Kingdom Work in Broken Systems: A Case for Human Rights Advocacy

I don’t know about you, but prior to stepping into working with the World Evangelical Alliance I had no idea that Christians were publicly involved with advocating for and participating in conversations and policy decisions at the United Nations level.

More specifically, my team advocates at the United Nations level to engage in issues related to human rights in general and religious freedom.

You may be thinking, okay that's great and all but, what are human rights?

What are human rights?

When we refer to human rights we refer to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which was published at the United Nations in 1948. It was an influential document at the time, establishing a standard of achievements and fundamental rights which has and continues to influence international treaties and agreements. 

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) may be a human document, but it reflects something far older and deeper: God’s own concern for the dignity of every person made in His image (Genesis 1:27). There's something incredibly important about being able to participate in human rights advocacy as a Christian.

While the UN provides one global framework for protecting the vulnerable, Christians know that the foundation of human rights isn’t political but theological. Scripture reminds us that in Christ there is no Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female (Galatians 3:28) — every life has equal worth before God. 

Why "Rights" Language Feels Complicated

I know the word rights can feel complicated in Christian circles. Sometimes people ask: Do we really “deserve” things like the right to life, or education?

As Christians, we know that everything we have is a gift of God’s grace, not something we’ve earned (Ephesians 2:5). So it’s natural to feel cautious about language that sounds like entitlement. We also remember that it is God—not governments or institutions—who defines what justice is (Psalm 11:7; Romans 12: 19).

At the same time, in human society the language of rights has become a vital tool for protecting the vulnerable and holding governments accountable. That’s why I’ll use the term human rights here, especially when referring to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which set a global baseline for safeguarding things like education, safety, and family life.

Addressing Common Concerns

Because of this tension, it’s understandable that many believers feel uneasy about Christian involvement in human rights advocacy. Some worry that since human rights are framed by human institutions, they’re flawed or overly human-centered. And in many ways, that’s true—the UN is not perfect. Shouldn’t our focus be on the Kingdom of God, not the kingdoms of this world?

Here’s the tension we live in: as Christians, we belong to the Kingdom of God—a reality that does surpass every earthly kingdom. However, in this in-between space we live in the reality that the Kingdom of God is both here and not yet. When Jesus was teaching his disciples how to pray he taught them to yearn for the Kingdom of God to come on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).

So what does it look like to walk out our faith in light of this reality? What does it look like to become more like Jesus? To learn from, adopt, and mirror the heart of God in every area of our life? And how does engaging in human rights work and advocacy fit into these things? In my next post I'll share more about how Christians are actively engaging in human rights and how you can be a part of it.

Join My Work!