When you see something wrong taking place in your presence, how often do you stand up and speak out about it? At every single opportunity or never?
There are many reasons why some people don't feel comfortable openly expressing their solidarity with someone who is being victimised. But as Christians, Jesus calls on us to act like Good Samaritans, not passersby.
Whether your default reaction is to intervene or ignore, we can all benefit from reflecting on who we need to be when we're called to speak out against injustice.
Here are three things we should know when it comes to taking a stand:
Be prepared
The saying "fail to prepare, prepare to fail" can accurately be applied to any undertaking, including those where we need to speak out. So often a lack of preparedness stops us from taking a stand because we don't know what to do or say or if we are not sure if we have to say or do something. Preparing ourselves for how and when to respond to injustice, discrimination and victimisation of others around us can embolden us to deal with these issues when they arise.
Preparing isn't about having a script ready or a formulated response. How we react to a situation which calls for our intervention will most likely depend on the individual case. But having an awareness of what kind of support to offer and in what circumstances to offer it is an important form of preparation.
Be unashamed
Standing up to support or defend vulnerable people is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, it's something to be admired, something that we should aspire to do.
However, shame can stifle our natural responses to defend others, ourselves and our beliefs. The Bible teaches us that we shouldn't be ashamed of the Gospel, and that means in terms of the literal words we say and our actions.
Our actions should reflect how we're internally invigorated by the Gospel. And in some cases that will mean unashamedly voicing our opposition to what's going on around us.
Be vocal
When we witness someone behaving in a way that is at odds with our beliefs – one colleague's personal attack on another, a child being taunted by a bully – or when we become aware of instances of organised injustice taking place, there are a number of ways we can do to take a stand. For instance, we can let our views known through social media. But it's useless, especially for the victims of injustice, if we wait until we're far away from a problematic situation before we make a comment about it.
Moreover, the Bible tells us to become children of light. That means to "have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them," Ephesians 5:11.
If it's not appropriate or possible to speak out, saying some kind words to the victim immediately afterwards can be a source of comfort following the hurtful actions or views expressed by others.
