Do Justive / Love Mercy
Justice has never really been an unpopular concept; the problem is that no one agrees on what justice means and how to achieve it. So what is God’s paradigm for justice across the epic narrative of the Bible?
Community Practices
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Preparation
Take turns having one person in the community commit to bringing bread and grape juice to share for communion on a given week. If you’re going for authenticity, use matzo (unleavened) bread. But really, any bread that everyone enjoys will do. Your first couple of times taking communion together in community, watch this video together before you take the bread and the cup.
Gather together as a community for dinner as usual, with the bread and the cup on the table alongside the evening meal. Have someone from your community volunteer to lead.
CommunionTo begin the evening meal, the leader will invite everyone to take a piece of bread and a glass of grape juice and will choose one of the following Scriptures to read:
Matthew 26:26–28
Mark 14:22–24
Luke 22:19–20
1 Corinthians 11:23–26
After reading one of the Scriptures, the leader will pray, giving thanks for the body and blood of Jesus. The leader might have everyone take each element individually, reciting the sacramental phrases, “ this is the body of Christ broken for you," and, "this is the blood of Christ shed for you,” before each element. Or, the leader might simply give thanks, then invite the group to eat and drink. With the sacrifice of Jesus in mind, everyone takes the bread and the cup, and then the community meal begins!
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Pray
Gather together as a community in a comfortable setting, then have one person read Genesis 18:18-19 as a prayer over the group, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide your time together.
Recap
When we talk about justice, many of us simply repeat what it is we hear our culture saying, from the perspective of whichever side we live on. But Scripture starts somewhere different: with God creating people in his image and calling us to help every relationship (with God, others, ourselves, and creation) flourish under his good design.
Justice in the Bible is never abstract, it’s about God moving toward what is broken or left out and inviting us to do the same. Abraham’s family was called out of one way of life, to step into righteousness and justice. Israel was freed from slavery and then were told not to forget the foreigner and the needy, to not take advantage of the vulnerable. But when God’s people forgot this and turned away, the prophets cried out for change.
Jesus touched lepers, ate with outcasts, and said that how we treat “the least of these” is how we treat him. He showed us that, in God’s kingdom, no one grabs for power. Instead, everyone gives it away. Justice is not defined by “my side wins.” It’s love enacted for the sake of someone we could easily overlook, even someone we dislike. That’s what makes it both costly and beautiful.
Discuss
First, debrief how last week’s practice went. Then, discuss the following prompts:
How has your definition of justice been shaped by politics, upbringing, or personality?
How does the Bible’s vision of justice add to or challenge this definition?
What would it look like for our church community to treat outsiders as family, moving toward those who are on the margins?
What might you need to stop or start doing in order to practice this kind of love?
Practice
This week’s goal is to intentionally practice justice in a tangible way, even if it’s small, by following the steps below.
1. Name your circle
Take a few minutes and jot down the people and spaces you naturally care about: family, housemates, close friends, community, your church, or close neighbors. This is your “inside the tribe” group.
2. Name the person beyond your circle
Ask the Spirit, “Who is the stranger or outsider in my life right now?”
Some examples:
The co-worker no one really listens to
The single parent in your building
The participant in your program who always gets labeled “difficult”
The immigrant family in your neighborhood
Or someone you’ve quietly written off
Write one name or description. Don’t make it abstract, but make it human.
3. Move from “don’t harm” to “active care”
Justice in the Bible isn’t only “don’t oppress.” It’s “leave some grapes on the vine” (Leviticus 19:9-10). It’s about building in margin so someone else can live.
Think about the person you’ve listed, and ask yourself, “What is one small, concrete way I can move toward this person this week?”
Some examples:
Invite them to a meal or coffee
Offer to help with transportation or childcare
Advocate for them in a meeting
Give a gift card or tangible help without drawing attention to it
Pick a way that you will move toward that person and put it on your calendar so you will do it.
4. Surrender the desire to move toward more power
If during this practice, you feel the desire to grab for power, instead of the desire to give power away, pray quietly: “Jesus, in your kingdom we give power away. Show me how to do this without needing credit, control, or to be the savior.”
If you sense resistance during this practice (“I don’t have time,” “they don’t deserve it,” “this won’t fix anything”), don’t shame yourself. Instead, name these feelings before God and ask him to work within you to shape you more into the image of Jesus.
Come to your next community meeting ready to share about your experience.
Pray
End by having someone read Micah 6:8 as a prayer over the group.
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Pray
Gather together as a community in a comfortable setting, then have one person read the following prayer over the group as you begin your time together:
God of justice and mercy,
you have shown us what is good.
Teach us to act justly, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with you.
Let your love reorder our relationships, with you, with the people around us, and even with our own hearts.
Where we have drawn lines you have not drawn, soften us.
Where we have withheld what you have freely given, make us generous.
Spirit, lead us into your way.
Amen.
Recap
When the Scriptures speak of justice, they are talking about healed relationships that are rightly ordered with God, with people, and with ourselves. The Prophet Micah said that God has shown us what is right, and that it’s to “do justice, love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” These three things (justice, mercy, and humility) are inseparable. So justice isn’t about punishing wrongdoers, it’s about seeking the good of others with humility before God.
Jeremiah reminds us that true wisdom, strength, and wealth are found in knowing God, the one who “exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness on the earth.” Those who know him begin to care about what he cares about, which is doing right by others. Feeding the hungry, defending the vulnerable, clothing the naked, restoring what was taken, this is the biblical picture of justice. It’s not about individual morality or abstract activism, but relational faithfulness.
Justice begins with God’s love flowing into us and then out toward others, especially the overlooked. It’s not driven by outrage or ideology, but by love. Jesus shows us that kind of justice by lifting the vulnerable, confronting the oppressor, and inviting both to the same table.
Discuss
First, debrief how last week’s practice went. Then, discuss the following prompts:
Jeremiah says the thing worth boasting about is knowing God. Where in your life are you tempted to boast in strength, competence, or having it together instead of in knowing God?
The Hebrew idea of righteousness is “doing right by” people. Who in your life would say that you have or have not done right by them?
Jesus invites both the vulnerable and the oppressor to the table, and this can feel challenging. Who in your life would tempt you to say, “not them, God”?
Sometimes it’s easy to forget that God showed us justice and mercy by rescuing us. When you either forget or remember your own rescue story, how does that change the way you treat others?
Practice
On Sunday, the Van City Justice Team talked about a number of ways that we can partner with organizations to serve the people in our city and practice Justice. This week as a community, discuss the idea of picking one of these organizations and committing to serving with them at least one time.
As you talk through this, consider aspects like logistics and timing and how you can include any children who are in your community. Then, make a definitive plan and designate someone to reach out to the organization and set up a time for your community to come and serve.
The organizations and service opportunities can be found on the Van City website at www.vancity.church/justice.
After your community serves together, spend some time debriefing your experience, and then consider how you might consistently practice justice together in our city.
Pray
End by having someone read Micah 6:8 as a prayer over the group.
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Pray
Gather together as a community in a comfortable setting, then have one person read Genesis 1:26-31 out loud and invite the Holy Spirit to guide your time.
Recap
When the Scriptures talk about justice, they don’t limit it to “me and God” or even “me and the people I see.” Justice reaches into the parts of the world we never touch: the unseen stranger, the laborer behind our clothes and food, the created world that bears God’s fingerprints.
Genesis 1 tells us that creation is declared good before humanity ever enters the story. And when God calls humans to rule over his good creation, he’s not giving them permission to just take whatever they want. Rather, it’s an invitation to steward creation the way God would, with kindness, restraint, and responsibility.
Throughout the Bible, God takes personally the mistreatment of people and animals. The prophets condemn exploiting workers and ignoring the poor. God includes animals in his covenant making, and he uses the way he cares for animals as a picture of his love for us.
Our modern world of fast fashion, factory farms, and disposable everything is far from the world of the Bible, but God’s heart for creation hasn’t changed. And we can begin to align ourselves with God’s vision of justice in small, intentional choices: buying less, wasting less, slowing down, and learning to love our unseen neighbors through the way we spend our money.
Discuss
When you think about your clothes and food, where do you feel the most resistance to change?
Can you name one way your spending habits might be out of step with the ways of Jesus?
What emotions come up when you think about global injustice connected to your purchases (shame, anger, helplessness, grief, denial)?
Where have you already taken small steps toward more just consumption, even if imperfectly?
What is one way you could commit to pursuing more just consumption?
Practice
This practice can be done during the coming week, but it can also be ongoing as you work toward more just consumption. The goal here isn’t guilt, it’s learning to live with integrity and hope.
Set aside time for the following steps, as often as you feel necessary.
1. Begin with confession
Spend a few minutes with God, asking him to show you where your habits with clothes and food are out of alignment with justice (waste, excess, indifference, etc.). Then pray: God, I confess I have often chosen convenience over care, and my comfort over my neighbor. Have mercy on me and teach me to live differently.
2. Trace one story
Pick one item of clothing you wear often and learn its story. Look up the brand’s labor info and consider these questions: Who likely made this? Where did the fabric come from? What were the conditions like there? Did the people involved in making this item have a choice? Bring what you learn into conversation with God.
Do the same with a food item you often consume, considering questions like: Who harvested or produced this food? What were the working conditions like for those people? What were the conditions of the animals involved in the production of this food? How many natural resources had to be used to make this? Again, bring what you learn into conversation with God.
3. Make one change with clothes
Some ideas could include:
Buy used instead of new for your next clothing need.
Pause buying any new clothing for a set amount of time.
Identify one transparent brand and decide that your next new purchase will come from there, even if it’s slower or more expensive.
4. Make one change with food
Some ideas could include:
Change how you buy one commonly exploited product (chocolate, coffee, etc.).
Reduce the amount of factory-farmed meat you consume.
Cut your food waste this week by planning meals and eating leftovers.
5. Begin to build new habits
Before your next non-essential purchase, pause and ask:
Do I actually need this?
If I buy this, who pays the hidden cost?
Is there a slower, more just option?
Make a decision about this purchase with Jesus, and be willing to listen if he says no.
Come ready to share about your experience the next time your community meets.
Pray
End by having someone read Micah 6:8 as a prayer over the group.
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Pray
Gather together as a community in a comfortable setting, then have one person read Matthew 25:34-40 and invite the Holy Spirit to guide your time.
Recap
In Matthew 25, Jesus gives us one of the clearest pictures of what justice looks like in his Kingdom. When he gathers all people before him, the criteria for righteousness he uses isn’t knowledge or belief, but love made tangible. It’s feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, clothing the poor, caring for the sick, and visiting the imprisoned. And Jesus makes a remarkable statement when he says, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
What’s striking is that those whom Jesus calls “the righteous” don’t even realize they’ve done anything special. Loving others has become a way of life, not calculated, not performative, and certainly not “for credit.” It’s simply the natural overflow of God’s love moving through them.
Justice, then, isn’t grand activism reserved for the few. It’s ordinary, costly acts of love anyone can do. It’s generosity with our money, our presence, our resources, and our lives. And one of the most immediate justice opportunities for most of us is right inside the church family. It’s our faithful presence, sacrificial giving, and caring for one another. Justice begins in the household of faith and flows outward into the world.
Discuss
Talking about the way we do justice can be difficult, especially when it comes to justice and our money. This week’s discussion will be centered around a candid conversation regarding our finances and how we use them.
Remember, community is a safe space to have vulnerable and honest conversations, so it’s alright to share specific numbers and details about your finances, giving, and generosity. Challenge yourself to be open during this conversation.
How was money and spending talked about in your home growing up (openness/honesty, awkwardness, secrecy, not at all)? How has that shaped the way you approach/talk about money now?
What has been your experience with setting and following a budget?
What makes it difficult for you to want to give regularly of your finances to the church or other justice causes?
What is your current practice of giving money to the church or setting aside finances for generosity? (Do you give a tithe? More than ten percent? Less? Is your giving regular, sporadic, or non-existent?)
How do you think God is asking you to grow in the way you use your money for generosity and justice?
Practice
This week’s practice is simply to set aside some time in your regular rhythm of being with Jesus to ask him about your finances, budget, and generosity, and how the way you use your money does or does not lead to justice.
To do this, find a comfortable, distraction-free area, where you can spend a few quiet minutes with Jesus. Then, invite his Spirit into a conversation with you about your budget and expenses. If you are able, look at your spending from the previous month. As you do this, ask the Spirit:
Where was generosity present in my spending?
Where is there injustice hidden in plain sight?
How can I work toward justice in all areas of my spending?
Is my giving an act of worship, or an afterthought?
How do you want me to grow in giving and generosity?
As you talk with Jesus, take note of anything he says, and come to your next community meeting ready to share about your experience.
Pray
End by having someone read Micah 6:8 as a prayer over the group.
