Should Christians ignore injustice?

The answer should be obvious. If people are being harmed, should you be silent? Should we shrug it off as God's problem as long as it does not happen to us, our family, or our friends? Of course not. You cannot love others as Christ commanded if you do nothing to help those being broken physically, emotionally, or spiritually.

If we believed our mission was to do everything possible to repair the world as witness to God's love, then why are things like this so common in our society:

Shelby County Circuit Judge Hub Harrington unleashed a double-barreled dose of disdain this week for what has gone on in Harpersville under the alias of justice.

He described a system in which poor people are charged more because they can't initially pay petty traffic fines. Some are jailed -- for months -- because they can't pay ballooning, "unconscionable" fees. They are left without a lawyer, a day in court, or a voice.

So the poor in Shelby County in Alabama were deliberately targeted for exploitation. Fees, penalties, and jail for trivial mistakes and offenses. This scheme was deliberately created to produce profit from poor people. Are the Christians in Shelby County blind, deaf, or apathetic? Shelby County is the richest in Alabama, but the poor are knowingly fed to an abusive system.

The story goes on to describe how common these practices have become across Alabama and the nation.

And it happens more and more, across Alabama and the nation. The poor go to jail while the rest go home without a second thought.

It's what happens when governments turn court operations over to for-profit companies. It happens, more to the point, when governments pass the buck to get a buck.

These schemes work like this.

Say, for instance, you can't pay a traffic ticket right off the bat. You will be referred to that company -- Judicial Correction Services in Harpersville's case. It tacks on initial charges and monthly fees, on top of the original fines. The bills climb, sometimes into the thousands. Those who can't pay can be sent to jail. They can even be charged extra for every day they spend behind bars.

Is it our responsibility as followers of Christ to speak out against oppressive and exploitive schemes like the one in Shelby County? If it were our priority, I doubt these injustices would be so common. And if our hearts for those in need have been hardened to the point that our empathy and compassion fail, what does that say about the sincerity of our beliefs in what Christ taught?

What happens when you have nothing and cry out to God for mercy, but people calling themselves Christians do not help? Or worse, look the other way as people find ways to increase your suffering? Do you think this person will be more or less receptive to Christ's message?

Read the comments to the article and find me someone who demands mercy and love for those in need in the name of Christ. This system was created by people in Alabama and operated by a company in Georgia. These are places where Christ's name is frequently invoked. Were there Christians that participated in this blatant attempt to exploit the poor?

You cannot have effective evangelism without also trying to repair the world of injustice. They go hand in hand. Scattering seed is pointless without removing weeds and feeding the soil.