Almsgiving is not a part of my everyday vocabulary. It is however one of the three traditional spiritual disciplines of Lent and is seen as charity to the poor or needy. It would be easier for some first-world people to give money than to try to do something that would change the situation and bring justice. I know that it would be true for me. I am willing to donate money. But it is harder for me to walk with others like Martin Luther King Jr when he said,
"As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. … No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream."
Justice almsgiving is seeking out those who are vulnerable and walking with them. In the Presbyterian Church USA’s Brief Statement of Faith, we affirm that the Spirit gives us courage and empowers us to seek justice “to unmask idolatries in Church and culture, to hear the voices of peoples long silenced, and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace.” This may mean stepping out and trying something new in bringing this kind of justice almsgiving to those in need. This may be as simple as learning to disrupt someone’s racist comment by pointing to new ways of thinking or to be allies of those who are marginalized or working with others for justice. It may mean seeking to change the structures of our institutions to rid them of systemic racism. These types of actions are hard for me to do. They mean getting me out of my comfort zone and being with those who are not like me. It means creating dissonance in me. But Jesus calls us to join him in his walk to the cross.
The Dr. Angela D. Sims, President of the Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, reminds us, in a podcast,
"In the midst of all that’s going on, one hope is that with each morning and each breath that’s being drawn is an opportunity to make a difference no matter how small we might think that difference is."
The best part in our works of justice almsgiving is that we are not alone. The Spirit gives us courage and empowers us.
