I have been intending to write something on the problems with social justice as it's often addressed, but I've needed something to coalesce by thoughts. This excellent post from the pastor of the Well, a community of house churches in Southern California, did just that. In his post, he discusses why addressing issues of injustice and meeting needs through programs misses the point. He says the poor and needy are not statistics, they are souls with needs that can only be met through personal interaction, love, and the Gospel. Money and food can't help someone struggling with spiritual depression or lonliness. I agree completely.

Another point that he mentions but does not develop is that social justice is "cool." I've thought this many times. Social justice often seems more of a fashion and a mood, and not a lifestyle of denying yourself. For many, it's simply a conscience salve. It's very easy to talk about helping the poor and needy nestled comfortably in a recliner at Starbucks sipping a $4 mocha. You can have your cake, and eat it too, so to speak. You can feel like you are helping the poor because that $2 bottle of water you bought helped build a well in Africa, but you never have to minister to a real, hurting African with spiritual needs. In short, social justice makes people feel like they're good at little personal cost.

Besides the lack of personal interaction, my biggest problem with the fashion of social justice is it operates on the philosophy that money can solve everything. Just throw enough money at the poor parts of the world, and poof, all the problems will disappear. On the contrary, foreign aid to many poor countries often results in rapant corruption and abuse. The point is, we can build wells, send medical supplies, and build schools in poor countries worldwide, and souls will still go to hell. Meeting of physical needs is essential, but it can never be separated from the Gospel. As the pastor writes in his post, treating physical symptoms without treating the heart is like treating cancer with tylenol. It will ease the pain temporarily, but it will lead to eternal destruction.

I'm not saying helping the needy is unimportant, nor am I saying  every Christian needs to go to Africa. What I'm saying is true social justice will always cost more than money. Justice, true justice, cost Christ his life. Think about that before you jump on the social justice bandwagon.