“Jesus Teaching by the Seashore” by James J. Tissot (1836-1902); French watercolor on paper.


As a prophet, Jesus challenged bureaucratic


authority because the needs of the people were neglected. But the more constructive aspect of his prophetic ministry was gathering and galvanizing people around the compelling vision of justice first articulated by the Hebrew prophets. In his classic book on the prophets, Rabbi


Abraham Heschel observed that the prophets “do not speak of a divine relationship to an absolute principle or idea called justice. They are intoxicated with the awareness of God’s relationship with the people. Justice is relational, and injustice is condemned not


because the law is broken, but because a person has been hurt.” Justice can be defined in a variety of ways, but in


Scripture it’s a relational term that connotes being rightly related to God and neighbor. Jesus identified the two greatest commandments as love of God and neighbor (Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18, Mark 12:28-32). Those involved in faith-rooted community organizing see it as a practical strategy for building relationships with our neighbors so, through the power of the Spirit, we can act together in concert to work for a world ordered according to God’s purpose.


Pickett is a professor of New Testament at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.


CONGREGATIONAL LIFE • LIVINGLUTHERAN.ORG 15


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