Resurrection Lutheran Church is a member of GRIP (Great River Interfaith Partnership) along with 17 other churches in the St. Cloud area. GRIP’s mission is based on Isaiah 58:12, “You shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.”
GRIP takes a faith-based approach to identifying and helping to correct social injustices in the community. Recent successes include establishing a Regional Human Rights Office, increasing funding for education, reinstating funding for Battered Women’s Shelters and a policing agreement signed by the St. Cloud Police Department and St. Cloud’s Community of Color.
GRIP’s mission focuses on justice--changing the systems that perpetuate poverty and injustice. Typically, churches focus on charity. GRIP believes that both justice and charity are needed. The following modern day parable has helped our GRIP team understand the difference between justice and charity.
A family went to a local park for a picnic. They had just spread the food on a blanket when they heard a cry from the nearby river. They ran to the riverbank and saw a baby coming down stream. The parents rushed in and rescued the baby. They soothed him and dried him off and were about to call 911 on their cell phone when they heard another cry. They rushed back to the river and rescued another baby. They soothed and dried her off and were about to call 911 when they heard another scream. As they were rescuing the third baby one of the children said, “We should go upstream and figure out who is throwing these babies in the river.”
In this story, rescuing babies symbolizes charity. Going upstream to investigate the cause symbolizes justice work. Charity is needed because justice work isn’t fast enough to solve immediate needs. Justice is needed because churches and others have not been able to meet all the crucial needs of people. Beyond that, justice supports the dignity of human beings more than charity does.
Please contact one of the team members below if you would like to know more about GRIP and/or consider joining us.
Mark Boe Linda Larson
Eric Boysen Anna Mercedes Deb Robinson
Gene Boysen Betsy Johnson-Miller Lisa Wallin
Evelyn Eckroth Shane Miller
Pastor Linda Lagergren Jim & Kaci Parsons
Co-Chairs:
Jeannie Wilkens (320-363-4555)
Lori Schneider
GRIP is part of an organization called ISAIAH. For more information visit www.gamaliel.org/isaiah/
(Posted 2/7/2009 by JDH)