Cultivating Justice in an Era of Polarization: What Burdens the Heart of God?

The opening prayer at the Ash Wednesday service had us pray in unison: “Lord God, our Rock and our Redeemer, help us to love as you love and to have our hearts burdened by what burdens your heart.” I was moved in the moment to wonder, “What burdens the heart of God?”

During Lent my series is on cultivating justice in an era of polarization. It is my thesis that, as Reformed Christians, in all conversations, but especially polarized conversations, we must look first to the Scriptures, look first to God’s heart, mind and will as expressed in God’s words and deeds. And what do we discover in the Scriptures about what burdens the heart of God? The answer is found in the predicate!

For those of us who cannot recall the specifics of our English grammar, (and I couldn’t until reminded by my wife who is taking Hebrew and connected the dots for me!), the predicate is what comes after the verb, as in God (subject) loves (verb – action) ____ (predicate)… but who is the predicate?Here is a brief, not-even-close-to-exhaustive list of Scripture verse on God calling for justice from his people, each taken from a different book. I have highlighted the predicates to make it easier for us to notice what, or more precisely, for whom God’s heart is burdened.

·         Exodus 23:6-7 - Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits.

·         Deuteronomy 24:17 - Do not deprive the alien or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge.

·         Ps 103:6 - The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

·         Proverbs 29:7 - The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.

·         Isaiah 1:17 - Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.  Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

·         Jeremiah 22:15-16 - "Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar? Did not your father have food and drink? He did what was right and just, so all went well with him. 16 He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?" declares the Lord.

·         Ezekiel 22:29 - The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the alien, denying them justice.

·         Amos 5:12, 24 - You oppress the righteous and take bribes and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts…But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!

Who are the predicate in our communities? I am tempted to say, “I will let you draw your own conclusions,” but I don’t actually believe that is how these things work. Let me say rather, “May God’s Spirit direct your heart to be burdened by what burdens the heart of God.”

Blessed to be a blessing,

Brad Munroe