William Sloane Coffin, noted activist minister now deceased, said, “Had I but one wish for all the churches of America today, I think it would be that they come to see the difference between charity and justice. Charity is a matter of personal attributes; justice is a matter of public policy. Charity seeks to alleviate the worst effects of injustices; justice seeks to eliminate the causes of it. Charity in no way affects the status quo, which is why charity is so popular in middle-class churches, while justice leads inevitably to political confrontations.”

Let justice roll down like waters. Charity is good…in its place. But justice…now justice is a wonderful and awesome thing.