Are Faith Communities Afraid to Be Challenged By the Gospel???

This is what i just put on my pace e bene blog:

I am currently reading Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman.

He mentions that “It cannot be denied that too often the weight of the Christian movement has been on the side of the strong and powerful and against the weak and oppressed despite the gospel.” Thurman points out that Jesus WAS in the population that was the oppressed minority for being a poor jew under the Roman empire.

How often is the message portrayed in churches about Jesus not one that uplifts the fact that Jesus himself was a minority?

Recently, in my Old Testament Class with Steed Davidson, he mentioned that Micah is the prophet in the Bible that has the most to say about poverty and injustice. However, churches do not hear this message because in the lectionary cycle, only one of the chapters of Micah is really read in church. The chapters that call for nations to change themselves is not being read.

I can not help but think if the issue regarding Micah and the issue regarding Jesus are similar. How often are the images and messages of the Bible that call us to examine ourselves and work for justice the ones that are not considered central points in church communities???? Do we expect a message of comfort when that is only a portion of what the Bible is about? Are our faith communities afraid to be challenged by these messages???