Jesus and social justice

Larry James blogs about poverty, social justice, and faith. Here's a sample, in which Larry considers why Jesus didn't simply eliminate poverty, which is caused by the freewill decisions of both the rich and poor.

Jesus seeks to win hearts. He did not come to overrule freewill decisions. Those times when Jesus touched people, fed people or intervened in a miraculous way are examples of his compassion and his charity. Poverty will never be overcome or adequately addressed through charity or compassion alone. Systemic change is called for and such change requires tough, sometimes hard-nosed but faithful, lifestyle decisions. Jesus spoke to this very clearly. Read Luke.

Larry works on the front lines of urban ministry in Texas. He knows what he's blogging about. Preachers not familiar with what's at stake among poor families in the U.S. would do well to get acquainted with the issues Larry discusses.