Justice, Wokeness, and the Normal Christian Life
By Ayesha Kreutz
A friend recently shared some thoughts that lingered with me, pointing to what I believe was another Christian’s perspective:
*“I’m deeply concerned when people label those who are shining the light on domestic abuse, spiritual abuse, clergy sexual abuse, and any other type of ungodly behavior from a leader as ‘woke’ or ‘liberal.’ Were the prophets of Israel ‘woke’ when they stood against injustice? Was the writer of Proverbs 31:8 a liberal when he urged us to be a voice for the voiceless? I think anyone who makes such a claim is not only giving cover to abusers, but may be one themselves!
Woke Isaiah wrote: ‘Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.’ (Is. 1:17)
Liberal Amos wrote: ‘But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.’ (Amos 5:24)
And bleeding-heart Micah—who can forget his left-wing description of: ‘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?’”*
Then my friend added:
“……. I cannot have our faith in Jesus be synonymous with conservative rhetoric. It is so lazy and careless to not look beyond certain words getting thrown around. I can’t assume everybody would have the same level of compassion and concern about abuse in the church. I can assume none of us are called to be heartless and blind.”
After reading it I felt compelled to reply. I often scroll past this stuff as it is to each there own and it is hard to back and forth on social media without being dragged down the rabbit hole of misunderstanding. Politics is touchy but intersects with our lives daily so I have always believed we have to take part lest we are regulated by the wicked. This time, though, I was like I just have to.
Perhaps it’s because I’m a survivor of sexual abuse and exploitation—not by church or clergy, but by family, none the less. Or maybe it was my flesh or some deeper prompting I haven’t fully grasped. Either way, here it goes.
I can appreciate the sentiment and how it captures a deep frustration many Christians feel today. It’s true—when faith gets swallowed up by political rhetoric, compassion often gets lost in the fray. A fair criticism.
I don’t know if labels like “woke” or “liberal” are always flung around just to dismiss real pain. But I do know this: when it comes to shining a light on abuse, injustice, and the need for accountability in the Church, we need to be clear and intentional.
The world is broken inside and outside of the Church. Broken people come into the Church. And worse yet, the enemy of our souls infiltrates the Church to devour both the Body and those who are genuinely seeking. My heart aches for those who have been hurt by careless language, even mine. I am guilty like everyone else.
God’s people should not be heartless or blind to suffering. But in our pursuit of clarity, let’s lovingly untangle these threads.
Yes, Scripture calls us to seek justice. But that call is not the same thing as modern “woke” ideology. Why do the “woke” get to claim the moral high ground—especially when their worldview is secular at its core?
Some “woke” concerns, like addressing racial injustice, can align with biblical justice where there’s overlap for doing good, but these efforts too often stem from a secular foundation, throwing them off course from the start.
We can partner with them on common ground, yet we are not the same—our foundation, our culture remains Christ or should.
God’s people don’t need to borrow from shifting cultural slogans. We have a higher standard. We turn to God’s Word as our guide—not the moving target of cultural debates that put us at the mercy of the times. His Word will endure even when time ends. God is the same today, tomorrow, yesterday and always. Now….
Isaiah 1:17 declares: “Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.” This is one of my life verses—something I live by and feel deeply. Maybe that’s another reason I felt compelled to respond.
This isn’t a political manifesto or a trendy slogan—it’s God’s direct command to His people. In the broader context of Isaiah 1, the Lord rebukes Israel for their empty religious practices while they ignored the cries of the vulnerable.
He calls them back to a life of faithful obedience that reflects His holy character. We are to be a people set apart. Justice here isn’t about aligning with a party or a movement; it’s about righteousness lived out in compassion and truth.
Protecting the fatherless, advocating for widows, and rebuking/correcting oppression—these are core to who God is and who He calls us to be. So the questions are:
How do we protect the fatherless? How do we advocate for the widows? What does it mean to rebuke the oppressor? That word there—aw-shar—translated as rebuke or correct, also carries the sense of advance, make progress, set right, or go straight on. In other words, we are called to go head-on, to lead and stand against the oppressor—the ruthless, the abuser, the one who tramples the weak.
The woke are not gonna hear us as we talk about holiness, or even fatherlessness, look at how they defend it and have whole movements to destroy the nuclear family.
Amos 5:24 and Micah 6:8 together drive this home: “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:24), and “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8). Amos wasn’t preaching to win cultural points; he confronted a society that loved rituals over real righteousness—hollow festivals while justice was a sham! Does that sound familiar? One justice is performance. The other flows from God Himself. Micah adds that justice must be paired with mercy and humility—not grand gestures, but a daily walk honoring God by loving the marginalized.
The picture is powerful: justice rolling like waters—free, constant, unstoppable, for all—and righteousness as a mighty stream, bearing down resistance to what’s right. God’s vision isn’t stingy; it’s an abundant flood washing away corruption and nourishing the oppressed. Yet, here’s the rub:
What is oppression? Who are the oppressed? I see it differently than many “woke” friends—some even claim I’m oppressed! If I was oppressed you would not have to convince me of it. Perhaps those who think they are oppressed need to be freed from the bondage of their minds? The systems of oppression that were once in place in America are being corrected and we continue to confront those issues that need reformed.
Real oppression exists—sexual abuse, sex trafficking, human slavery still rampant here and worldwide.
These are ruthless evils to confront head-on! Other forms may be subtler, but they demand watchfulness.
And what if we read all of Amos 5 to the “woke” crowd? They’d likely call it injustice, cruel, ruthless—Heard?
This prophetic call doesn’t fade in the New Testament—it amplifies through Jesus and His followers. A couple of examples… James 1:27 says: “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” Father help us!
Do you see what James is saying? God actually does want religion—just not the empty kind. The woke have us so twisted that Christians chant, “It’s a relationship, not a religion,” as if that’s God’s mantra. No! The point is to get our religion straight—that’s conservative biblical thinking!
God urges active compassion—caring for the vulnerable and staying unspotted from worldliness. Similarly, 1 Timothy 5:20 instructs: “As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.” Exposing abuse isn’t “woke activism”; it’s biblical accountability protecting the flock and upholding holiness. Todays wok movement is all about worldliness.
Now here’s food for thought, especially from the original post: conservatives aren’t all Christians. Neither are all Republicans. Maybe the problem is assuming labels equal faith.
Being conservative in thought means guarding against worldly corruption—a daily prayer, sometimes a struggle, sometimes natural. But how do progressive and “woke” friends view corruption? How do they define holiness? How many even believe in it?
Flip it: do so-called conservatives—Christian or not—uphold holiness or just wear the label?
The ideals, process, and outcomes differ, but does it matter if someone strives for holiness or ignores it? Does it matter if we see through secular eyes or Scripture? I think it does!
Here’s where we must gently but firmly separate the threads. Biblical justice is rooted in God’s unchanging holiness and love. It is universal, calling all to righteousness, inseparable from truth and repentance. It defends the voiceless, confronts sin, and flows from a Christ-centered worldview.
Modern “woke” ideology, while starting with some real issues, has grown into a secular framework often emphasizing identity politics, subjective truth, and methods clashing with Scripture.
Though we can partner on overlap for doing good, like addressing shared concerns, we are not the same—our foundation is Christ.
Equating the two—or dismissing abuse calls as “woke” or “liberal”—is misleading and harmful. It covers unrighteousness and distracts from our calling. We’re not attacking; we’re clarifying to pursue God’s heart faithfully.
Christians apply these scriptures differently—and that’s okay if rooted in God’s Word.
Take “plead the widow’s cause” or “rebuke oppressors.” Conservative believers emphasize personal responsibility and local action: supporting pro-life initiatives, upholding the nuclear family, defending traditional values, promoting church-based orphan care, safeguarding religious freedom, addressing poverty-trapping policies, advocating criminal justice reform biblically and constitutionally, and confronting sex trafficking and pedophilia.
Progressive believers may share some concerns but lens them through systemic reform, government programs, or activism against perceived inequalities.
I guess both can honor God, if the foundation is God and both have pitfalls. To err is human. Conservatives can risk missing structural sins fearing “woke” labels; progressives may blend biblical truth with secular ideologies.
Humility—examining blind spots and prioritizing Scripture—equips us to pursue justice God’s way.
One thing is clear: shining a light on abuse—domestic, spiritual, or sexual—in the Church isn’t political; it’s prophetic.
Dismissing it as “woke” rhetoric is lazy and careless, as my friend noted. Scripture demands bold confrontation, not hiding. Failing to do so wounds the Church and dims our witness. Yes, we need to correct bad “church culture”—I’m all in for that! But acting like conservative identity is reprehensible—or suggesting the Bible is “woke”—is just as lazy.
I wouldn’t show real love to my cherished brothers and sisters if I ignored accountability. Rebuking, correcting, sharpening each other isn’t an attack—it’s obedience.
Dear friends, if these words resonate with your pain or frustration, know you’re not alone. But let’s rise above the labels together.
We are called to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13–16)—preserving truth and illuminating darkness.
We are called to be iron sharpening iron (Proverbs 27:17)—challenging and strengthening in love.
I am not dictated by politics—my politics are dictated by my faith and God’s Word. Jesus was always meant to be our King. It was humans who begged God for a king, and He warned us what would happen… and here we are.
The woke crowd largely rejects the infallible Word, denies Jesus as our righteousness, and sidesteps God as Justice. That’s the real divide.
I invite you to join me: believe in Scripture, anchor in Scripture, act with compassion, and walk humbly with your God.
Care for the vulnerable in your community. Speak truth in love. Hold one another accountable.
In doing so, we will live out the normal Christian life—which, in the world’s eyes, is extreme. As followers of the One who is Justice Himself, we must be vigilant not to let the world corrupt us.
May His grace guide us all toward greater clarity, greater courage, and greater unity in His name.