God Doesn’t Have a Plan B

I received an e-mail from one of my former UST law students, a woman with a deep commitment to social justice, sharing some wonderful and challenging resources.

The title and description of the second is a good reminder for all of us who claim to take our faith seriously: We are God’s plan for justice, and he doesn’t have a Plan B.  We’re it.

With her permission, I share the contents of her e-mail with you.

(1) Re-Imagine the Law audio lecture with Q&A, Dr. Timothy Keller, Center for Faith & Work. He discusses:

• Our call to “cultivate the garden,” i.e., using raw materials skillfully to bring about human flourishing
• How obeying, applying, & producing the law leads to flourishing
• Discerning and repenting of our own idols
• Our need to understand the history of the secularization of the profession and the myth of “neutrality”
• Several other good books/articles that Christian attorneys should read
• His reflections on practical questions about living out our faith, such as in the realm of political activism

(2) “We are God’s plan for justice” audio lecture by Gary Haugen, International Justice Mission (IJM). He discusses:

• How believers are God’s instruments for bringing justice, and he does not have a Plan B
• The importance of obedience in giving our efforts and resources (small as they may seem) when faced with overwhelming tasks
• The importance of exposing ourselves to suffering and connecting with people in need
• Why a reasonably functioning public justice system is a great need in the developing world

(3) The Locust Effect  (book) by Gary Haugen, IJM, and Victor Boutros, DOJ. They discuss:

• Why the world’s efforts to alleviate poverty are seriously undermined by our failure to address the global crisis of violence against the poor
• Four major categories of pervasive violence against the poor, with many specific examples
• How reasonably functioning justice systems were once highly unlikely everywhere, but now they exist for some people in the world–and how this should give us hope and a starting point toward strengthening the rule of law elsewhere

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