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By Linda Madsen, Major
Kingdom driven, marked with love for God through service to the poor, vulnerable and dispossessed.
This has always been The Salvation Army’s mission, coupled with a ready invitation to believe in and follow Jesus Christ.
It’s easy to see the natural tie to pursuing justice in and through “doing the most good.”
In November 2010, General Shaw Clifton (Ret.) issued a Global Call to 24/7 Prayer for Social Justice, initiated and supported by the International Center for Spiritual Life Development. The center, working in partnership with the International Social Justice Commission, challenged Salvationists worldwide to harmonize our historic roots in mission with God’s call to pursue justice in today’s world.
In response, on Jan. 1, 2011, the USA Western Territory launched a prayer initiative calling for people to “Stay on the wall” in prayer for social justice. Every division was asked to cover one month in focused prayer. Throughout the territory, corps and adult rehabilitation centers established prayer rooms and held Bible studies on “Jesus and Justice.” Some corps invited other churches to join this 24/7 call to prayer, seeking a united stand against the corrosiveness of corruption throughout the global community.
At prayer breakfasts, larger than life “Stay on the Wall” banners outside divisional headquarters’ buildings encouraged passers-by to pray for social justice. The Sierra del Mar Division held a concert at Pine Summit Camp to bring awareness to these issues—150 attended, three Christian bands participated, and field missionaries on furlough spoke about their work with teenage trafficking victims in Israel.
Realizing the ongoing need for intercession on the part of those “held captive to injustice,” the International Center for Spiritual Life Development has called for a continuation of the 24/7 Global Call to Prayer through 2012. Therefore, the USA Western Territory is re-launching the 24/7 Prayer for Social Justice initiative “Stay on the Wall…to Set the Captives Free,” with a focus on victims of human trafficking, poverty and addiction—three areas of injustice that currently impact every community in which The Salvation Army serves today.
To better equip the soldiers and friends of the territory to participate, the territory’s Spiritual Life Development department created the pamphlet “In Pursuit of Justice”—to inform, inspire and invite you to actively pursue justice and usher in the kingdom of God.
This booklet will be available through your local corps office by mid-February or contact Linda.
Madsen@usw.salvationarmy.org.
