Citizens for Public Justice

Writing about his work with people who are homeless at Sanctuary Ministries of Toronto, Greg Paul reveals that a deep need for peace can be found throughout our society. He calls for us to live out shalom of Jesus: “justice for those who are oppressed; health and wholeness for those who are sick in body, mind or soul; prosperity for those who are poor. Take it; make it work. Announce this peace and grow it in others.”

Thinking about our role as citizens in terms of ministry makes a big difference in how we approach the challenge of shaping the way our society works. Whether we have legal citizenship or not, we exercise citizenship through the variety of ways in which we engage in the public square.

Mike Bulthuis’s review of The Impact of Inequality: How to Make Sick Societies Healthier by Richard Wilkinson.

Jack Costello’s review of Singh to Suresh: Non-Citizens, the Canadian Courts and Human Rights Obligations by Tom Clark.

Tim Wichert’s review of Refugee Sandwich: Stories of Exile and Asylum by Peter Showler.

Jase Cowan’s review of Dancing With A Ghost: Exploring Aboriginal Reality by Rupert Ross.

Esther Epp-Tiessen challenges us to remember that seeking justice must be rooted in relationships with real people who are hurting and in the knowledge that it is God’s own persistent patient way of redemption.

Federal budgets should inspire our deepest commitments as citizens; commitments to live out the values of compassion and solidarity. We share as a matter of public justice a responsibility to look out for, not just our own needs, but also for the needs of our neighbours. From this perspective, Budget 2007 leaves a lot more for which to aspire.

Fair, Proportional, Effective: The Need for Electoral Reform in Ontario

January 31, 2007.