The last four months have been a time of reflection, rest, and refocusing. I’ve had to consider whether my pursuit of justice was something specific to my work with IJM, or something deeper and more foundational to my Christian faith.

I don’t know that the conclusion was ever in doubt, but my desire has grown even stronger to see the church take the lead in helping Australia become a more just society. My work with IJM really gave me an opportunity to hone and sharpen my understanding of biblical justice, and the great blessing churches can discover when they embody biblical justice in their ministry and mission.

Seeking justice can take many forms: acts of compassion and equity in the local community, partnering with organisations like International Justice Mission in their vision to protect millions from everyday violence, helping victims of domestic violence, providing shelter for the homeless, advocating for more just laws, assisting organisations like Tearfund and their amazing development projects, sponsoring a child through Compassion Australia – the list is endless.

One of the most basic questions many Christians ask is whether seeking justice really deserves the same attention as other ‘more spiritual things’. The assumption here, is that there’s an order or importance: spiritual things (like worship, bible reading, prayer, sharing the Gospel) are seen as more important than advocating to end everyday violence against the most vulnerable, or rescuing slaves in a South Asian rice mill, or worrying about worker’s conditions in the factory that produced your clothing. I mean, are those things really ‘spiritual’ things? And if not, should we really be putting so much effort into them?

Here’s the thing: the whole division between ‘natural’ and ‘spiritual’ is not grounded in the Bible – it really comes from ancient Greek philosophy. Of course, that hasn’t stopped western cultures like ours from being heavily influenced by that view which was so prominent in ancient Greek thought. The belief that ‘spiritual things’ are more important than ‘physical things’ comes to expression every time someone asserts that prayer is more important than mowing the lawn, or the soul is more important than the body, or the sacred is more important than the secular.

In the Bible, the tension is always between the ‘things of God’ and that which is opposed to him. It’s a contrast between that which acknowledges and reflects God’s rule and Kingdom, and that which does not.

True: prayer is important, as is the soul, and sacred things can provide incredible blessing. But this is not because ‘spiritual’ things are better than ‘natural’ things. That’s not the Bible’s contrast. In the Bible, the tension is always between the ‘things of God’ and that which is opposed to him (see Eph 6:12). It’s a contrast between that which acknowledges and reflects God’s rule and Kingdom, and that which does not. When we get this right, it’s a lot easier to understand why we should ‘set our mind on things above’ rather than ‘earthly things’ (see Col 3:1-2). The things above are the values and character of the Kingdom of God. The earthly things are everything that does not acknowledge Christ’s Lordship and rule … it’s a huge topic, and one we’ll keep coming back to. But just to bring this home: our struggle is not against physical/natural things, but against all things opposed to God’s Kingdom and rule. That’s why

• when Jesus opened his ministry, he asserted his anointing to proclaim good news to the poor, freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free, and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour (Luke 4:18-19). It’s no surprise to see his ministry embodying the Kingdom of God as he preaches the Good News and enacts the New Good of his Father’s rule.
• when Jesus teaches about prayer, he tells us to pray “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. As we breathe that prayer we’re asking, amongst other things, for the Kingdom of God to be reflected fully in our thoughts, attitudes and behaviour. This Lord’s Prayer petition is really a prayer that we should all seek and embody the kind of justice that reflects the Kingdom of God
• when Jesus was raised from the dead, he didn’t appear in mere spirit form. Jesus’ resurrection was a bodily resurrection. In doing so he demonstrates that physical things and creation itself are as important as anything else. So, the teaching of the ‘the resurrection the body’ is a cardinal article of Christian faith

All this is important, because as we ‘seek justice’ we will often be addressing the life circumstances, suffering, and inequities which impact people in the here and now. Jesus’ teaching and his actions throughout his earthly ministry are compelling evidence that Christians today must also ‘seek justice’. As they work to ‘set things right’ for those who are oppressed and vulnerable, they become a powerful demonstration of God’s Kingdom through Jesus.