Topics:	From the Editor, Quality, Storytelling, Tone, Uses, Video
	References:	Proverbs 29:7, Ezekiel 16:49, James 2:16

Oftentimes, we want to address social justice issues, but we don't quite know where to start. No one disagrees that the church ought to be doing something to combat poverty, become peacemakers, help the homeless, and feed the hungry. Our methods and philosophies might differ, but the command to "clothe the naked and feed the hungry" is pretty clearly given throughout Scripture.

Visual media is a great place to introduce these topics. Putting a human face on worldwide suffering and pain is sometimes a productive way to get people to start thinking about social issues. Projecting a bunch of statistics on the screen about how many people are dying on a daily basis in Zambia because of AIDS is important (and necessary), but a visual complement showing actual people with AIDS and how the church can mobilize to assist them can stick the statistic into peoples' heads.

Here at FaithVisuals.com, we think it's extraordinarily important for the church to be involved in social justice issues. The following are the top ten videos available (in no particular order) from FaithVisuals.com that will start these important conversations:

		Micro-Enterprise This video, from twentyonehundred Productions, gives a glimpse of an organization that establishes micro-enterprises, and helps with micro-loans. It discusses the idea that the poor "don't need handouts; [they] need dignity." The micro-enterprises give the poor the opportunity to establish their own businesses and earn money to get the dignity and economic benefits of work. Micro-finance helps people reclaim hope, and gives them the opportunity for a better life.
		Cleverness This free clip from the film Amazing Grace shows what happens when we are physically confronted by the horrors of injustice. In the clip, William Wilberforce stands aboard a slave ship and talks about its role in the terrible slave trading business. The people listening to him recoil from the images and the smell of the ship. He encourages them to "remember that smell," as it will remind them that "God made men equal."
		Cry of the Poor This moving worship clip contains images of the poor over the song "The Cry of the Poor." This video is perfect for praise and worship time, or for a quiet reflection during a more somber moment in your service.
		Indian Tribe History In this clip from Intersect|Culture, Pastor Mark Buchanan discusses how the area in which he lives and pastors used to belong to a First Nations group. How does a church sitting on stolen land reconcile itself to the culture that was displaced and oppressed? How do these conversations even begin? Pastor Buchanan and his staff are hard at work trying to answer these critical questions.
		(Your) Two Cents Though we often feel like we can't give very much, this video gives information about tithing, worldwide earning statistics, and has interviews with people talking about how they give (or how they don't). Our assumptions about giving and spending are challenged, and we are called to give to people who have much less than we do.
		Evangelism Is an Action This short video, produced by Gorilla Pictures, shows how our Christian calling compels us to serve people, not only spiritually, but also physically. The people in the clip explain that we are called to be disciple-makers, but are also called to serve widows and orphans. The mission of the church should be "more than a message"; it should be an action.
		Acts 4 This clip, from The Work of the People, gives text from Acts 4: "For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the Apostle's feet." What would our communities looked like if this spirit still ruled in our churches?
		Bigger Than Ourselves How can we work with something bigger than ourselves? A commitment to social justice and true ministry outside of their own comfort zones led the subjects of this video to answer that question. Watch as they discuss the ways they've been challenged by working with children in an after-school program.
		Globalization How can the church respond to the issue of globalization? This video takes a hard look at the effects of globalization around the world. Peoples' lives are changed and shaped by this force every day, and Christians should learn what it is and how they can serve people in the midst of this cultural seismic shift.
		I Am Love This remarkable video illustration shows what might happen when we seek to be the faith, hope, and love we are called to be. How might we impact the world around us? What if we accepted the challenge to offer these three things to people we come in contact with? The world would change.

To see more videos related to social justice, click here or here.

Ryan Hamm is the assistant editor of FaithVisuals.com.

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