Justice

Maybe it’s my Scotch-Irish side that feels the need to pick a fight with dumb things… but here we go. No offense to the song that asks, “Mary, Did You Know?” The answer is yes. Yes, she did.

Mary is the only one who knows God’s promises are being fulfilled in her pregnancy. She had the angel’s annunciation. It was confirmed through Joseph. Mary, who had no power, no money, no husband, no house, and no respect, is chosen to bring God into the world.

Mary knows that God’s heart is for the weary, the oppressed, the anxious, the exiled, and the afraid. God’s faithfulness stretches from generation to generation. Yet this savior is born to an unlikely mother who sings out her joy. She sings a song not just for herself—“all generations will call me blessed”—but for everyone who has ever felt left out or skipped over.

The Christian view of God is a radical one. Like our siblings in Judaism, we believe in one God. In pagan religions, there are many gods—capricious, distant, and largely uncaring about humanity. Unless you’re a demigod or a noble, the gods couldn’t care less. But our God shows up and is “with us.” God chooses Israel generations before Mary sings her song. Her ancestors were an enslaved people picked to be a nation of priests, not to wage war, but to bless other nations. To engage in tikkun olam, the healing of the world.

Mary, did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters? Yes. Yes, she did.

The ancient church shocked their world by caring for their fellow humans. They saw the leper, the outcast, the widow, and the orphan, and they responded. They established poor houses, orphanages, and hospitals. The first hospital was founded by Basil of Caesarea, and it was operated as a nonprofit. Care for others was the heartbeat of the early church.

And yet, in our hyper-individualistic world both then and now, we hear things like, “I shouldn’t have to pay for someone else’s care,” which is the whole premise of insurance. Sorta like saying, “My house isn’t burning down, why should I pay for the one that is?” Doesn’t make sense, does it? Here’s one I heard a lot in the fall with the school levy: “I went through school and don’t have any kids in school. Why should I pay for it?” That attitude forgets what public education is for and dismisses the reality that others paid for your education. Do we want a society of dummies? Selfishly, I want an educated populous. I want to know my nurse to know my dosage because bad things happen when they don’t. I want my wait staff to afford their rent and have a safe place to live. When did we forget this? These kinds of comments fray our sense of community. They chip away at our obligation to one another. It starts to feel like our society is heading toward the warning given twice from the book of Judges: Everyone did what was right in their own eyes.

We’ve all seen the studies—or at least felt it in our bones—that wealth and power can sometimes chip away at things like empathy and compassion. Research[1] has shown that those with higher socioeconomic status can become less attuned to the struggles of others. Traits like manipulation, entitlement, and even a lack of remorse can start to show up more often in those who hold privilege. People with more resources often live in bubbles, disconnected from the realities others face. But that’s exactly where churches and community organizations come in.

Churches are rooted in values of compassion, humility, and service. They offer a counterbalance to the isolation and moral drift that privilege can bring. When you sit in the same pew as someone struggling to make rent, it becomes harder to lose sight of our shared humanity. When you get involved in ministries—feeding the hungry, housing the unhoused, mentoring kids—you’re pulled out of your bubble and into the reality of other people’s lives. That kind of connection works against the moral isolation and selfishness that power can breed.

Churches also provide moral clarity in a world where wealth and status can blur ethical lines. In business or politics, we often reward ambition and ego. But in a faith community, those traits are challenged. You hear sermons about generosity, integrity, and stewardship. You see these values lived out in action, and you’re invited to embody them yourself. It’s a recalibration—a reminder that success isn’t measured by what you accumulate but by how you care for others.

Then there’s humility. Wealth and power can easily erode humility, making us believe we are above others. But churches bring people together across all walks of life. A CEO might volunteer alongside a college student who’s alongside a retiree who’s alongside to someone living paycheck to paycheck. Titles and status fade when you’re doing the Lord’s work, and all that’s left is people working toward something greater than themselves. It’s humbling. It keeps us grounded. I’m thankful to be included in this.

A few days after I got my new title… THE REVEREND DOCTOR Luke Lindon… Bruce Bauer said, “I’m just going to call you Luke.” Yes, Luke still works. God Bless Bruce and for all of you who don’t let things go to my head.

Mary, did you know that your baby boy is heaven’s perfect Lamb? Yes. Yes, she did. And if she didn’t, John the Baptist would be along shortly to let her and everyone else know.

God’s justice is often upside down from the values of our celebrity culture. John is not asking much of us. When John gives us the Christmas greeting we all say to one another this time of year, “YOU BROOD OF VIPERS!” When folks ask, “Well, John, what shall we do?” He says, “Don’t withhold your wages. Be happy with your pay. And if you have two coats, give one to someone who doesn’t have one.” The kingdom of heaven is about a half-step away. It’s not far away at all. Not far from and also upside down from our profit-driven world. Upside down from the ego-driven world. God’s justice is good news—but not for everyone.

If you’re convinced you’re somehow better by birth or skin color or title or wealth, this is bad news for you. If you think you’re special and only want to associate with people like you—those who share your status, power, or privilege—God’s justice isn’t going to feel welcome. As Jesus points out, “God makes it rain on the righteous and the unrighteous alike.” There’s an updated saying I came across recently—Becky Bauer’s t-shirt was the latest reminder—“When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.”

And if you’re sitting there stewing and mad and wondering what this pinko-commie is yapping about… we’re just reading the bible. We’re just reviewing what Mary’s song means for us. It’s just the Magnificat. You’re also mad about it because you have been marinated in an eco-system that has been designed to punch down and blame the poor. It acts like the person making minimum wage is the issue. If we raise it, then oh gee, what’s going to happen?! We can’t have that. I remember when I started working at good ol’ Sears and Robuck. I started in 1998 making $5.75 an hour. And a few months in, they said, “Oh gee, minimum wage is going up to $7.25! What’s going to happen?!” I think I bought a music cd and went to the movies but didn’t buy popcorn with all that extra scratch. That is still the federal minimum wage.

In the meantime, CEO pay and the payrate of the top 10% of society has gone up 7,000% in the same time.[2] I don’t think our problem is someone making $7.25 is our problem. We need to set our sights a little higher.

In Ohio, we have a state minimum wage. Eve is making that right now lifeguarding at the rec center. She’s spending that on Starbucks. She’s not supporting a family. But some people are. And shouldn’t they be able to afford a house in the community where they live? Shouldn’t they have a step up and a nurture without having to travel over 40 minutes? This is not that radical. The kingdom is not that far away. We just have to get our ask right.

Mary knew better than we often do. Her song is a declaration of God’s upside-down justice. It is a song of hope for the weary and a warning to those who hoard power. It lifts up the lowly, humbles the proud, and reveals the truth about God’s heart.

Mary, did you know? Yes. Yes, she did. And she sang about it. It has taken us 2,000 years, and we’re only just beginning to understand the power of her song. This is less Donnie and Marie and more Rage Against the Machine. We have to get the genre right for this song Mary is singing. This is protest. This is punk rock, not easy listening.

It takes a lot to bear God into the world. She did it, so we can do it. Thanks be to God, whose justice lifts up the lowly, humbles the proud, and makes each and every single one of us thoroughly human. And each and everyone of us carries but one label: beloved. Spread that good news around. Amen.

Works Cited

[1] Just a small smattering of said research: Babiak, P., & Hare, R. D. (2006). Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work. Jones, D. N., & Paulhus, D. L. (2014). Introducing the Short Dark Triad (SD3): A brief measure of dark personality traits. Psychological Assessment. Piff, P. K., Stancato, D. M., Côté, S., Mendoza-Denton, R., & Keltner, D. (2012). Higher social class predicts increased unethical behavior. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

[2] This is hyperbole. The Economic Policy Institute in 2023 noted that CEO pay grew by approximately 1,460% from 1978 to 2021. However, a 7,000% increase is plausible for isolated individuals or very specific circumstances, such as stock-based compensation or extreme asset growth like tech, healthcare, oil, and crypto.

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