We got into an interesting discussion in class today about the difference between charity and justice. The conversation was sparked by Phil Tompkins’ writings in Who Is My Neighbor: Communicating and Organizing to End Homelessness. He writes:
“…I came to the conclusion that charity and justice are on a continuum. We need both, but justice is the deeper, more important goal.” p. 172
He stacked the two side by side like this:
charity is social service vs. justice is social change
charity responds to immediate needs vs. justice responds to long-term needs
charity is directed at effects vs. justice is directed at the roots of social injustice
The whole discussion is reminiscent of The I Heart Film put together by Hillsong United, which address injustice of all kinds from the perspective of mobilizing the Christian church all over the world.
I can’t help but think that charity is just so much easier. We all like to feel charitable. Charity doesn’t require us to get our hands dirty. We donate our old clothes and toss coins in the Salvation Army bucket. What credit is that to us?
We do nothing but perpetuate the need for the same charitable acts. By refusing to create justice for people whom have had none, we resign them to dependency on our charity–a feel good cycle for one of us and a lack of stability, choice, and dignity for the other.
We must begin to get to the root of the problems.
When it comes to homelessness, the issue gets tricky. Where is the line between charity and justice?
Is justice for the homeless giving them housing? Is it giving them jobs? Is it giving them food?
Or is all of that just more charity?
Is justice for the homeless fixing the problems of too little income/too expensive housing? Is it providing opportunities for education or vocational training and then allowing them to make the choice to take it or leave it?
Can justice be generalized to an entire social group or is it a case by case righting of personal wrongs?
I’m just not sure. All I know is that unless we shift our thinking to a justice-driven mindset, we will miss the opportunities to move beyond charity to justice when they do make themselves visible.
Those are some really excellent questions. Thanks for this thought-provoking post.
Thanks for reading. I welcome your thoughts on the subject!
Pingback: Cold Spaghetti :: Just Posts for a Just World: February 2010
Pingback: The February 2010 Just Posts « collecting tokens
And what is justice for the mentally ill homeless who probably need medication (that they aren’t taking, can’t afford, and probably don’t want to take) to keep housing and a job?
This is another good question–not one I have an answer for but one that I have thought about a lot. Is giving them the medication they need justice in and of itself? Or does the issue go much deeper, deep enough to address cultural stigmas of mental illness and a society that flies past anyone who can’t keep up with the pace? The task truly is monumental.
Is it justice to force medicate? Is it justice to provide housing to someone who cannot/will not live inside? How do you provide a just society with a place for everyone when not necessarily everyone wants a place? Is it justice to just give money, when that is truly all the person wants?
I don’t know the answers, but I do know that these issues cut to the heart of charity and justice.
I wholeheartedly agree.
Pingback: What is Justice? « UUCIF Social Justice
“Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” Maybe not verbatim but a good saying and we should do more as a nation to make people self sufficient. A jobs program to create new jobs and training for new technologies.