As the gap between the “haves” and the “have nots” grows wider, and as reports of oppression against marginalized populations in our communities increase, we share some voices—some inspired, some not—about our Christian duty to care for those with whom we share space on this planet. —Editors.

“True peace is not merely the absence of war, it is the presence of justice.”
Jane Addams

“We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“If you’re in the luckiest one percent of humanity, you owe it to the rest of humanity to think about the other 99 percent.”
Warren Buffett

“For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.”
Deuteronomy 10:17-19

“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.”
Maya Angelou

“Our highest deeds come from helping the lowest people.”
Matshona Dhliwayo

“Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.”
Benjamin Franklin

“Let the first act of every morning be to make the following resolve for the day:
I shall not fear anyone on Earth.
I shall fear only God.
I shall not bear ill will toward anyone.
I shall not submit to injustice from anyone.
I shall conquer untruth by truth.
Mahatma Gandhi

“I’m starting to think this world is just a place for us to learn that we need each other more than we want to admit.”
Richelle E. Goodrich

“There is nothing more beautiful than someone who goes out of their way to make life beautiful for others.”
Mandy Hale

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Jesus Christ (Luke 4:18, 19)

“As my sufferings mounted I soon realized that there were two ways in which I could respond to my situation: either to react with bitterness, or seek to transform the suffering into a creative force. I decided to follow the latter course.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.

“I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
Nelson Mandela

“Love is not patronizing and charity isn’t about pity, it is about love. Charity and love are the same: with charity you give love, so don’t just give money but reach out your hand instead.”
Mother Teresa

“Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others.”
Booker T. Washington

“God requires that His people should not allow the poor and afflicted to be oppressed. If they break every yoke and release the oppressed, and are unselfish and kindly considerate of the needy, then shall the blessings promised be theirs. If there are those in the church who would cause the blind to stumble, they should be brought to justice; for God has made us guardians of the blind, the afflicted, the widows, and the fatherless.”
Ellen G. White (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, p. 519)

“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.”
Elie Wiesel