Justice: The Bridge Between Faith and Advocacy

As the holiday season unfolds, I’ve been reflecting on the deeper rhythms of faith. Beyond the lights and traditions, this time of year reminds me that justice is the heartbeat of scripture and that advocacy is one way we live that faith out loud.

Justice in Scripture

From the prophets to the gospels, justice is the heartbeat of scripture. Isaiah cries out for the oppressed, Jesus lifts women and marginalized voices, and the early church models equity in community. Justice is not an optional add-on to faith; it is faith in action.

When we read scripture through the lens of justice, we see that God consistently sides with those who are overlooked. The widow, the orphan, the stranger—these are not footnotes but central figures in the biblical story. Justice is the way faith becomes visible, the way mercy takes shape in the world. It is the reminder that worship without justice is incomplete.

Justice in Advocacy

In advocacy, the same call resounds. Every effort to protect dignity, clarify truth, or challenge inequity is a modern echo of that biblical witness. Justice is the bridge between the courtroom and the pulpit, between professional work and spiritual calling.

Advocacy is often difficult because it requires standing in places where compassion collides with perception. It means speaking for those who may not be popular, defending truth when it is inconvenient, and insisting that fairness matters even when the crowd would rather look away. This is the hard work of justice, choosing integrity over expedience, mercy over indifference.

Justice reminds us that faith is not confined to worship spaces. It shows up in how we treat one another, how we steward resources, and how we speak into systems that shape daily life. Advocacy becomes the living testimony of faith; an insistence that mercy and equity belong in every sphere, even when compassion collides with public perception or when truth risks being drowned out by fear. Advocacy rooted in faith is not about dominance; it is about restoration. It is not about applause; it is about equity.

Justice in the Season

The holiday season is often framed as a time of giving, but at its core it is also a time of justice—God’s justice breaking into the world through mercy and hope. The birth of Christ is itself a declaration that God sides with the vulnerable, the overlooked, and the marginalized.

That’s why I wanted to share this reflection now: because faith and advocacy belong together, especially in seasons that call us back to what matters most.

Faith gives advocacy its foundation, and advocacy gives faith its voice. Together, they remind us that mercy is not passive—it is active, lived, and proclaimed. This is where mercy meets the mic: when justice is spoken, embodied, and carried into every corner of life.

Justice as Ongoing Rhythm

Faith grounds advocacy, and advocacy amplifies faith. Mercy demands action, not sentiment. Justice is the proof of that action, embodied in every sphere of life.

Justice is not seasonal—it is the ongoing rhythm of faith. To live faithfully is to live justly, and to advocate is to declare that mercy belongs in every sphere of life.