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Keeping the Faith in Rural America:
A local and national conversation
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Scripture and Social Justice
Hebrew Scripture
Amos
2:6-7 The unjust trample on the heads of ordinary people
5:10-15 Hate what is evil, do right; establish justice
6:1, 3-6 Woe to the complacent and oppressive rich
8:4-7 The powerful trample on the poor and needy
1 Chronicles
29:10-14 We only give back to God what God has first given us
Deuteronomy
3:74-81 Inviting creation to praise God’s goodness
5 God’s covenant with all alive today; have no other gods before me
24:19-22 Remember the poor while harvesting & gleaning
Ecclesiastes
4:1-3 The power of oppressors and the weak
Exodus
3:1-20 God as liberator; frees God’s people from economic and political oppression
6:2-13 God the liberator
9:12-17 Earth is God’s gift to all creatures
17:1-7 Water from the rock
22:25-27 Mercy and kindness toward neighbor
23:6-8 Legal systems should judge fairly
Ezekiel
34:1-16 Responsibilities of religious and civil leaders and authorities
34:17-23 Must you foul that which need?
47:1-12 Cooperation of human with land & water
Leviticus
19:9-18 Treat your neighbor with justice and mercy; love your neighbor as yourself
25 restoring the original balance between land and people
25:8ff Holy year of jubilee; economic restoration
25:23-28 The land belongs to the Lord; you are strangers and guests
26:16-22 consequences of departing from God’s way
Malachi
4:1 Can degraded offerings be sacred?
Micah
6:8 Act justly, love tenderly, walk humbly with God
Nehemiah
9:6 God has provided all we have
Proverbs
8:22-31 God’s wisdom and power present in all unfolding of creation
17:5 In making fun of the poor you insult the Creator (dignity)
19:17 The Lord will pay back what you give to the poor
21:3 Justice is more pleasing than sacrifice
21:13 Listen to the cry of the poor or your cry for help will not be heard
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Genesis
1:1-31 The story of creation; call to stewardship of the earth
1: 27-30 God’s wonderful creation is good. God instructs us to tend creation.
1:26-27 Humans created in the image of God
1:31 God saw all creation as very good
2:15 responsible to safeguard and enhance the created world
2-3 & 6-9 alienation of humans from nature
9:9-10 a new covenant with all creation
9:16-17 Earth is a gift to all creatures
Habakkuk
2:6-9 Trouble will come to those who exploit
Hosea
4:1b-3 Injustice results in suffering for all creation
Isaiah
3:13-15 Grinding the face of the poor
5:1-7 God’s people produce the bitter fruit of injustice
5:8-9 Woe to those who hoard riches
10:1-2 Bad legislators’ denial of human rights
11:6 Invitation to participate in God’s mission
29:13 Change of heart requires more than lip service
32:16-17 Justice will bring peace
43:18-21 God sustains all creation in God’s way
55:1 All invited to natural abundance
61:1-2 Mission of Christ foretold, good news to the poor; liberation
65 Humans in a vision of a new creation
Judith
16:13-15 God as agent of creative providential activity
22:22-23 Do not rob or injure the poor
31:8-9 Be an advocate for the voiceless
22:22-23 Do not rob or injure the poor
31:8-9 Be an advocate for the voiceless
Psalms
8:5-9 Human responsibility to all creation
19 God reveals Godself in creation & God’s law
24:1ff God alone is sovereign over the earth
29 God reveals Godself in creation
41:1-3 Regard for the lowly and the poor
65:9-13 God’s care for creation
72:1-4 God liberates and defends the poor and oppressed, justice flourishes in God’s day
104 Praise of God the Creator
119:36 Distribution of wealth
140:12 God defends the cause of the poor
148 All creation praises the Lord
Tobit
4:16-17 Treat others as you would be treated
Wisdom
11:24 God loves all creation
12:1 God’s spirit in all creation
13:5 God revealed in creation
Zechariah
7:9-10 Justice and mercy
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Christian Scripture
Acts
4:18-22 Obey God rather than people
4:32-35 True Christian community’ possessions shared
14:17 God’s presence in nature; CR
16:16-24 suffering by the public and imprisonment for preaching the truth; causing a disturbance
17:1-9 Paul thrown into jail for preaching Jesus and calling for change
13 Love as the Christian lifestyle
2 Corinthians
4:7 God’s power working in and through us
6:6 The qualities of a servant
Ephesians
4:11-16 The base for ministry is the community; the whole body grows and is built up by love
4:23-24 Put aside old misdirected ways for a new, fresh way of thinking
Galatians
5:1 You have been called to live in freedom
5:13-15 Use your freedom to serve others’ love fulfills the law
5:22-23 The fruits of the Holy Spirit
6:2 Bear one another’s burdens
Hebrews
10:24-25 Concern in Christian community
James
1:22-27 Be doers, not only hearers of the word
2:1-9 Love your neighbor, treat all with dignity
2:14-17 Faith without actions is dead
3:13-18 Peacemakers follow true wisdom
5:1-6 Riches obtained unjustly bring misery
John
4 Jesus honors everyone with personal relationship
13:34-35 Love – the distinctive characteristic of Christians
14:10-17 Those who believe in Christ will do the same and greater works through the power of the Spirit
1 John
4:7-12 If we love one another, God’s love is made perfect in us
4:19-21 We can’t love God without loving neighbor
Philippians
2:1-11 Unity and service; be a servant like Christ
Revelations
1-2 CR
21:1-6 The new heaven and the new earth
21 CR
22 CR
Romans
1:20 AH
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Colossians
1:19-20 Christ reconciled all creation
1:21-23 We’re blessed as long as we stick to the Gospel.
1 Corinthians
11:17-34 Dishonoring the Lord’s supper, division in the community
12:7-11 The gifts of the Holy Spirit are tools for building Christian community
12:24-26 If one suffers. All suffer
Luke
4:16-30 Jesus announces his mission to liberate people
6:20-26 Beatitudes, condemnation of oppressive and complacent rich
6:27-35 Make peace through nonviolence and love of enemies
6:46-49 Combine prayer with action
10:25-37 The Good Samaritan
12:13-21 A person’s worth is not determined by how much one owns
14:7-14 Humility and hospitality
22:24-27 Be a servant
24:49 Christ empowers us to continue his work
Mark
6:30-37 Give them something to eat yourself
9:35; 10:41-45 Be servant
10:17-31 An invitation to poverty
Matthew
5:1-11 Sermon on the Mount
5:13-16 Salt and light for the world
5:23-25 Forgiveness and reconciliation
6:10 Do God’s will, build the Kingdom
7:21 Combine prayer with action
10:37-39 Take up the cross daily; lose life to gain life
12:46-50 Do God’s will
15:32 Compassion and a sense of responsibility (feeding 4000)
23:23-24 Don’t neglect justice and mercy
25:12-30 The parable of the three servants
25:31-46 The last judgement; whatever we do to our neighbor, we do to Christ (works of mercy)
28:18-20 Make disciples of all
1 Peter
4:7-11 Put your gifts at the service of others
2 Peter
3:10 AH
8:22 CR
12:9-13; 16-17 One body in Christ, serving others
12:10-18 Make hospitality your special care; make friends with the poor
13:8-10 Our only debt is to love one another
14:17-19 The kingdom is justice, peace, and joy
1 Thessalonians
5:12-18 The demands of community life
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Adapted from Justice. Don Bosco Multimedia. Eds. T. Bright and J. Roberto 1990
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