Why Christians Must Do Social Work?

It has been recognized widely that the history of Social work is very religious. In the western world, the act of charity to the weak, oppressed and marginalized found its origin especially in the rise of Christianity. When Constantine made Christianity as the empire’s religion, church built houses for the poor, hospitals and orphanages.[1] Another information said that when there was a devastating  plague happened across the world in the third century, only Christians cared for the sick—while many pagans throwing their family members into the street in order not to be infected by them.[2]  Diana Garland—Dean of Baylor’s School of Social Work—said, “Religious institutions like the church have ‘continued to be a prominent context for social work Practice . . . .’”[3]

But one thing must be clear here. This radical attitude of Christians and churches throughout centuries to help people was not out of pity feeling or simply motivated by humanism principle. Rather, it is motivated by Jesus’ unique and radical message, called Kingdom of God. And this Kingdom of God is not about a happy message of going to heaven or set of rules from God that Christians must be a nice or a good person to others: helping orphanages, loving their neighbors, giving to the poor, etc. Moreover it is about a bigger picture of political-social transformation agendas of God, that in Jesus—through His life, deeds, death and resurrection—had becoming world’s true reality. It is about God that in Jesus had coming down and becoming world’s true King, and consequently the dethronement of other “worldly kings”. And this succession—logically understood by the ancient world—must be followed by the change of the governmental systems. If worldly kings and emperors believed that to ending the corrupt system and injustice we need more money, more power and military assistance it is different with King Jesus. For Jesus it is honesty, openness to fragility and poverty, humility, unconditional love and total service to others that were the anchors of the true transformation. What an upside-down principle! That is why Donald Kraybill’s term always interesting to ponder about this mysterious, radical, look-foolish yet true principle of transformation of Jesus, The Upside-Down Kingdom.[4]

Abraham Lincoln once said, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.” At another time, Lord Acton said almost the same thing, “All power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely.” What actually are these great leaders want to tell us? For me they want to remind us about the dilemma of powers. It is true you can use power to change the world, if just the power doesn’t change you yet. From Adam age to our modernized-digital world today, human being is familiar with the promises given by power but also the temptation they brought into human life.  Isn’t it the ultimate temptation that also happened to Jesus himself? (see Matt. 4:8-9). So, James 4:1-3 is true when said:

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

So, this is the true nature of social work. It is not just about delivering stuff, giving food, making children going to school, helping a broken family, etc. From its Christian perspectives and origin we know that serving and helping others is a part of a bigger picture of God’s transformational agendas. So, helping and serving others is another and clearest way to announce and declare about this unique and compassionate God that had arrived and is now working in the midst of His world and the broken people.

Note:

[1]Nicholas Placido and David Cecil, “Social Work and Church Collaboration:Assisting a Church’s Development Via Needs Assessment Strategies [http://www.nacsw.org/Publications/Proceedings2012/PlacidoNSWandChurch.pdf].

[2]“History of the Early Church” [http://www.earlychurch.com/index.php].

[3]Nicholas Placido and David Cecil, “Social Work and Church Collaboration.”

[4]Donald Kraybill, The Upside-Down Kingdom  25th Anniversary Ed. (Scottdale: Herald, 2003).