A S M A L L G RO U P S T U DY G U I D E

Transforming Lives in Need

 A S M A L L G RO U P S T U DY G U I D E

Transforming Lives in Need

Lead Writer
Ryan Messmore

Contributors
Jennifer A. Marshall, Diane Mannina, Anna Speckhard, Rachel Sheffield, Collette Caprara, Christine Kim

Editor
Daniel Olasky
©2009 The Heritage Foundation
Printed in USA

All rights reserved.

214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE

Washington, DC 20002
(202) 546-4400
heritage.org
SeekSocialJustice.com
Before You Begin...
Across America, people are in need.
Four in 10 children
Many struggle in the face of financial difficulty, broken families,
and violent neighborhoods. We are called to care for those in
need—to serve the poor and to oppose injustice. But where in America are born to
should we begin in our efforts to love our neighbors? Should
we sign a petition? Campaign for certain laws? Stage a public
march? Give money to charity? Call for a new government pro-
single mothers.
gram? Start a church ministry?
Regrettably, ideas offered in the name of social justice have sometimes misdiagnosed
the problem and had unintended consequences that hurt the very people they intended to
help. That’s because they have assessed poverty primarily as a material problem. Programs
based on this assumption have kept those willing to help at arm’s length from those in
need, often looking first to government and substituting impersonal handouts for personal
care and real transformation. Jumping into action without thoughtful consideration has
led to damaging results.
Somehow in the urgency to dedicate our lives—or even a few hours or dollars—to a
good cause, we’re missing something. We’re missing something about who we are at our
core as human beings; we’re missing something about the complex and relational nature
of poverty. Though motivated by good intentions, we need a better framework for under-
standing and engaging the issues surrounding human need and
social breakdown.
When it comes to translating good intentions into actions
that really make a difference, we need to understand the nature
More than 1.5 million children
and context of the problem. That begins with correctly diagnos- in the U.S. have at least one
ing the suffering we see around us. In the United States, pov- parent in a federal or state prison.
erty and social breakdown are often rooted in problems that
are deeper than a lack of money or material possessions. The
poor in America typically suffer in different ways than the poor
in developing countries, where corrupt governments, the missing
There are thousands of
homeless people
rule of law, unstable financial systems, food shortages due to
famine, and the absence of basic health care systems exacer-
bate extreme material deprivation. Unique conditions call for a
on the streets in the U.S.
on any given night.
different approach in developing nations.
Seek Social Justice investigates how to prevent and over-
come the kind of need we see right here in America. It explores

1
Seek Social Justice: Transforming Lives in Need

half of
the underlying causes of, and the most effective solutions

Almost to, the ills that tarnish human dignity and hinder flourishing.

the students
The problems are complex—why do devastation and disad-
vantage spring up in the midst of a society marked by such
abundance? The solutions are challenging—what hopes can

in America’s major urban we have for ex-prisoners when the odds predict that soon

school districts don’t

they’ll be back behind bars? That’s why it’s so important to
get to the root of the problem in order to develop a wise and
effective response.

graduate on time. Helping others requires us to know the different play-

ers who can best meet their needs. Seeking social justice
starts with each of us, but it’s an undertaking that requires
more than one person or even one large organization. It
takes families, churches, non-profit groups, businesses, and government—all playing their
distinct roles—to make progress on complex problems. So, in addition to discussing the
source of social breakdown, we will explore the various roles of these different institutions.
We’ll look at how each operates on its own, as well as in relation to the others to achieve
common good and transform lives in need.

“It’s just too easy to love ‘The Poor’. It’s a lot

harder to actually do the hard work of building
face-to-face relationships with real people
with real needs with real, messy issues.”
–Dr. Amy Sherman,
Center for Social Justice
Trevecca Nazarene University

2
Using This Guide

This written guide contains six lessons corresponding to six videos, available on the
accompanying DVD or online at SeekSocialJustice.com:

Lesson One Rethinking Social Justice: Getting to the Root of the Problem
Lesson Two Cultivating Justice from the Ground Up: Marriage, Family, and
Friendship
Lesson Three Serving the Whole Person: Churches and Ministries
Lesson Four Restoring Dignity and Purpose: The Importance of Work
Lesson Five Maintaining the Social Conditions for Justice: The Role of
Government
Lesson Six Breaking Ground: What You Can Do To Seek Social Justice

Begin each lesson by reading aloud the section entitled “Before You
Press Play.” This brief section will introduce the topic of the lesson and
alert you to certain things to look for when viewing the video. You do
not need to write down answers to these questions—they are simply
intended to guide your viewing.

Next, “Watch” the video for each lesson.

After viewing the video, return to the study guide and start the “Read
and Discuss” section of the appropriate lesson. The written text builds
on and refers to the stories and principles presented in the video
lessons. One or more people can read the text and questions aloud,
or each group member can read the text silently before discussing the
questions together.

You’ll have a chance to summarize and reflect on the main take-away

points of each lesson in the “Rethink” section. Use the final question
to think about what you’ve learned and how you might apply it in your
own life and community.

“Read On” offers a list of suggested resources for further reading. This
list can also be found at SeekSocialJustice.com, along with additional
facts about each lesson topic and bonus footage featuring experts from
Seek Social Justice.

Finally, “Behind the Scenes” provides some details if you’re curious

about the people, programs, or terms presented in the video.

3
 Lesson One: Rethinking Social Justice
Lesson One
Rethinking Social Justice:
Getting to the Root of the Problem
If you haven’t
done so already, please take time to read the “Before You Begin”
section on page one of this guide.

Before You Press Play

“What’s really going on here?” That’s the first question to ask when we find
people in need. The answers should guide us to respond in ways that can make a
lasting difference.
In Lesson One, you’ll hear from members of one university community work-
ing to transform lives in need. As you watch the video, begin thinking about the
idea of social justice:
• How should we understand this concept? What problems does it
refer to? Who is responsible for addressing them, and how?
• What is the vision of social justice that motivates those in the video
to serve others?

Watch
Relational Justice
(see DVD or watch online at SeekSocialJustice.com)

AnRead and Discuss
important goal of this first lesson is to develop a solid understanding of
social justice. The following lessons will build on the relational approach to
the concept proposed in this lesson.

Rethinking Social Justice

To seek social justice effectively, we need to understand the nature of the problems
and the goal we seek to achieve.

5
Seek Social Justice: Transforming Lives in Need

Just as doctors must understand the basics of good health in order to diagnose
illnesses, we need to understand what makes up a just society in order to under-
stand the nature of social breakdown. In either case, failing to understand both the
problem and the goal can lead to further harm.
In the video, Marvin Olasky observes that social justice is often understood
to mean the equal distribution of income. According to that approach,
what is the presumed problem, and what is the presumed goal?

The commentators in the video propose a different, more holistic way of

thinking about social justice. As they point out, true justice is about more
than simply economics or government. Dr. Amy Sherman suggests that
justice is about right relationships. According to this relational approach,
what is the nature of the problems, and what is the goal of social justice?
“In the West, with
the wealth-creating
opportunities that
we have, most issues of
poverty are at least in
part spiritual and moral
and social problems, Relationships: Where It All Begins
Independence is a cherished ideal in American culture, and has been since 1776.
and they aren’t solved
But since then, a more troubling vision of independence has emerged: a kind of
unless we deal with go-it-alone individualism that disregards relationships and communities, which
those underlying are vital to a strong society.
problems.” Christian teaching, on the other hand, emphasizes that human nature is
relational by definition. You are not an isolated individual but a son or daughter, a
–Dr. Jay Richards, neighbor, a student or an employee, a citizen, and a child of God. From the moment
Author, Money, Greed, and God you’re born, you’re embedded in networks of relationships that make life possible
and shape your identity. Thriving people and communities, the true objectives of
social justice, depend in large part on the health of some basic relationships.
What are the different kinds of relationships that Amy Sherman says
make up this kind of justice?

6
 Lesson One: Rethinking Social Justice
Amy Sherman suggests that this view of multi-faceted relationships as
central to human flourishing resonates with biblical teaching. Choose one
of the following Scripture passages and identify what kinds of relation-
ships (spiritual, familial, communal, material, internal) are mentioned: The
Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13, Luke 11:2-4); The Ten Commandments
(Exodus 20:1-17, Deuteronomy 5:6-21); The Sermon on the Mount
(Matthew 5-7).

The Real Root of the Problem: Broken Relationships

It’s common to approach poverty as a narrow issue of physical or material hardship
and to calculate it solely in terms of dollars and cents. But poverty is much more
than financial need or inequality. It has to do with a lack of both the tangible and
intangible resources that people need to thrive. Amy Sherman says that, from a
biblical perspective, poverty has a lot to do with brokenness in the foundational
relationships of life. “Justice is more than
Jason, who teaches boys at Son Farm, says that seeking social justice with
just the law. It’s more
someone is different from imposing it on someone. Talk about an example than the enforcement of
of each of these approaches around us today. Why does Jason think it’s the law, of finding people
important that efforts to help people be face-to-face? guilty of crimes. Justice
infers right relationships
between human beings.”
–Sean Litton,
Vice President of Field Operations
International Justice Mission

Robin, the nurse who provides volunteer health counseling at the apart-
ment complex, says that helping residents build relationships of trust with
people like health care providers is one way to assist them in moving out
of poverty. Why do you think that is the case?

Some needs arise because of natural disasters or the harmful actions of others—
dramatic external forces that can turn life upside-down. Some needs come from

7
Seek Social Justice: Transforming Lives in Need

the conditions—in the family, community, school district, etc.—in which people
are born and raised. And some needs stem from a person’s own bad habits,
poor choices, and irresponsible actions. These can have far-reaching effects in
a person’s life. Drug and alcohol addictions, for instance, prevent many people
from being able to hold down a job, save money, form a healthy marriage, and
stay on the right side of the law. All of these causes can strain or rupture the
basic relationships that people need to flourish.
This brokenness can have significant consequences on the health of not only
an individual but an entire society. Where we see social breakdown, we’re likely to
find that foundational relationships are missing or dysfunctional.
What do the following verses say about the various causes of economic
poverty? Proverbs 10:4, 13:18, 19:15, 21:5.

“Social justice is the Marvin Olasky says that social justice is the sum of millions of acts of rela-
tional justice. What do you think he means by acts of relational justice?
sum of millions of acts
of relational justice.”
–Dr. Marvin Olasky,
Editor-in-Chief
WORLD Magazine

Inadequate Solutions: What Doesn’t Work

Our understanding of the nature and causes of poverty shapes how we respond. A
failure to recognize fundamental needs will lead to inadequate approaches.
That’s why it’s important to understand the real nature of poverty in America.
While situations of serious material need do exist in America, the typical household
described as “poor” according to government statistics has more living space than
the average European household, as well as amenities considered luxuries just a
couple generations ago—cars, washers and dryers, dishwashers, and televisions.
It’s true that even in these conditions, the situation of the poor might be far from
thriving. But in these circumstances the nature of poverty is usually deeper and
more complex than a lack of money or material possessions.
As a result, strategies that focus solely on giving handouts to the poor only
treat one dimension of need and don’t reach down to the root of the problem.
They ignore the multiple broken relationships that often lead to material need in
the first place.
“If a woman’s here for just two hours, they need to know, at least, that we
said to them one time that ‘you have value’ and ‘you have worth,’” explains

8
 Lesson One: Rethinking Social Justice
Theresa Boyd about the approach of her ministry that works with former
female prisoners. Why do you think this approach rather than material
support is the priority?

Have you or has someone close to you suffered in ways that may not be
material in nature, but are every bit as painful and crippling?

Different kinds of assistance shape attitudes and behaviors in different

ways. Approaches intended to help people can actually encourage them to make “Social justice is not a
unhealthy choices and reinforce actions that damage relationships and prevent tip off of the excess that
healthy relationships from developing. Regardless of good intentions, assistance
we have toward the poor
that encourages wrong choices is wrong. It doesn’t advance social justice.
so that we somehow
How can it actually hurt a person in need to provide handouts without
salve our own guilt. It is
certain expectations, accountability, or guidelines?
a true stewardship of
the resources that God
has entrusted us with.”

–Dr. Dan Boone,

President
Trevecca Nazarene University
In our efforts to help those in need, how can we incorporate the idea
of restoring relationships and give generously in terms of money and
material goods?

A Strategy that Works: Consider the Needs of the Whole Person

Because people often have many different needs—physical, emotional, social,
etc.—effective responses must be multi-dimensional. Some institutions are better

9
Seek Social Justice: Transforming Lives in Need

than others at tackling the wide range of a person’s needs.

The best approaches heal wounds while also inspiring, challenging, and
enabling those in need to pursue a better course by restoring relationships. Seeking
social justice should start with efforts to strengthen those spheres of society in
which healthy relationships can grow.
Which institutions and spheres of society does Amy Sherman suggest
have responsibility for seeking social justice?

Read 1 Corinthians 13:2-3. How do the people and organizations high-

lighted in the video embody what these verses say about the way we give
of ourselves and our possessions?

Rethink
Thriving depends on healthy relationships, so the roots of poverty and social
breakdown typically can be found in absent or broken relationships. The problems
of poverty and social breakdown are multi-dimensional and usually include
material, interpersonal, and moral/spiritual needs.
Complex problems usually call for solutions that are relational and tailored
to the specific person in need. Preventing and overcoming social breakdown
depends on people and institutions exercising proper responsibility and relating
appropriately to each other. We’ll take a closer look at some of the most important
relationships and institutions in the following lessons.
Social justice doesn’t come about primarily through protests, pickets, and
public marches or by imposing new programs from the top down. A relational
approach means that social justice is best cultivated from the ground up.
How might it change your perspective and involvement with your church or
community to see restored relationships as the foundation of social justice?

10
 Lesson One: Rethinking Social Justice
Read On
To explore the root of the problem further, check out the following resources.
Visit SeekSocialJustice.com for hyperlinks to these and other resources.

Proverbs 14:21, 31
Prosperity and Poverty: The Compassionate Use of Resources in a World
of Scarcity, E. Calvin Beisner
The Problem of Poverty, Abraham Kuyper
The Tragedy of American Compassion, Marvin Olasky
“Defining Social Justice,” Michael Novak (First Things Dec. 2000)
“Name That Idea: Try a Little Social Justice,” Marvin Olasky (WORLD July
26, 2008)
“Understanding and Reducing Poverty in America,” Robert Rector,
The Heritage Foundation

Behind the Scenes

Who are the students referenced by Amy Sherman who appear in the video?
The students attend Trevecca Nazarene University, in Nashville, Tennessee, which houses
the J.V. Morsch Center for Social Justice. The Center hosts events that equip young
leaders to serve those in need, such as sponsoring teams of students to clean-up a
local stream or weed a community garden.

When Chuck Colson and Amy Sherman refer to “shalom,” what do they mean?
Shalom is a Hebrew word usually translated as “peace” or “well-being” (see Jeremiah
29:7) which conveys a sense of full or complete harmony of the foundational
relationships of life.

Who is Robin and what does she do at the Mercury Courts housing development?
Robin Jewett is an instructor in the physician’s assistant program at Trevecca Nazarene
University. At Mercury Courts she helps residents live a healthier lifestyle and get
established with a primary health provider they trust.

11
Seek Social Justice: Transforming Lives in Need

Notes

12