If Not You, Who?

Several years ago, “Time” magazine ran a cover story entitled “Modern Saints.” And there were several impressive things about the persons described in the article. The most obvious, of course, was the intensity of their love of God. Secondly, they were compassionate in their relationships, sensitive toward other people’s needs and concerns. Thirdly, most of them shared a deep, prophetic concern about social injustice. They were eager to speak out for those who were being exploited by Systems and Institutions, whether they be political, economic, or religious. That aspect of the story was a gratifying symbol of one of the great things that has happened to the Church in our lifetime.

In order to appreciate this fully, we must go back for a moment and realize how deep the roots of the prophetic tradition are in Scripture. Moses, for example — the one around whom the entire Old Testament story is built — was essentially a liberator. The Hebrews were being exploited under the…