I am at a conference this week that brings together ministries in the Anglican tradition who are working with the marginalized. These are folks who work to seek justice.

Those who work with people with special needs to working with the homeless to helping the immigrant. It is good work. I love being around people like this.

We meet in a week when Israel is pounding Gaza with missiles for the terrorist attack Hamas perpetrated over a week ago. Political sides are drawn. We’re back to being all in for Israel or all in for Palestinians. And the poor suffer. Regular people just trying to live suffer.

Justice is hard work.

I’ve talked to ministries working in cities that are stretched to limit trying to deal with more homelessness or more immigrants. I’ve heard from rural ministries dealing with rural poverty and that’s like a silent killer because those areas hardly complain but they lack resources at every level.

Justice is hard work.

Bethany Hoang has a little book called Deepening the Soul for Justice. It begins very simply: you don’t start the work of justice by flying at the problem. You begin the work of justice by seeking God.

Without God, we will probably have a distorted view of justice, but beyond that we will be exhausted all the time!

Our God longs to bring justice. He longs to use us.

Every day we have the opportunity to respond to injustice in the world. Hoang reminds us: start by seeking God. He knows the way.