Micah 6:8 is probably the most famous verse in that book. “He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” The verse clearly shows us that our faith in God has to be reflected in how we live our lives. This simple truth is nonetheless so profound, cutting through our complacency and hacking away at our apathy.
The Message version translates this passage:
“How can I stand up before God
and show proper respect to the high God?
Should I bring an armload of offerings
topped off with yearling calves?
Would God be impressed with thousands of rams,
with buckets and barrels of olive oil?
Would he be moved if I sacrificed my firstborn child,
my precious baby, to cancel my sin?
But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do,
what God is looking for in men and women.
It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbour,
be compassionate and loyal in your love,
And don’t take yourself too seriously—
take God seriously.” (Micah 6:7-8)
Christians who take God seriously take the injustice in the world seriously and work hard to reflect what God would do if He were physically present on earth. Think of all the Christians who have worked tirelessly to change things for good, offering their lives to God and campaigning and working for the poor, the oppressed, the needy. Mother Theresa. Francis of Assisi. William Wilberforce. The list is long, with many names known only to God, for our works are often unseen by the world. We may not be famous or significant in the world’s eyes, but we can still affect our families and local communities as we seek to live out Micah 6:8.
At times, movements do arise which are noticed and noticeable. 27 Million is one such campaign. It seeks to highlight the problem of human trafficking and works to stop this, working with the A21 campaign (http://www.thea21campaign.org/) which seeks to prosecute those who are involved in human trafficking and works with the victims, rehabilitating them and offering them a new way of living and the hope of the Gospel.
On 27th February, Matt Redman and LZ7 are releasing a single which aims to highlight this problem (called ’27 Million’ because that’s the estimated number of people involved in human trafficking, often associated with the sex industry and modern day slavery). They talk about this here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ15rbJUnNM&feature=youtu.be. And you may not think this is particularly relevant to us in Goldthorpe or that it matters very much, but God can stir our hearts and help us to care about others in situations very different to ours. Buying the record can actually bring this problem into the news and reminds us that our worship isn’t just about making us feel good. We have to ‘rise up, open our eyes up, be the voice, be Your freedom’. Jesus came to ‘to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners’ (Is 61:1). The song is one way we remind people not only of the existence of the problem of human trafficking, but of the Saviour who came to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. Let’s worship not only with words or with music, but with everything we are and everything we do.