As Ken Wytsma unwraps his argument for Pursuing Justice, one sees that he speaks from a place of deep
personal conviction and passion. Beginning with a story for background and
context, Wytsma recounts how his grandfather had immigrated, with his family, to
the United States following World War II. His father, just 8-years-old at the
time, “never forgot where he came from” (xvii). He told the ways his father and
mother reached out to the needy and downtrodden with a heart to help the
hurting. Wytsma himself, however, confessed he grew up with a western sense of
entitlement. He viewed life as being about him and for his pleasure and he
lived accordingly. Upon God grabbing hold of his life, Wystma began studying
the Word and drawing nearer to God. Through this time, he became more and more
convinced that all of Scripture points toward the pursuit of justice – noting the
continual concepts of caring for widows, orphans, and foreigners.
Personally, I find myself leery anytime someone tries to
explain the entire Bible through one key motif which they hold dear. Certainly
one reads a heavy emphasis on justice for the downtrodden throughout the Bible –
the law of Moses, the work of kings and the teaching and miracles of Jesus all
bear this element. But to say it is the one thing that holds all Scripture
together may be a little too strong. That said, Wytsma does a nice job of
walking the reader through different theological and exegetical principles in
Scripture. He points out the many
instances where social justice seems to factor into the situation in a
sometimes quite profound way.
With a caution against casting all of Scripture into one
light that may be too focused, I would encourage reading this book. With many
excurses which bring light from other authors and Wytsma’s own very readable
and passionate style, this book can challenge the reader to further embrace care
for the downtrodden which may slip by unnoticed.
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