Habakkuk 1:2-5
“How long, O Lord, must I call for help? But you do not listen! ‘Violence is everywhere!’ I cry, but you do not come to save. Must I forever see these evil deeds? Why must I watch all this misery? Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight. The law has become paralyzed, and there is no justice in the courts. The wicked far outnumber the righteous, so that justice has become perverted. The Lord replied, ‘Look around at the nations; look and be amazed! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it.’”
A few thousand years ago, the prophet Habakkuk cried out to God for justice. Violence, misery and evil were all around him and he was tired of looking at it. Sound familiar? Injustice is not a new problem. Are you tired of looking at it? What we know is that God sees it and He calls us, His Church, to be part of the solution. Allow suffering to speak by not rationalizing it or glossing over it. Give lament a place in connecting with God.
Respond in Prayer
Spend some time right now doing exactly what Habakkuk did – cry out to God about the racism and injustice you see all around you. If injustice doesn’t bother you like it bothered Habakkuk, ask God to work in your heart, to continue to mold it and shape it to be more like His. Pray for Him to make you one of the righteous, not the wicked. For further learning: watch the movie Just Mercy, free on all platforms for the month of June.
For Families with Kids at Home
The future starts right at home with our kids. Today, take a look around your home—do the books, toys, dolls, and entertainment your kids consume reflect the beautiful diversity of the Kingdom of God? What our kids see influences the ways they see and interact with the world. Check out this article about how children learn about race.