40acts: Ready to ActSample

Act 33: War Torn

Throughout any 24-hour period, our news bulletins are dominated by stories of war around the globe. Images of displaced people are commonplace, their buildings in ruins, the rubble-strewn streets carrying tanks and trucks of soldiers. Today is about playing a part, however small, in improving life for those caught up in conflict. This time, when we turn off the TV, it’s to act, not to forget.

In Isaiah 58, what the prophet shares is hard to hear. Those who call themselves the people of God, who call out to God, spending their lives on spiritual pursuits, have totally missed his heart. ‘Day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways’ (v. 2) but something is missing. God looks at their attempts at fasting and corrects them: ‘Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and break every yoke’ (v. 6)? 

Spiritual activity without a real-world connection to the heart of God is empty, says Isaiah 58. It’s worse than nothing. And the heart of God to those suffering around the world is clear. From God’s care for the Israelites struggling under oppression (Deuteronomy 26:6–7), to the vision of a New Jerusalem without tears or pain, God always has and always is moving to wipe away injustice. 

Though we live in the mystery of unresolved suffering, we can know that God is always in our movements to end injustice. ‘Let justice roll on like a river’ (Amos 5:24) is his cry through the prophet Amos, and so we know that there is partnership involved. This partnership, however small, is vital. It could be as simple as supporting groups and charities looking to help victims of war-torn areas. It could be joining a reconciliation movement in a divided area closer to home. Choose to start a fast that looses the chains of injustice, that puts those who’ve lost loved ones, provision, and stability, first.