Dear Trinity Family & Friends,

Justice is not a side issue in Scripture—it is central to the heart of God. From the prophets to the teachings of Jesus, God consistently reveals a deep concern for those who are vulnerable, overlooked, or treated as less than. As we continue our series, Shining the Light in a Divided World, we are reminded that God’s light does not merely expose what is wrong; it calls us to help make things right.

In Amos, God speaks with unmistakable urgency: “I hate, I despise your festivals… But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” These are sobering words. God is not impressed by worship that is disconnected from justice. Praise that does not lead to compassion, and prayer that does not lead to action, fall short of God’s desire for the world. Justice, in Scripture, is not optional. It is an expectation.

Jesus brings this truth to life in the parable of the Good Samaritan. A man is beaten, robbed, and left for dead. Two religious leaders see him—and pass by. Perhaps they were afraid. Perhaps they were busy. Perhaps they assumed someone else would help. But the Samaritan, the unexpected outsider, sees the man and is moved to act. He crosses the road. He binds wounds. He pays the cost. He restores dignity.

Our natural responses in the face of brokenness are often to retaliate or to pass by—to strike back, or to look away. But as followers of Christ, we are called to something deeper and more demanding. We are called to righteousness and justice. Not revenge. Not avoidance. But restoration. Justice is our obligation whenever one human being is treated as less valuable than another. To see. And to act. To help make right what has been made wrong through righteous and merciful means.

This conviction was at the heart of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s ministry. In his “Eulogy for the Martyred Children,” preached after the tragic bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, King refused to respond with hatred or despair. Instead, he named injustice with clarity, grieved with honesty, and pointed to a higher hope. He reminded the world that these children were not victims in vain—that their deaths exposed the cruelty of racism and summoned the conscience of a nation.

King did not call for retaliation. He called for transformation. He believed that even in the face of unspeakable evil, God’s justice and love would have the final word. His faith was not sentimental. It was resilient. It was rooted in the deep conviction that God’s light shines even in the darkest places—and that it calls God’s people to courageous, costly action.

This Sunday, we will ask what it means to shine the light of Christ through justice in our own time and place. What does it look like to be people who do not ignore suffering? Who do not explain away inequality? Who do not pass by on the other side? What does it mean to be a church that sees, cares, and acts?

Working to bring about justice isn’t being political. It is being faithful. It is about reflecting the heart of a God who sees every person as sacred and every life as worthy of dignity.

Reflect and Prepare

As you prepare for worship, I invite you to sit with these questions:

1. Where do you see injustice in your world—near or far—and how does it affect you?

2. When have you been tempted to pass by rather than step in? What held you back?

3. Who in your life might need you to see them more fully right now?

4. What does the Good Samaritan teach you about compassion across difference?

5. Where might God be inviting you to act with courage, mercy, and integrity?

6. How can Trinity be a stronger witness for justice in Huntsville?

7. What would it look like for justice to “roll down” in your daily life—at work, at school, in your relationships?

Be the Light This Week

A Christ-shaped conscience is revealed through everyday choices. This week, we invite you to Be the Light by naming one intentional act of kindness, courage, or compassion you will practice in Jesus’ name. Write it down and place it inside one of the lanterns on display in our lobbies, or submit online and we'll add your flame into a lantern. Each small act becomes part of a larger witness and illuminates our community with grace and hope.

Walk the Journey Together

Faith grows best when we reflect and learn alongside others. Our Share the Dream small groups offer space to engage Scripture and Dr. King’s writings with honesty, curiosity, and grace. Groups meet on Sundays and Thursdays. Visit trinityhsv.org/events for more information.

My prayer is that God’s heart for justice would take root in us and grow through us—that we would be a people who do not look away, who do not grow weary, and who do not settle for comfort when God is calling us to compassion. May we be a church that sees every person as God’s beloved, and every injustice as a holy invitation to act.

May the light of Christ shine through us as we seek to love what God loves and to stand where God stands.

Blessings,

Pastor Carrie