Do the same thing, get the same results

Over at the blog of the Christian Century, Julie Clawson laments:

I am passionate about social justice and have come to believe that Christians are required to care for the poor and the oppressed. It is the essence of my faith to work for change in the world. But baby boomers tell me that I will eventually grow up and leave behind these passions. They tell me, on a regular basis, that I will eventually see how trivial such things as debt relief, gender equality, global warming and ending hunger really are.

Yet I was feeling similar to these baby boomers during church today after a discussion of the parable of the Good Samaritan. Of course, debt relief is not trivial, but I ask, Is there room in my life for yet another thing? Often, the gospel message seems to be try harder. Occasionally such an exhortation can revive my flagging will, and I do try harder, and it can make a difference. But if the message is (and has been) "we're not doing enough," it's quite clear that the message will continue to be "we're not doing enough" a decade from now.

What we need--and it is not at all easy-- is to reshape the way we live together so that we can change. So much of how we live is not a conscious choice, but shaped by our community.