“God’s good earth is scarred. Too many people share in the abundance of creation. There is too much vulnerability. There is too little opportunity. There is too much in the hands of too few. There is too little in the stomachs of too many. There is too much injustice. There is too little justice—for all.”—M.C. MacMillan

“We are not prepared to pay the price of silence and inactivity in the face of social injustice around the world. Today’s dedication should be seen as an indication that The Salvation Army is still in the fight.” General Shaw Clifton, leader of the international Salvation Army, said those words last month in New York City during the dedication ceremony for the Army’s new International Social Justice Commission (ISJC) office. His audience included the Army’s international, national, and USA Eastern Territorial leaders, as well as representatives from the other USA territories. Also in attendance were representatives of the ecumenical and diplomatic communities.

“Today is an historic day for the Army,” said the General, “being the official birthing of the Social Justice Commission here in New York.” He pointed out the office’s close proximity to the United Nations. “We gather not to pat ourselves on the back, but in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and risen Savior.” The General recognized the presence of Commissioners Israel L. and Eva D. Gaither, national leaders, and Greater New York divisional leaders Lt. Colonels Guy and Henrietta Klemanski. He expressed his gratitude to everyone involved in the project.

“The vision is one thing, but making it real is something else,” he said. “It is part of the Army’s DNA to be involved in working for social justice,” the General said. Quoting William Booth, who wrote In Darkest England and the Way Out, General Clifton talked about the Founder’s “Scheme of Social Salvation.”

The General cautioned that fighting for social justice can be a “rough and risky terrain for anyone with a strongly developed social conscience and a willingness to be a voice for the voiceless—this is not risk–free,” he said. To explain what he meant, he used examples of social action taken by William Booth in his day, as well as actions under way today in London by The Salvation Army. (See sidebar.)

The General said that the ISJC will help the Army to network intelligently and sensitively with international organizations in New York, Geneva, Vienna, and Nairobi.

Commissioner M. Christine MacMillan, ISJC director, said, “The Salvation Army does not want to give up on hope and the newness of life.” “[We want] ‘birds in cages’ to fly, soar, and realize all the God–given potential that has been provided for them.” The “caged bird” concept, borrowed from Maya Angelou’s book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, was the theme for the dedication. MacMillan’s analogy alluded to the many “invisible” people around the world who suffer unspeakable injustices.

Captain Soo Kim of the School for Officer Training in Suffern, N.Y., and Marques Johnson, a soldier at the Paterson, N.J., Corps, set the tone for the meeting by performing a dance entitled “The Caged Bird,” which metaphorically and dramatically illustrated the plight of poor and oppressed people. The Territorial Arts Ministries Team, directed by Carol Jaudes, and a group of multilingual readers offered a narrative and music.

A duet by Captain Margaret Davis and her daughter, soldier Alexa Davis, singing “Be Thou My Vision,” also helped frame the meeting spiritually.

Liberato Bautista, president of the United Nations (U.N.) Conference of Non–Government Organizations (CONGO) and a U.N. consultant, delivered the keynote address.

“I think I know why the ‘the caged bird sings’—it is because you sing with the caged bird,” he said. “If there is one ‘army’ that I want to be associated with, it is The Salvation Army—a worldwide evangelical organization whose track record for saving lives as well as saving souls is second to none.”

Bautista, an ordained United Methodist pastor, used Isaiah 49:14–15, “…the Lord saw that there was no justice and was appalled that no one intervened.”

“You have chosen to intervene in the public square and I salute you for that,” Bautista said.