Do Good

“Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause.” Isaiah 1:17

I usually have music playing in the background during my time in the office. Most often I listen to contemporary Christian music or instrumental hymns. Occasionally, just for a change of pace, I’ll put on some jazz, classic rock or blues. But most often it is Contemporary Christian.

Today as one of the songs came to a close, I realized it had been recorded live. The singer was actually leading worship, and he would exhort the crowd to sing or praise God along with the music. But then he began to say, “Lord, we need Your glory. We want Your glory. We want to feel Your glory. Let us feel Your glory. Show us Your glory.”

Without a huge amount of cynicism I wondered, “What are they asking for?” You see, I’m preaching through the Gospel of John and every time Jesus mentions being glorified, it is always in connection with His crucifixion. When He says, “I will soon be glorified,” He wants us to know He will soon be glorified…by His crucifixion.

And then today I read the first chapter of Isaiah where God is fed up with Israel’s constant religious rituals. He is tired of the New Moons, has had enough of their sacrifices, and does not delight in their offerings of bulls or goats. He tells them their incense is an abomination and he hates their appointed feasts. He will no longer listen, hiding His eyes from them when they spread out their hands to Him.

And why? Because they thought that all their religious activity made up for lives that were careless about doing good. Oh yes, they got an “A” for attendance and a “B+” for enthusiasm during worship, but a flat-out “fail” when it came to living out what He expected. God was not interested in how loudly they sang, how many times they went to Bible study, how many Christian television stations they watched or how many conventions they attended. He had one criterion, and they had ignored it altogether.

“Learn to do good,” He said. I can hear my mother’s voice as I got in my car to hang out with friends, “Have fun…but be good!” Every person knows the translation: “Don’t get into any trouble!” Mom never meant, “Have fun, and feed the poor, please.” We might miss God’s intention as well, so He clarifies.

“Do good…by seeking justice, correcting oppression, bringing justice to the fatherless and pleading the widow’s cause.” When God says it like that, we might wince just a bit. As long as “Do good” meant “Stay out of trouble” we had no problem. And, if we did get in trouble, all we had to do was repent at the next worship service or Bible study and all was well.

I do hope I understand God’s heart for the needy and disenfranchised. But, to be honest, a good part of my time as a pastor is given to reading, preparation, making posters, making phone calls and visiting parishioners. And personally, living in middle-class North America, the true state of poverty rarely crosses my mind. To be sure, I work with local food banks, and help people down on their luck. But, the horror of third-world disease or oppression rarely crosses my mind.

All of this makes me wonder what I mean when I worship and say, “God, let me experience Your glory.” Why not, with the same fervor, plead, “God, let me make a difference for the fatherless and widows.” I have to ask how God feels about our weekly Sunday meetings when, on the same globe, are people who may spend their whole day wondering if they will find a morsel to eat.

“Learn to do good.” I believe it is a life-long lesson, not an easy “Being Good 101” freshman-level class. It is a challenge. It is not a coffee-and-a-bagel Christianity. The best thing I ever did as a Youth Pastor was to take 30 students to a tiny, dust town outside of Reno, Nevada and let them do a Vacation Bible study with the kids there. Not one of my 1500 or more Youth Services had the impact of those five days.

I want to learn to do good again.