The pursuit of justice is not merely a social cause; it’s a core mission of the church. This A Time for Justice Viewing Guide explores why believers are called to lead the way in fighting for freedom and righteousness in our world today.
In 2010, God guided my church to care for orphans, single mothers, stateless children, and trafficked women and girls. This journey led me to create “Save My Seoul,” a documentary on sex trafficking in South Korea. Interviewing survivors, like a 13-year-old girl named Jinny who endured horrific abuse from a young age, revealed the urgent need for action. This evil of human trafficking and modern-day slavery isn’t confined to Asia; it’s a global issue, even in the United States.
When I started addressing this issue, I faced opposition, even from fellow pastors. However, Scripture and the needs of the community made it clear that pursuing justice and loving the vulnerable was essential. Believers are called to be leaders in the pursuit of justice. Here are several reasons why, as explored in this A Time for Justice Viewing Guide.
The Mission of God
This A Time for Justice Viewing Guide emphasizes that pursuing justice is the very mission of God. The church must lead the fight against evil, because true freedom and justice come through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Physical bondage stems from spiritual bondage to sin, and only Christ offers ultimate liberation. Jesus’ mission, as proclaimed in Luke 4:18-19, was to bring good news to the poor, liberty to the captives, and freedom to the oppressed. This mission extends to us, the church, possessing the sole source of true freedom.
Human trafficking and modern-day slavery are rooted in heart, moral, and spiritual issues: the lust of the exploiters, the greed of the traffickers, and the self-hatred of the victims. Christ can free everyone. We must declare and demonstrate the gospel, letting our light shine through both words and actions. As Psalm 89:14 reminds us, justice and righteousness are the foundation of God’s throne.
The Voice of God
This A Time for Justice Viewing Guide highlights that pursuing justice is the voice of God. We must be more than a “voice for the voiceless”; we must be the voice of God to the world. Answering the cry of the victim means answering God’s call to see justice flow like a river (Amos 5:24). God’s voice, as proclaimed in Isaiah 1:17, urges us to learn to do good, seek justice, correct oppression, and bring justice to the vulnerable.
Psalm 82:3 commands us to give justice to the weak and fatherless, maintain the rights of the afflicted and destitute, and rescue them from the wicked. This is God’s heart that must be heard through his church. In South Korea, women are heavily trafficked into Australia and Japan, and were once the most trafficked group into the U.S. Despite these injustices, the Korean church often remains uninvolved. This affects every aspect of ministry.
Victims need to hear God’s voice through the church: “You are loved! You are precious! You are beautiful! You are not trash. You are not forgotten!” This truth, spoken with God’s heart, can set people free.
The Image of God
As this A Time for Justice Viewing Guide points out, pursuing justice reflects the image of God. Psalm 146:5-9 describes a God who executes justice for the oppressed, feeds the hungry, sets prisoners free, and upholds the vulnerable.
God cares for the poor, orphan, and widow (Psalm 103:6; Deut. 27:19; Deut. 10:17–18). Caring for them is caring for Him (Matthew 25). God’s goodness shines through our good works. If the church fails to lead in the pursuit of justice, the world will reflect Jesus more than we do.
We’ve outsourced vulnerability and justice to NGOs, nonprofits, and the government. While these organizations play a role, God mandates the church to care for the orphan (James 1:27) and the poor. Justice is simply loving our neighbor as ourselves.
The Move of God
This A Time for Justice Viewing Guide suggests that pursuing justice is the move of God in our generation. Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us that there is a time for every matter under heaven. God seeks people to respond to his call for justice. Throughout history, whenever God’s people have been effective as salt and light, there has been less social decay and more social uplift.
Figures like John Wesley and William Wilberforce demonstrate this. Wesley challenged society through his preaching, fighting against animal cruelty, the African slave trade, and the kidnapping of countrymen. Wilberforce, known for ending the transatlantic slave trade, was also a social reformer, supporting numerous causes and fighting for the rights of the vulnerable.
Today, more people are enslaved than in any other period in human history. Fritz Kling noted that a global movement toward mercy and social justice is a primary current of the Spirit in churches worldwide. The church must lead because the answer is God. Our silence and absence on this issue has been too long.
We must not leave these evils as an inheritance for our children. We must rise up in humble obedience, prayer, repentance, and faith. We all have a role to play in seeking justice.
We are living in a special moment. David Batstone challenges us to make history: “There are times to read history, and there are times to make history… It is we who are on the stage, and we can change the winds of history with our actions.”
We have been given liberty, knowledge, wealth, and influence for such a time as this. The time for justice is now.
This A Time for Justice Viewing Guide serves as a call to action. Let us embrace our role as leaders in the pursuit of justice, reflecting God’s heart for the oppressed and bringing freedom to those in bondage.
Eddie Byun
Eddie Byun is an associate professor of Christian Ministry at Talbot School of Theology. He is the author of the award winning book “Justice Awakening,” “Praying for Your Pastor” and “Praying for Your Missionary.” Eddie is also the executive producer of Save My Seoul, an award winning documentary about sex trafficking in South Korea. He has pastored for over 25 years in Canada, South Korea, Australia and the U.S. Eddie lives with his wife and son in Irvine, Calif.
