The church today often references the prophet Micah and his words as a central point of focus for the importance of doing justice work to please God. “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). In this verse, I often wish that Micah’s list began with walking humbly.

Humility allows the enormity of injustice to move through our entire selves. It allows grief and lament to grip us. It provides us with a lens to recognize that all we think we are (good people) and all we think we have (good societies and systems) is often a result of exclusive efforts and greed.

We can choose humility, gratitude, and conviction to change the status quo instead of becoming defensive, protective, and territorial.
 
In following Jesus, we choose the humble way—emptying ourselves of our power and established place—join the people on the margins, always love mercy, and do the long, hard work of justice. Intentionally choosing a humble place of service will result in a place of true honor and effective work.