racism if we don’t examine how we might be unwittingly perpetuating racial injustice. It’s not enough to decry the plight of the poor if we don’t examine how we might be unwittingly perpetuating economic inequality. It’s not enough for us to decry the harm being done to God’s Creation if we don’t examine our own unwitting complicity in the environmental crisis. If we would truly live out our mission to make a difference then we have to be willing to examine that complicity.

Posted on by Mark Schaefer

Complicit

dictionary entry for the word "complicit"

As Christians, we cannot content ourselves to ensuring that we as individuals are nice people, bearing no one ill-will on account of their race, so long as unjust structures exist and so long as the background noise of our culture allows violent racists and extremists to arise. In our baptismal and membership vows is the commitment to “resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever form they present themselves.” And they’ve been presenting themselves a lot lately.