Voice???

My friend Mzi posted the following on fb the other day:

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter" - Martin Luther King jr.

I sense a "resounding silence" within the church about things that matter - about the de Doorns farm workers; about Zamdela's community concerns; about Nathan Maluleke who was beaten with a golf club trying to stop racist tension; about money spend in building the president's Nkandla house; and about conflicts in our continent.

I agree with him and think as the church we should be standing up for "the things that matter". i just dont see a forum within the church to do this. Partly because i am scared of being called racist or crazy or extremist. But also partly because i dont hear the voice of the church in commenting on things that are happening. 

I guess my first question is- Is it the place of the church to speak out? 

And if the answer to that 1st question is yes...Then why aren't we? And How should we? 

I don't know the clear black and white answer to that question but i do know that Jesus wasn't very keen on hiding in his church building... Are we?