Transformative change
I am realizing how much of the good news of the Gospel is a transformative change comprised of spiritual growth with social justice. Lasting changes will not occur unless both components are present. As I work here, and I see it most clearly with the church, spiritual transformation is necessary for social justice and social justice will not endure without the spiritual transformation. The good news that Jesus preached was as much about feeding the hungry and clothing the naked as nurturing the soul. That said, all Christians are called to join in Christ’s work and to use their gifts to build his kingdom because one person can not embody the total needed for transformation. Secondly, social justice is more than the surface as people here believe. Social justice needs to be at a deeper level than just giving money to a beggar, it needs to look at the reasons why that person is begging or why a group is disempowered and dependent on outside help. Transformative social justice needs to work at various levels of society—feeding the hungry in the immediate time, but concentrating more efforts on helping people feed themselves. For when people are able to care for their basic needs, they can begin to look beyond themselves and help others with both the immediate and the long term. I think that is one reason I really believe in savings groups because it meets people where they are and answers some of the immediate questions but in the long term teaches and empowers groups and individuals to change their lives and their communities.