December 22, by Chris Bacca

SCRIPTURE
Jeremiah 33: 14-16
The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.”

As I consider my earliest memories of church and the teachings of Jesus, two words reflecting those teachings come to mind: righteousness and justice. This passage in Jeremiah reminds us that “The Lord is our Righteousness.”
Jesus is, I believe, at the very heart of all that is right and just in the world. As humans, undeniably ill-equipped and typically unwilling, we often fall very short of our end of the bargain. Yes, Jesus is our righteousness, but we are the stewards of that message on earth; we are called to emulate his teachings and to abide by and trust in his promise. We are also called to be righteous and just.
As a teacher in an inner city school, my reality of what is right and just is constantly at battle with what I believe and have learned it should be. I long for a community, for a state, for a country, and for a world where poverty is undeniably unjust. I long for a society that will finally stand united behind those who are the most vulnerable; I long for a better life for all of my students. My faith is often challenged when I hear the stories of my children’s lives and when I visit their homes. It seems to me unjust that I have so much while my students have so little. Still I believe. I believe that Jesus is with these children. He is in each of the teachers who care for them mentally, physically, and emotionally. He is with the churches that unite to provide school supplies. Jesus resounds in the spirit and drive of each of my students to do just a little better than they did the day before. Jesus lives in the “yes we can” attitude of each of my children.
I long for a society that will see the beauty of children. I long for a society that will do everything possible to provide for the neediest in our midst. I long for a society that sees the beauty of Jesus’ promise and renews the call to bring righteousness and justice to the world.

Chris Bacca is soon to be an elder at RPC for the class of 2011. He is teacher of the year in his first year of teaching and Long Branch elementary Schoo and tutors at the Sanctuary. He has a heart for children and mission. Chris currently teaches our Sr. High Sunday School Class with Winkie Booker and Betty Rosenbloom.