The prophet Micah lived in Judah during a time when the poor were oppressed by their rulers and people’s lives did not show that they belonged to a holy God. He warned of God’s judgment, but also prophesied that a ruler born in Bethlehem would set up a kingdom that would last forever. Through Jesus Christ, God’s kingdom is established in the hearts of his followers and advanced through their compassionate involvement with others. Here are some stories of students and chapters who exemplify God’s heart for justice, mercy and humility as spoken through the words of the prophet Micah:

“He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

AEQUITAS
U. of Maryland–College Park
by Kristi Ekman, staff

After Alyson Wrightson participated in the DC Urban Program last summer, she was gripped by what God showed her about his heart for the poor. When she returned to school in the fall, she worked to integrate her new passion into her leadership position in the fellowship at the University of Maryland–College Park.

Alyson designed a program called Aequitas (Latin for justice) that involves a different service project each month. Before each activity, participants are given some background about the injustice in the world that inspires each particular project. Afterward, Alyson leads a short debriefing onsite that includes a relevant Bible study.

The first project we engaged in was a cleanup of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, a national park in DC that is under-utilized because it is in a rough neighborhood. We cared for the environment by eliminating some pollution and discussed ways Christians can be a light by preserving God’s creation. We also cared for people in the neighborhood by providing them with a more beautiful park. Our group was struck by how this simple project encompassed what the Lord wants to restore in this post-Fall world: God’s creation and God’s people.

Next, we worked with Christian Community Group Homes, an organization that meets the needs of elderly residents of DC to help them stay in their homes. Through this project, we learned that elderly people are the most at risk for homelessness. Our service to them aimed at active prevention.

The final project of the semester involved helping throw a Christmas party for Little Lights, a local urban youth ministry that targets elementary school students from southeast DC. We had a chance to work with the kids during the Christmas party and saw first-hand the cycles of injustice and poverty that plagued this innocent population. Our debriefing time was memorable as students entered into God’s pain for a broken world at a new depth of experience.

PURCHASING RELEASE FOR THE CAPTIVES
Northern Arizona University

“Put your wallet in the box,” staffer Sue Mills told the students at the Rocky Mountain chapter camp last May, “and then write down what money you have available in cash and in your checking account.” The total for the camp was $26,116. Sue then led them in a Bible study from Luke 16, a challenging passage about a dishonest manager who is rewarded for acting shrewdly. The students were challenged to think about how they, as a group, could use their money shrewdly to help people enter the kingdom of God. They had many creative ideas about “laundering money for God,” and got excited about turning their money into Kingdom currency.

That night the large-group session speaker talked to the camp about using their resources for the good of the kingdom of God. The speaker mentioned International Justice Mission, a Christian non-profit organization that frees girls from prostitution by using the legal system of the enslaving country. “It only takes a thousand dollars to free one of these girls; that’s all,” the speaker said.

This ignited a spark from the scripture study that morning, and it became clear to the students what it meant to use their money to welcome people into God’s kingdom. By breakfast the next morning, money had been raised from 100 students to free four girls from prostitution, and even more had been pledged.

Since many non-Christians are concerned about social justice issues, students began to see how their participation could be an effective evangelistic tool. They began to get a vision for how non-believers can get involved in the things that God cares about and perhaps move closer toward the Kingdom in the process.

Sue Mills says the chapter at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff takes a weekly offering and gives the money to four different ministries, including a local church that serves a poor area of town, a mission to the Navajos and a slum church in Nairobi, Kenya. The chapter also supports a child through Kids of the Kingdom. Last year the chapter gave almost $1,500 to these ministries.

JUSTICE AT CAL POLY
Cal Poly–San Luis Obispo (CA)
by Craig Weber, staff

It was time for new student outreach, and the students on our chapter’s operations team were focused on reaching the Cal Poly campus. They were making fliers, brewing root beer, planning parties and getting ready to print T-shirts. However, just as they were about to place the order for the shirts, Addie Carr, a member of the ops team, asked, “What T-shirt company are we using? They don’t use sweatshop labor, do they?”

Addie participated in the Los Angeles Urban Project and has become radically committed to living out God’s heart for justice and reconciliation. This year, as a senior, she is bringing her passion for this ministry to the fellowship in her role as the justice coordinator (similar to an evangelism or prayer coordinator). She encourages both the fellowship, and the campus, to respond to God’s heart for justice.

Addie leads a small group that focuses specifically on justice issues in the Scriptures. Together this team plans events for the rest of our students to participate in. Addie has said that her vision for ministry and for the team is for students to “experience God’s heart for justice by having our own hearts broken and then filled with Christ’s love and compassion for the poor, oppressed and the lost.”

It has been in application of the Word that Addie has brought the rest of the fellowship on board with her ministry. Students at Cal Poly tend to be pragmatic, and for many of them “God’s heart for justice” is finally given meaning when they are able to live it out themselves. Last fall, Addie worked with the large-group coordinator to provide opportunities for students to practice what they have learned.

For example, when the large-group topic was “Kingdom Diversity,” the justice team coordinated a discussion on ethnic identity following the large-group meeting. Likewise, when the topic was “Living Lives of Justice,” the team distributed a list of application ideas for the small groups to consider doing together. The justice team has also planned service trips to the Union Rescue Mission and the Harambee Center in Los Angeles, in addition to the chapter’s monthly participation with a local homeless shelter.

Addie says, “It is essential to apply the Word and experience its truth; that is when our hearts and minds are transformed.” For Addie and her team, transformation, both personal and social, is at the heart of the gospel of Jesus.

JUSTICE WEEK
UC–San Diego
by Jeff Pearson and Elizabeth Sargent, staff

The week of November 17 was Justice Week at UC–San Diego. The goal of the week was to engage the campus with the gospel by exploring the issue of justice. Many pre-Christian students are very responsive to issues of injustice and are often surprised by how much the Bible has to say about it.

One aspect of the week was a “graffiti wall” that was displayed on campus each day. It depicted different types of injustice around the world and offered a place for students to write responses to what they saw. One student wrote, “Tell me, what can I do? I can’t stand the pain seen here when I live so spoiled.”

Our next Justice Week II will have a reflection wall for people to bring photos and journal entries about the places they’ve been and the ways they’ve worked for hope locally or around the world. We’ve invited other justice groups who reflect Jesus’ love for justice to participate with our fellowship, even if we don’t always agree with them on how to get there. It’s an opportunity to build relationships around campus based on the common value of expanding justice in the world.