by Tracy Dungan
Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To seek justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Social Justice is a cornerstone of the United Methodist Church, and especially of the United Methodist Women (UMW). Learning about where and how people are oppressed, and then striving to make changes, is the focus of this group. It’s not easy, and it is not a quick battle. In fact, the battle has been fought through the centuries by God’s people.
Speaking about our call to justice in the areas of clothing, cars, coffee, and chocolate for UMW Sunday presented me with a whole host of personal challenges. I talked about some of them – changes that I am already starting and changes I would like to make in the future. I was encouraged as I talked to people after worship – how many people were glad to know these things, and felt called to start making changes, too.
We have two chocolate holidays coming up soon – Valentine’s Day and Easter. If you are a purchaser of chocolate, consider checking out www.slavefreechocolate.org for a list of companies who produce ethical chocolate bars!
For other steps, download the checklist here (same as the bulletin insert):