Working in the city with "poor people" definitely affects the way I look at the world and this nation.
An added complication has to do with the fact that for the last forty-five years I have been a serious student of the Bible.
Bad mix.
The pain of the poor coupled with a fairly well-developed understanding of the "value documents" of the American faith can be a maddening combination.
One of the great ironies of the last quarter of the 20th century is how the church has surrendered the high ground in the battle against poverty, injustice and inequality in America. It makes me wonder what Bible is being read in churches today.
But the irony continues.
The church has walked away from the poor in favor of advancing another value-based agenda, one that is much more narrow. The combination of an increasing emphasis on individual salvation, the amassing of greater and greater wealth among conservative Christians and an almost exclusive focus on sexual morality, as defined by the issues of homosexuality and abortion, has resulted in the abandonment of the poor as a moral matter.
Wealth places millions of believers in the upper class. Wealth tends to drive tax policy and domestic budget formation. In such a situation justice fades as a moral concern for believers. The pulpits go silent. Get my drift?
But, religious people are moral and must espouse a moral agenda by definition, right? Concern over abortion and the gay rights movement fill an important void. And wouldn't you know it, such a concern costs tax payers nothing.
Wealth is protected. Morals are championed. The poor are on their own. After all, we all get wealthy and powerful in this nation by hard work, personal responsibility and the blessing of God, right? Surely our advantages had little, if anything, to do with our success!
I can just hear Amos crying out!
All of that to say, read Jim Wallis' new book: God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It.
Wallis argues with power that the values debate in the nation must be broadened again. He contends that faith has a place in the public square. Establishing justice and fairness is at the heart of the Judeo-Christian faith systems.
Further, the faith has been hijacked by a narrow, unjust movement that ignores the fullness of the faith from a moral standpoint.
Things must change. True believers, you know the ones who understand the heart of God as taught by Moses, Isaiah, and Jesus, must re-engage the American political system as that system relates to the poor. And this must happen because such is the clear agenda of the faith itself.
You may not agree with me or with Wallis. But you should give him a hearing. Buy his book and read it.
[Buy Jim Wallis' new book at Amazon.com by going to this site: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060558288/qid=1109212696/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/002-9898673-3819238?v=glance&s=books&n=507846]
Amen, Larry. It occurs to me that the "oppressed" must speak out, but real change will only occur when the blessed/lucky/oppressor class takes action. In Hotel Rwanda, it takes a courageous Hutu to save hundreds of Tutsis; in Schindler's List it takes a courageous German to save hundreds of Jews. I think we are talking about real life and death issues here. Those of us from the white middle/upper-class are going to have to be the ones to effect real change. But that's going to take sacrifice and discomfort, things we are not real good at - things we have spent our lives running from. I pray that the LORD will change/break our hearts!
ReplyDeleteI too must say AMEN!
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that one of our [the church/believers] biggest hurdles is to cleanse our hearts and minds of it bigotry toward the poor. How many of us look upon the poor with nose in the air, with an almost tangible hand extended with palm vertically announcing, "Don't come too close! Keep your distance! You and I are on two different hemispheres and realities. Don't come over here and infect my world."
We are NOT of pure hearts, in general with a few sparkling exceptions.
The Apostle Paul teaches us in 1 Corninthians 11, that our treatment of the poor also affects our acceptable participation in the LORD's Supper.
So why do we just roll along as though the poor don't exist or are not "my problem"? I don't know the answer, but I convinced that until the churches reach out to minister to the poor, until we open our hearts and doors to these of the 'highways and byways' we must continue to be concerned about our spiritual health and just how much are we pleasing God with our squeaky clean ministries that allow us to hold off the poor and unwashed at more than arms' distance? Why are we so afraid of messy ministries? My heart breaks for all our well-meaning fellow-believers and those that attend such beautiful buildings, while carefully avoiding the streets that are inhabited by the poor. The out of sight, out of mind syndrome, I suppose.
Come beat on our church doors, Larry. Come hound us out of our apathy. Come look us in the face and push us out of our fears and bigotry. We need you!!!
Yes, spot, that would be the proper personal motivation, but as Jim Wallis points out, "Budgets are moral documents" and they reflect our moral values, whether we like it or not. So, let's heed the voices from the prophets and let mercy and justice roll throughout the land, from our government and our churches!
ReplyDeleteSpot, thanks for your comments. The problem, as I see it, is this: 1) In our democracy we are the government 2) The scale of the problems cannot be addressed adequtely by the church alone no matter how you cut the numbers 3) Churches and organizations like ours and other community based organizations can partner successfully with government to get the work done--but funds have to be made available for this purpose. In Dallas we have several highly effective partnerships underway involving government agencies and public funds. But the funds are going away and have been for the past 25 years. Wallis' book will make this plain. God's economic plan for the nation of Israel makes it clear that funding from "the whole" of a nation is a good way to establish His values in a culture.
ReplyDeleteYeah, yeah, yeah! I read your blog for the first time today, and am thrilled to hear somebody making the phrophetic connection. Why the narrow definition of values!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Larry. I have been saying many of the same things for a while now, and it is good to see them said on a widely read blog. I wrote a paper last summer on Amos and his message to Christians today -- scary thoughts!
ReplyDeleteWallis gets it mostly right, I think. I pray he doesn't fall off on the other side of the bridge, however, in his attempts to alter the political mindset of believers.
Blessings in your ministry.
Just bought the book today. Barnes and Noble had it 20% off and I had a gift card. Thanks for calling more attention to our calling.
ReplyDeleteAmen Larry! I continue to lift you up in prayer as you reach more and more people through this site. And to think a few months ago you were debating about whether or not to start blogging! You have definitely stirred things up and awakened and challenged many of us. Thank you for bringing poverty to the forefront again! Lead the way and teach us how to lead with you...
ReplyDeleteLarry,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the challenge, but...
Why did Jesus not end poverty when He was on the earth? Why does God allow this form of suffering in the world? Why does He not bless us all equally? Does Jesus mean 'actually feed' food to His sheep or does He mean to teach the gospel? If He means to 'actually feed' the sheep, why did He/does He not physically feed the sheep? Why did He say, "the poor you will always have with you..."
If filling the bellies of the hungry is the area where we, the church, can be most like Christ, why then would you encourage us to spend one more dime on a book and not put those monies into bags of food? Why not sell this $2500.00 computer and buy food? Why not sell all but three shirts and two pair of pants and buy food? Why not one shirt and one pair of pants? Why not turn off the AC at your office? your house? Why not sell your house?
Jesus says "give up everything" and follow me. Does following Him mean being homeless, as Jesus was homeless? Why not?
Michael
really enjoyed it. Thanks!
ReplyDelete