As I cycle off 3 consecutive terms on the Administer Justice board of directors, CEO Bruce Strom asked me to gather my thoughts on the last decade of working with the organization. As I reflected on all that has been accomplished and the countless lives impacted by the tireless work of our staff and army of volunteers, the entrepreneur in me still found itself asking this question:
“After 25 years of ministry, why is AJ just scratching the surface of what’s possible?”
It didn’t take much thinking to identify 5 reasons this area of access to justice and legal aid for those who can’t afford it is not in mainstream thinking – especially in the church.
1. We just don’t know or understand the problem.
I find that most of us (lawyers included) are oblivious to the depth and breadth of the problem with the legal system in America today. We go about our day assuming that the law is fair, equal, and accessible to all. As I reflect on the countless hours Bruce Strom has spent speaking, writing, teaching, podcasting, and talking about the severity and urgency of this problem, I liken him to the guy in the Parable of the Sower.
He’s out each day tossing the seed of information – to find that most of it falls on dead, unfavorable ground. Only a small portion falls on that perfect soil – in this case, willing ears. If you’re reading this piece and aren’t fully aware of the problem, catch this 10-minute episode of the Restore Justice Podcast, where Bruce shares everything you need to know (and understand). The problem is both big and urgent.
2. We just don’t care.
The reality is you could hear about the problem and simply be nonchalant about it. Its cost and impact may be too far removed from you.
“After all, chances are that someone who can’t afford a lawyer probably deserves the situation they are in, right?”
Maybe…
It’s likely that in 1-5% of the situations, that is entirely true. But our research clearly shows that 95+% of the time, the person in desperate need of some lawyerly guidance is the victim of a crime or act of oppression – be it real-estate fraud, a financial scam, a predatory trafficker, or a deadbeat spouse (just to name a few).
Our callousness toward the victims – and the assumption that they likely deserve it or don’t work hard enough to be able to solve it themselves, is relatively naive. It’s time to care about it because God does…big time.
3. Other Problems Seem More Pressing.
Whether it’s hunger across the world, the trafficking of innocent people, or the need for aid in disaster situations it is easy to see other problems as more urgent and important. For those clearly called to fund those missions, the decision to act is good. Great treasure awaits those who do.
But truth be told, very few of us sense a life mission around any one of those areas. We just find ourselves with the capacity to pray, give, or volunteer – and do so when those opportunities arise. But wouldn’t it be encouraging to know that you’re giving of your time, talent, and/or money to something that is extremely high on God’s priority list?
What if something made God’s top 5, or even his top 2 list? Would you be interested in getting behind that?
Take Psalm 89:14 for a spin with me.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
Foundation is a big word, and apparently, there are only 2 things in that foundation. Why not have feeding hungry kids (mercy) or even love or grace or truth as one of the 2 foundations of God’s throne? This whole justice thing must be a big deal to him.
Here’s another verse to read through.
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8
That’s not a long to-do list if you ask me – and high on that list is that darn justice word again. Do a study of the word Justice and see how many times it shows up in the Bible, and what the context is in each case. You’ll discover that other than the salvation of the lost, there’s not much else higher on God’s list of priorities.
That begs the question:
Given how important it is to God, what are you and I doing with this concept of justice, and how is our pursuit of God’s restorative justice evident in our lives?
4. The problem is too big. Our impact is too small.
As you dig into this issue of access to justice for the poor, you’ll find yourself (as I did) a bit overwhelmed. Here are just some data points to demonstrate how big the problem in America is:
- Over 40 million low-income Americans are unable to access legal help each year.
- America ranks 107th for access and affordability of civil justice in a list of 142 countries.
- 92% of legal issues facing low-income Americans that are not addressed fully.
It’s easy to look at these numbers and think, “I’m just one lawyer. What can I possibly do about that?” or “I’m just an everyday person with a full-time job and little-to-no-time. How can I move the needle on something like this?” Those are all good and reasonable questions if you find yourself faced with the size of this problem and nobody to take on the solution with.
Fortunately, you have an organization like Administer Justice that does all the heavy lifting, so you can just contribute what God has given you in the most efficient way possible. Here are just 4 quick examples:
- A busy lawyer can just contribute 2 hours – once a month on a Saturday morning from home on their Zoom account and be highly impactful for the kingdom.
- A churchgoer with the gift of hospitality and/or mercy can volunteer once a month for 2-3 hours as a greeter, prayer partner, or client advocate – just loving on people and making sure they feel heard and cared for.
- A business owner or corporate leader can donate $5,000 to open a Justice Center in their neighborhood – ideally at their church – and see hundreds of people a year reached with the help of a lawyer and the hope of God’s love.
- A college student can leverage their network and social media power to share news, information, and insights on the problem of access to justice – and expose more people to AJ.
You get the idea. All you have to do is your part, and it contributes to something much bigger.
5. We’re Missing A Vehicle To Be Impactful.
Getting from point A to point B can be hard when there’s no apparent way to get there. It’s like being downtown and needing to get to the suburbs, and all you have are your walking shoes. But when Uber is at your fingertips, or you reach into your pocket or purse to feel your car keys, there’s an instant feeling of “That’s easy!” when it comes to getting 20 miles covered.
The same is true when you understand what AJ does and how it takes your small contribution of time, talent, or treasure and compounds it with that of thousands of others around the country. If you’re a lawyer and you only contribute 2 hours a month, hundreds of other lawyers are doing the same thing that same Saturday morning across the country. That one Saturday morning your contribution comes together with hundreds of others so that thousands of unchurched people experienced Christ’s love while on a church campus. Think about this:
Of the hundreds of hurting people who walk into a Justice Center on a Saturday morning and get some practical help from a lawyer, they could not hire themselves and get loving care from volunteers who talk and pray with them; what are the odds that just a few of them decide to come back to visit that church on Sunday morning?
Our data shows it’s a lot more than a few each Sunday.
Personally, I don’t know of many other ministries where 24 hours after connecting with the ministry, an unchurched person is sitting in the church pew, hungry to find out more about Jesus and be around people like they were the day before.
So there you have it. Some of the reasons I can think of as to why AJ is still not a household name. Setting those 5 aside, I find myself frustrated with our apathy and laziness as a church-going culture.
I find myself appalled that a lawyer will rush to a 2-hour dinner or 4-hour golf outing to meet someone like me to land me as a corporate client, but find it hard to give up 2 hours on a Saturday morning to serve the least of these. I find it mind-boggling that people hear about the gap in access to justice and walk by just like the priest and Levite walked by the wounded man on a roadside leading to Jericho.
Jesus had a warning for those who walked by and a loving embrace for the one who stopped, sacrificed just a bit, and moved on. I exhort and encourage those reading this note to find yourself in the latter group – especially given how God feels about justice for the poor.
I invite you to find your place to contribute at AJ and store up some really awesome treasure for yourself in heaven. I’m certainly counting on my stash and looking forward to building it up a bunch more in the days to come.
