約瑟芬．巴特勒（Josephine Butler）是維多利亞時代的女權運動先驅，為當時被指控（往往是不實指控）為「娼妓」的婦女發聲，為社會大眾視為「最討厭的人」爭取權利。約瑟芬因為堅定相信上帝，促使她多年致力於廢除1860年代英國的《傳染性疾病法案》，因為這項法案對社會中下層女性極不公平，強制女性接受殘忍的醫療檢查和治療。

到了1883年，在英國國會辯論廢除這項法案期間，她在威斯敏斯特與一群婦女一起禱告。當她看見那些來自貧民窟最邋遢和悲慘的婦女，與那些高尚尊貴的婦女一同哭泣，一同懇求上帝保護脆弱的人，令她深受感動。最後她們都滿心歡喜，因為國會廢除了這項不公平的法案。

約瑟芬要眾人秉公行義的呼籲，正呼應上帝透過先知耶利米對那些作惡的君王所說的話：「你們要施行公平和公義，拯救被搶奪的脫離欺壓人的手，不可虧負寄居的和孤兒寡婦」（耶利米書22章3節）。上帝要護衛那些無法保護自己免受權勢欺凌的人。

上帝也會激勵我們採取行動，幫助我們看見不平等的事，讓我們為此發聲並採取正確的行動。上帝厭惡人們濫用權力，祂會增添我們力量，讓我們維護公義並捍衛弱者。

Josephine Butler, a prominent minister’s wife, found herself campaigning for the rights of women accused (often unjustly) of being “ladies of the night,” those seen in society as the “least desirables.” Spurred on by her deep faith in God, she fought for years against the British Contagious Diseases Acts of the 1860s, which subjected women to cruel and invasive “medical” exams.

In 1883, during the parliamentary debate over a bill to repeal the Acts, she joined women in Westminster to pray. She was moved by the sight of the “most ragged and miserable women from the slums” alongside “ladies of high rank,” all weeping and asking God for protection of the vulnerable. To their joy, the bill passed.

Josephine’s call to act justly echoes the words of the prophet Jeremiah, who delivered God’s message to evil kings. Jeremiah said, “Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed.” And “do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow” (Jeremiah 22:3). God wanted to shield those who couldn’t defend themselves against the powerful.

God can spur us to action too, helping us to discern inequalities and to speak and take measures against them. He who hates abuse empowers us to uphold justice and defend the weak.