Blessed are those who Hunger

by Emily Hamilton, Pastor of Missions

Blessed are Those who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

“Righteousness” is not just a stuffy word about following rules. Rather, “righteousness” is about God’s power to make right that which is wrong. To hunger and thirst for righteousness is to find ourselves full of longing for God to rectify the things that are broken in us and in our world. Amazingly, that’s been God’s plan all along—to make us righteous through the work of Jesus and to work through us, imperfect as we are, to make things right in the world around us. We are blessed when we long and labor for this righteousness in the power of the Spirit.  

I can’t help but think of my friend Jolie Kpaka, a colleague of mine in Congo. She is currently enrolled in an economics master’s program at Daystar University in Kenya, thanks to scholarship funding from CPC. Throughout her childhood, Jolie and her family went through several periods of displacement because of armed conflict related to land and natural resources. In light of this experience, Jolie is passionate about helping communities care for rather than compete over God’s creation. In a context where environmental conservation and human survival are often seen as competing ends, Jolie is dedicated to breaking down that dichotomy, aware that caring for creation is a defining element in obeying Christ’s call to love God and neighbor. Jolie’s dream is to return to Congo and pioneer her community’s first waste management system that will improve the health and well-being of the land, air, and people. She is an example to me of what it means to long and labor for God’s righteousness.