I just finished reading George Grant’s The Micah Mandate. Grant argues that the “model for Christian living is best illustrated in the words of the prophet Micah:”
He has shown you, O man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you: to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
Grant does a fairly convincing job of demonstrating the bond between the inner principles of faith and the outward actions of mercy and compassion. It’s well worth the read, especially chapter 5, Living as If People Mattered. That chapter alone is worth the price of the book.
Here’s an excerpt related to movement building and works of compassion:
Whenever and wherever the Gospel has gone out, the faithful have emphasized the priority of good works, especially works of compassion toward the needy. Every great revival in the history of the church, from Paul’s missionary journeys to the Reformation, from the Alexandrian outreach of Athanasius to the Great Awakening in America, has been accompanied by an explosion of priestly service. Hospitals are established. Orphanages were founded. Rescue missions were started. Almshouses were built. Soup kitchens were begun. Charitable societies were incorporated. The hungry were fed, the naked clothed, and the unwanted rescued. Word was wed to deeds.
This fact has always proved to be the bane of the church’s enemies. Unbelievers can argue theology. They can dispute philosophy. They can subvert history. And they can undermine character. But they are helpless in the face of extraordinary feats of selfless compassion. — George Grant