In his preface to Thaddeus Williams‘ excellent Confronting Injustice Without Compromising Truth, the widely esteemed John Perkins writes a two-page Foreword that itself is worthy of the price of the book.

In his Foreword Perkins writes:

“Through my sixty years of working for justice, I offer four admonishments to the next generation of justice seekers.”

First, Start With God!

God is bigger than we can imagine. We have to align ourselves with his purpose, his will, his mission to let justice roll down, and bring forgiveness and love to everyone on earth. The problem of injustice is a God-sized problem. If we don’t start with him first, whatever we are seeking, it ain’t justice.

Second, Be One In Christ!

Christian brothers and sisters – black, white, brown, rich, and poor – we are family. We are one blood. We are adopted by the same Father, served by the same Son, filled with the same Spirit. In John 17 Jesus prays for everyone who would believe in him, that people from every tongue, tribe, and nation would be one. That oneness is how the world will know who Jesus is. If we give a foothold to any kind of tribalism that could tear down that unity, then we aren’t bringing God’s justice.

Third, Preach the Gospel!

The gospel of Jesus’ incarnation, his perfect life, his death as our substitute, and his triumph over sin and death is good news for everyone. It is multi-cultural good news. in the blood of Jesus, we are to truly see ourselves as one race, one blood. We’ve got to stop playing the race game. Christ alone can break down the barriers of prejudice and hate we all struggle with. There is no power greater than God’s love expressed in Jesus. That’s where we all find human dignity. If we replace the gospel with this or that man-made political agenda, then we ain’t doing biblical justice.

Fourth, Teach Truth!

Without truth, there can be no justice. And what is the ultimate standard of truth? It is not our feelings. It is not popular opinion. It is not what presidents or politicians say. God’s Word is the standard of truth. If we’re trying harder to align with the rising opinions of our day than with the Bible, then we ain’t doing real justice.

Finally, Perkins wraps us his admonitions with this unfortunate assessment:

“Sadly, many Christian brothers and sisters are trying to fight this fight with man-made solutions. These solutions promise justice but deliver division and idolatry.”