Thursday, January 19, 2012

Beyond charity, building justice into systems

“On the one hand we are called to play the good Samaritan on life's roadside; but that will be only an initial act. One day we must come to see that the whole Jericho road must be transformed so that men and women will not be constantly beaten and robbed as they make their journey on life's highway. True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it is not haphazard and superficial. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring."

From a sermon entitled "A Time to Break Silence," at Riverside Church”

― Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Awesome quote. The church so rarely gets past that initial helping act to transforming the Jericho Road. I wonder why that is. Is it just because justice is harder and more demanding than charity?