why a new blog?

I just wanted a place to gather some of the articles and blogs out there on Christian Social Justice.

What is social justice? It is when our compassion for the hurting goes beyond a hand out, and starts asking, "why is this person suffering? Why is this group of people stuck in a persistent cycle of poverty? Why is the gap between the rich and the poor growing, especially on an international level?"

When we explore these issues with integrity, we soon see that many of the same factors that secure our prosperity also entrap others in poverty. So we are all guilty.

What makes this Christian is that our first call is not to political power struggles, but to repentance before God, reconciliation with our neighbors, and a willingness to make personal sacrifices to restore the dignity of others created in the image of God. We trust that our efforts and example will be multiplied by the grace and love of Christ, who cares much more for the hurting, oppressed, and disempowered than we ever will.