Jason's Blog

What comes to mind when you think of social activists?

I think of a group staging a sit-in protest. Bound together arm in arm, they refuse to leave their spot even as authorities close in to arrest them. Or I think of a picketer carrying a homemade sign and wearing a look of concern. With those images in mind, consider the Apostle Paul. Was he an activist?

Many might think that activist would be the best way to talk about Paul. He was a debater that constantly got in trouble with authorities. He was ridiculed and jeered. Trouble seemed to always find Paul.

The stereotype was Paul is that of a hardened, controversial (or even combative) person.

However, I think it’s better to think of Paul as a disciple rather than an activist. Here’s why:

1. In my mind, an activist tries to use whatever means necessary to change something. From what I can tell, Paul was concerned more with people than with an issue or project. He was compelled by Christ’s love (2 Corinthians 5:14), and he did not look at people from a worldly point of view (2 Corinthians 5:16).
2. Paul never took handouts and sought to help those who were less fortunate (Acts 20:34-35).
3. Just as Jesus built unbelievable friendships, Paul built unbelievable friendships. We see this in his coworkers and the congregations that he founded in Thessalonica and Phillipi. They supported him throughout his life.
4. Paul organized these new communities around the idea of caring for one another in Jesus’ name. He compared the Corinthian church to a body made up of many members. Every part needed the others, and every member suffered when there was injury to one part.

I think we can learn a lot from Paul. Each of us can be deeply commited to others.

• We can strive to be sincere in our love (Romans 12:9).
• We can look to put others interests ahead of our own (Philippians 2:4)
• We can seek to live without complaining and arguing (Philippians 2:14)
• We can look for opportunities to share the good news—even with those normally overlooked by others.

I like this quote by Shaine Claiborne:

“Just as believers are a dime a dozen in the church, so are ‘activists’ in social justice circles nowadays. But lovers are hard to come by. And I think that’s what our world is desperately in need of- lovers, people who are building deep, genuine relationships with fellow strugglers along the way, and who actually know the faces of the issues they are concerned about.” Shaine Claiborne, Irresistible Revolution (Zondervan, 2006): 295-296.

Be a person who sees others faces.  I think this is something that Paul learned from Jesus.