Social involvement is the subject matter of the fourth chapter of Total Church, and I will be the first to admit that this chapter made me uncomfortable. It made me uncomfortable because although I was able to say, “Yes, I agree with that,” at many points I could not say, “And I am being obedient to this Scripture by doing this or that.”
On page 76, the authors note, “Evangelicalism has become a largely middle-class, professional phenomenon. When we invite people to our dinners and our churches, we invite our friends, our relatives, and our rich neighbors. We do not invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame. What is at stake is the grace of God.”
Timmis and Chester assert that we must reach out to people who are unlike us and with whom we have little in common. They rightly note that people do not want to be projects; they want someone to come and take an interest in their lives. In other words, “They need the Christian community. They need the church” (80).
In order to help us understand how we should pursue social action, the authors give three assertions:
1. Evangelism and social action are distinct activities. Many today, especially those in what is referrred to as the Emergent church movement, equate evangelism with social action. In other words, by feeding the poor, visiting the orphan and widow, and clothing the naked we are preaching the Gospel. That is untrue. We are carrying out Scriptural directives by participating in these activities, but we are not sharing the Gospel just by doing them.
2. Proclamation is central. Without the proclamation of the Gospel as revealed in Scripture, we are “like a signpost pointing nowhere,” or that the Gospel is really about doing good works that make one right with God.
3. Evangelism and social action are inseparable. The authors state mission takes place through relationships, and relationships have multiple dimensions to them. So while it may be true that someone needs financial help, if they have not repented and belived the Gospel they also need spiritual help.
So what can you do to get involved? Start by searching the Scriptures; you’ll find references all throughout the Bible (especially in the Proverbs and the Book of James) to helping the poor, the oppressed, the orphan, and the widow. Then start talking to believers you are connected with and learn how they are (or aren’t) putting these things into practice.
You will find that no one is doing this perfectly, but every believer should be involved in caring for the marginalized spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Talking with people who already are involved in the lives of these men, women, and children will provide you with a great opportunity to get started yourself.