Awareness

So justice is driven back,
and righteousness stands at a distance;
truth has stumbled in the streets,
honesty cannot enter.
Truth is nowhere to be found,
and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.
Isa. 59:14-15 (NIV)

One of the things Isaiah points to is how justice and truth are wedded to each other. You cannot have one without the other. When “truth has stumbled in the streets, and honest cannot enter” then “justice is driven back.” Our commitment to advocacy requires a commitment to the truth.

But truth can be hard to find. It is often obscured or buried under confusion or lies. Sadly, we each have a personal hand in weaving these lies. In fact, Isaiah points this out only a few verses before our text:

For our offenses are many in your sight,
and our sins testify against us.
Our offenses are ever with us,
and we acknowledge our iniquities:
rebellion and treachery against the Lord,
turning our backs on our God,
inciting revolt and oppression,
uttering lies our hearts have conceived.
Isa. 59:12-13 (NIV)

One of the iniquities mentioned in the list is “uttering lies our hearts have conceived.”

Fortunately for those of us on this path from apathy to advocacy, the next step is clear. We should “acknowledge our iniquities.” That is, we can acknowledge that our own hearts have obscured the truth about injustice and oppression in the world and we can commit ourselves, with God’s help, to opening our eyes to the oppressed. Indeed, many of the world-changing social movements that have advocated for the unempowered, began when apathetic people became aware of a great injustice and didn’t turn away.

Exercise:

Some of the most powerful advances in awareness take place when relationships are initiated across lines of race, class, gender, or geography, between people who rarely cross paths. Identify a group of people you would like to learn more about. Find out the ways they have been hurt or are currently being hurt and reflect on the ways you have ignored or obscured the truth about them. Finally, pray for the Lord to open your heart and mind to learn more.