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From now until the end of this year (at least), Nurturing Justice will address the question of developing genuine Christian democratic politics in the South Pacific region. For these issues to be raised and discussed in an appropriate way, we must try to scrupulously avoid a "hit 'n run" approach merely to keep some journalistic endeavour alive. That style, to which we have occasionally drawn attention, conflicts with the need to engage in basic self-criticism. When we are nurturing justice in our public life, self-criticism is no private or individualised affair. In this sense, Nurturing Justice attempts to encourage an opened-up and public Christian self-criticism about political responsibility - it seeks to engage all Christians in this reflection, attuned to our local context, global in its implications and directed by the biblical teaching that in calling us to walk in His ways, the Lord God allows the rain and sunshine to fall upon all His image bearers. By following patiently in Christ's footsteps, we seek justice for all. We do not aim to secure special privileges or rights for ourselves that are not granted to all other citizens, whatever their status, whatever their beliefs, whatever their way of life. Christ calls us to serve all our neighbours with love and in our shared political life that means that we seek genuine public justice.
An important part of this Nurturing Justice contribution to Fijian and South West Pacific Christian political reflection, will be the launching of a Fiji edition of Bob Goudzwaard's classic primer in Christian politics A Christian Political Option (1969/1972). This work discusses and explores a Christian way to approach political life in the concrete deeds that citizens and government are called to perform.
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Nurturing Justice is an occasional publication based on the conviction that Christian people are called to seek justice and thereby form their political lives by loving our neighbours by doing justice. By understanding ourselves as men and women called to serve God and neighbour in a complex society, we are therefore seeking to respond to what the prophet told God's ancient people long ago, about the Lord's requirements: the doing of justice, the loving of mercy and walking humbly with your God (Micah 6:8).
Nurturing Justice encourages a sustained Christian political contribution by affirming our God-given calling to seek for public justice, and avoiding the empty myths and contradictions of human autonomy. A Christian understanding of how these myths are accepted and enshrined in changes to public law, requires a comprehensive political philosophy, one that finds its point departure for seeking justice in the gentle and merciful rule of Jesus Christ, the ruler over all of the earth's political regimes.
May 2009 © The contents of this email are
copyright. Documents may be photocopied or retransmitted in their entirety but
not otherwise reprinted or transmitted without permission. "Nurturing
Justice" is a project to encourage Christian political reflection based
upon wise and loving civic participation. Comments are welcome and should be
sent to bcwearne@ozemail.com.au