Social responsibility is an ethical framework, which suggests that an entity, organization or individual has an obligation to act for the benefit of society at large. Basically it's functioning in a way that helps those who have a need that they cannot meet on their own. Some examples would be to feed the hungry and homeless, give to a charity that builds needed facilities within a community, take part in medical outreach to an area stricken by disease, or maybe pass on relief goods to victims of a disaster.
Social responsibility is certainly trendy. Celebrities share pictures to their Instagram accounts of some good cause they are supporting. Brands want to be seen as good for you, good for the community, good for the world, and many of them do actually use a proportion of their profits to support the causes they are passionate about. It's cool to be socially responsible. And yes generally, the more selfless you are the better a person you are. But social responsibility - at least in a Christian sense - is more than just doing something because it's cool or you want to be seen as good. It's doing something because embedded in all of us is a deep call to be socially responsible to each other out of our shared humanity and understanding of each other as brothers and sisters.
You cannot be in Christ and not feel compelled to social responsibility. Christ, in His infinite love and mercy towards us has blessed us with everything. Salvation by itself is more than enough reason to say we are blessed, but that's not the end of it. He has also promised us life more abundantly (John 10:10) here on earth as it is in heaven. As a result, He asks only that we let it overflow to those who are in need.
Proverbs 19:17 tells us, "He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done." Social responsibility is not just another item on the "Christian checklist" to tick off on a regular basis. It is an outflow of knowing we are abundantly blessed by God with so much that we cannot help but let it overflow to other people who are in deep need may it be a financial need, a social need or even a spiritual need.
That's what happened in the early church in Acts. Out of an overflow of a heart abundantly gushing out with Christ, Acts 4:34-35 tells us, "There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles 'feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need."
As Christians, followers of a compassionate Christ, social responsibility is not so much something we are required to do, but someone who we become. As the Holy Spirit comes into our hearts, He starts aligning the pieces of it such that we start valuing the things God values and start losing interest in the things we value. Social responsibility is not something we are supposed to do, but something that we naturally do when we truly understand how much Christ has blessed us.
