God’s Champions for Justice

I’m pleased to announce Gayle Veitenheimer as today’s guest blogger who is sharing with us how we can be God’s champions for justice–standing up for others as we follow God’s Word. The last time Gayle was here, she shared with us about celebrating our children’s spiritual birthdays. If you missed that post, you can find it here. Enjoy today’s post and let me encourage you to check out the link Gayle provides for the news article about an extraordinary football game. It’s an article you’ll want to read to your kids. Thank you, Gayle, for sharing your thoughts with us.

God’s Champions for Justice

by Gayle Veitenheimer

When my oldest son Ben was in high school, I prayed over him each morning. My go-to prayer for him was that he would be God’s champion that day.

Ben has a strong sense of justice. In class, a friend of his experienced unfair treatment by the teacher. (Not sure why. No judgment. Just reporting the facts.)

Ben defended his friend and advocated for him in an effort to correct the situation.

The teacher asked him, “Who made you his champion?”

When Ben told me the story, it gave me goosebumps.

Yet, that’s what we’re called to do. Be God’s champions in whatever arena of life we find ourselves.

One characteristic of God’s disciples is justice. Righting wrongs when it’s in our power to do so.

When our kids were in school, it was not unusual for me to pull over, (even as my own kids groaned, “Mom!”) if I saw several kids bullying another on the way home. To drive by was unthinkable. I had to intervene.

Standing in the gap for another takes courage. Especially if it means standing up to someone in authority like it did for Ben.

What does justice look like? How can we advance it? Here are three words to help us.

Fair

Justice is the impartial, fair, and right action that conforms to a principle, ideal, or truth. Sounds heady, but even little kids understand fairness. It requires a standard. For us, that’s Scripture. God’s champions demonstrate fairness whether they are playing Uno with siblings or competing in their activity of choice. They call out inappropriate behavior but can express the truth in love.

Like Pee Wee Reese.

Rookie Jackie Robinson took a lot of heat as the first black Major League Baseball player. When Cincinnati fans gave Robinson a tough time, Reese trotted over from his position at shortstop to first base where Robinson was warming up. He put an arm around Robinson and chatted for a few minutes. Reese’s empathy challenged the racist status quo and sought to bring fairness and equality to Robinson.

Care

Justice is tempered by caring love. God’s champions care for others and take care to put God first.

“Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13).

Mercy looks at the why behind the injustice. Don’t stop with the behavior. Seek to understand what’s driving it. That understanding often leads to compassion and to mercy.

In Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables, ex-convict Jean Valjean steals from a bishop who has shown him kindness. When Valjean is apprehended, the bishop covers for him. The bishop insists that Valjean keep the stolen goods and start a new life—as an honest man. And he does.

Share

God’s champions serve. What will meet the need? Food? Clothes? Encouragement?

“The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor” (Proverbs 22:9).

In November of 2008, Faith Christian School, a private Christian school in Grapevine, Texas, was scheduled to host and play the Gainesville State School football team. Faith coach Kris Hogan sent this email to Faith parents:

This Friday night the Lions end their regular season schedule by hosting Gainesville State School. Gainesville State School is a fenced, maximum-security facility with the state’s juvenile corrections agency. Youth in the agency’s care and custody receive individualized education, treatment, life skills, and employment training from positive role models. The young men earn the privilege to participate in outside activities such as sports, by demonstrating an impeccable record in behavior and effort in their studies. The stories of some of these kids would break your heart. They have very few people on their side. I view this as an incredible ministry opportunity for Faith and would like your support and help in touching the hearts of these young men and those who are called to work with them.

These young men will not have any fans outside of the faculty from their school. Their parents will not be there.

Here’s the message I want to send: We love you. Jesus Christ loves you, intentionally created you, and has a plan for your life. You are just as valuable as any other person on planet earth. We are supporting and affirming the effort you have made by earning the privilege to play.

Here is our plan: I want as many people as we can get to come down to the west end of the football field at 7:15 pm and make a spirit line for the Gainesville players to run through as they take the field. I want some LION fans to sit on the visitor’s side and cheer for the Gainesville team throughout the game. We will get a roster with their names and numbers, so the folks cheering for them can call them by name. We will have the JV cheerleaders go to their side lines and cheer for them. We will send them home with some sort of post-game goody bag.

We look forward to your participation tonight.

ONE HEART,

Kris Hogan

Talk about share!

The game made the news (https://www.espn.com/espn/rickreilly/news/story?id=3789373)—and impacted those players for a lifetime (see Dave Thomas’s book, Remember Why You Play).

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

As you walk humbly with God, He will give you opportunities to be His champion.

Are you ready?

Gayle writes inspirational stories and creative nonfiction that encourage kids to walk out their Christian faith. She holds a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary and blogs at www.gayleveitenheimer.com. You can find her on Facebook , Instagram, and Pinterest.

She has been published in Pockets, The Kids’ Ark, SHINEbrightly, and Keys for Kids. She also has a story in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Spirit of America. She lives in Fort Worth, Texas, with her husband and ginormous Belgian Malinois.