The Prophet’s Message In The Modern Age

The 19th century evangelist, Charles Finney, in his essays on spiritual revivals, wrote that his conviction was that the outpouring of God’s Spirit on the people of America was conditioned by the extent of the establishment of social justice in their land. In his day, Finney was convinced that if spiritual renewal, with all of its ecstatic qualities, was to come to America, then the curse of slavery and the injustices related to the subjugation of women must be ended. Finney, following the lead of Isaiah, saw that at best there should be a connection between spiritual ecstasies in worship and social justice. We need that nexus today! Without social justice, contended Finney, worship would not bring about spiritual revival in America.

The message that we can all learn from Isaiah 58 is that spiritual renewal and true worship must always be undergirded by lifestyles marked by commitments to social justice for the oppressed and efforts to meet the needs of the poor. This is a message that in today’s world is increasingly being heeded. Consider the good news that the Pentecostal movement, which is just a little more than a hundred years old, is showing marked signs of developing an intense social consciousness. In many sectors of this movement, which puts a strong emphasis on possessing spiritual gifts, having the ability to “pray in tongues” is no longer sufficient evidence that persons are “Spirit-filled.” More and more, there are requisites that Spirit-filled Christians should also show evidence in their lives of having the “fruit of the Spirit.” In Galatians 5, we read that at the top of the list is the commitment to living out love. Consequently, in many Pentecostal churches, loving poor and oppressed people is especially being emphasized. Ministries to needy people are increasingly evident in their congregations. Today, Pentecostal churches are now among the leaders in providing child sponsorships for boys and girls in Third World countries through such parachurch organizations as World Vision and Compassion International. Their churches also are highly visible in ministries to drug addicts and the homeless. These kinds of social concerns represent a major step in the right direction for Pentecostal churches as they strive to embrace a holistic Gospel.

There is a reluctance, however, for Pentecostal churches to try to change society by endeavoring to address structural evil through political action. Consequently, they are not too likely to support political efforts to raise the minimum wage or to campaign for a universal health care plan that would help alleviate the fears of those 46 million Americans who have no coverage. Pentecostal preachers tend to support American-sponsored wars that could easily be labeled as unjust. At times they espouse a nationalism that verges on idolatry. There is not much talk in Pentecostal circles concerning such global issues as the cancellation of Third World debts or the ending of trade policies that are hurting people in the developing world.

What is true of the Pentecostal movement in respect to working for structural change in society is sadly also true for a good part of the Evangelical community. While Evangelical churches are heavily involved in charitable ministries that help the poor, there is an evident reluctance for them to work towards changing such social systems as the way public education is funded in America. Generally, public education is dependent on real estate taxes, which means that wealthy townships with rich tax bases have extensive financial support for their schools, while school districts in urban neighborhoods with poor tax bases languish with basic needs unmet. Evangelicals are not likely to oppose America’s military establishment or question abuses in the capitalistic economy. Challenging such structural evils is not common among Evangelicals. They are very committed to ministering to the society’s victims, but are rarely at work trying to change the social systems and institutions that create these victims.

Lately, there are signs that things may be changing with Evangelicals. As a case in point, The National Association of Evangelicals took a bold stand advocating public policies to address the problem of global warming. Their leaders have been calling upon the government to regulate emissions that cause global warming. Their rather progressive position on this matter has earned them some vitriolic criticism from some sectors of their constituency, but the NAE has not backed down. The NAE especially recognizes the relationship between environmentalism and poverty. Their position paper on the environment claims that environmental degradation most affects the poor because it diminishes food production and access to clean drinking water.

Justice is Love in Action

Isaiah’s prophetic call for social justice is related to living out love. If we stop to think about it, justice is nothing more than love translated into social policies. If we are committed to the justice prescribed by love, we will have to acknowledge that charity is not enough. It is not enough to clothe the poor and feed the hungry. We also must change the social policies that make people poor and hungry.

In summary, the prophet would have strong words for those in our present world who are heavy into worship but, like those in ancient Israel, have done little in working for social justice. Worship which has become a dominant part of the life of the Evangelical and Pentecostal churches, must be coupled with commitments not only to loving charity, but also to justice on behalf of the poorest of the poor of the world. The prophet would declare to the modern Christians that if they fail to do this, their people will be faced with the same judgments made by God and articulated through His prophet thousands of years ago.

The proper response to all of this can only be that when God’s people fast and worship, it must be done in the context of love and justice for those who are in need. Only then will what they do be pleasing to God, and only then can they expect God to respond to them and bring about spiritual renewal. Any other kind of fasting and worship will incur the silence of God. Jews in Isaiah’s day had to learn this, and Christians in today’s world must learn this, too.

This is an extract from Isaiah 58 “The Fast that God Requires” by Tony Campolo.

Dr Tony Campolo is professor emeritus of sociology at Eastern University and was on the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania for ten years. He is the founder and president of the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education and is the author of over thirty books. Dr. Campolo has worked to create, nurture, and support programs for “at-risk” children in cities across North America, and has helped establish schools and universities in several developing countries. He is married to Peggy and they have two children and four grandchildren.