Sunday, September 19, 2010

Quiet Peace-Godly Dignity

Talk about money and ears perk up! Remember the movie Jerry Maguire, when the star football player shouts at his agent, "Show me the money!". How about Gordon Gekko in Wall Street as he utters the classic line at a stockholders' meeting: "Greed is good." There is a large sign east of Lake Crystal, Minnesota, which has a 30ish male, hard hat, white T-shirt, arms crossed, saying: "I go to work so I can fund the bribes, bail-outs, corruption, and illegals. (Signed) Angry American Voter". What is the purpose of money? It seems if we understand money's purpose we would know better how to treat it, use it, and therefore how to make it our servant rather than our master.

I think it boils down to JUSTICE. God's justice wills EVERYONE to have enough money. When everyone has enough, there will be a quiet peace and godly dignity.

Revolutions nearly always begin with the poor and oppressed. They can't take it anymore. They are the living examples of INJUSTICE. The wealthy have something to "conserve" so they do not cater to a revolution or pose a challenge to the middle class. Furthermore, democracies do not attack each other. In both of these situations, money plays a pivotal role: In the first there is not enough for everyone. In the second scenario there is no need for a revolution because those in power are wealthy and do not want to disturb the status quo. So, when everyone has enough, there will be less violence and democracies can continue living in peace! "Enough" is the operative word.

The prophet Amos writes about those who " trample on the needy" and "bring the poor to ruin". Amos clearly sees these situations as gross "injustices". It is the wealthy or at least those who have "enough" who do the trampling and create the ruin. Those who do not have "enough" get trampled and ruined. Again, "enough" is the operative word. Further on, it is the wealthy who cheat the poor and needy. In the end, Amos tells them that "God will remember their ways", giving the wealthy a glimpse into the future judgment of God.

It is no accident that the United States is in economic trouble since 1:7 people are now living beneath the poverty line, that unemployment is near 10%, and that people are losing their homes. Economic trouble exists because there are a significant number of people who do not have enough money to live on. Hence, anger and fear, and the growing "Tea Party" movement.

How can we create a money environment where everyone has enough? My suggestions are: 1) Significantly cut the defense budget and expect other nations to foot their fair share of defense needs; 2) Get rid of all off-shore tax havens for corporations; 3) Go full-bore on a national energy policy to design and build alternative energy sources; 4) Invest fully in education on all levels, plus making college education more affordable; 5) Make banks lend money for start-up businesses; 6) Majorly tax CEO bonuses; 7) Institute "workfare" programs for the hard core unemployed and pay a fair wage; 8) Increase the minimum wage to at least $10 an hour; 9) Increase taxes on the wealthy; 10) Incentivize corporations to stay in the United States; 11) Cut down on credit card use; 12) Increase the limit on which you pay Social Security taxes and stop taking money out of the SS Trust Fund; 13) Urge people to live more simply with less stuff, to enjoy friends and family more, to find greater joy in volunteering; 14) Commit ourselves to enhancing the quality of life for all people; 15) Design programs to rebuild America's infrastructure.

When people have "enough" money, they will lead more quiet and peaceful lives with much more godly dignity. Wealth must be created. Wealth must be shared. Everyone must have enough.
Everyone is our brother and sister.

Peace!
Ron

Saturday, September 11, 2010

September 11-Then to Now

It is time to connect more dots. These past weeks have been filled with conversations about a planned Muslim cultural center a few blocks from Ground Zero and the planned burning of copies of the Koran by a fundamentalist pastor in Florida. In between, two wars are raging, our economy is struggling with millions unemployed or underemployed, numerous CEOs receiving millions in bonuses, a Congress that does not have the grace to think of the country first, the fall elections trending strongly Republican, and the president struggling to find his way. So many dots.

Last evening, Linda and I watched a CNN special on the Enron debacle. This morning we watched a historical piece on 9/11. My blood pressure soared to heights I never see, a literal truth, and this was nine years hence. Are there common threads?

May I suggest FEAR, and its partner, DEFENSIVENESS. Fearful people are defensive. Fearful people build walls. Fearful people find enemies, like immigrants. Fearful people turn violent and christen war as the ultimate answer to our paranoia. Fearful people use God to justify hatred against other religions. Fearful people forget about the higher values of our Constitution and make exceptions, to their advantage. Fearful people forget about the common good and focus on personal survival. Fearful people lack generosity. Fearful people react rather than respond.

Fearful people turn to leadership models like Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Rand Paul, the Arizona governor and prejudiced networks. Fearful people are blindly ideological, refusing to act as adults, but only as whining children who will only say "No!" if they do not get their way.

May I also suggest GREED. There is a reason why this is one of the "Seven Deadly Sins". Greed is about ME. Concern for the common good happens only when it means ME doing well for MYSELF. Remember the fallacy of the "trickle down theory"? The evidence is in and the results are as follows: more millionaires and billionaires, and many more less well off, with a shrinking middle class and growing lower class. Oh, and we might as well toss in a multitude of politicians on all sides who have sold their souls to corporate lobbyists. After all, it is all about getting re-elected and "showing me the money".

And "we the people" may as well stand in the docket of the guilty. We sometimes spend too much (when we have it to spend). We support leaders who have the power to "go big" in reaction to events. We often do not take the time to think of the big picture or of those beyond our own struggles. We are another of the many dots.

What is the way through? For me, the Church, the Body of Christ, give some hints. Yes, certainly the followers of Jesus have done their share to create havoc, and many of those who are the main "havoc makers" worship regularly and feel close to Jesus. We can all be deceived and deceive ourselves. Guilty as charged.

I belong to the ELCA, the church that voted to allow gay pastors living together in a committed monogamous relationship to pastor a congregation. It took faith, courage, a strong sense of justice and compassion, Biblical thoughtfulness, to pass this resolution. I support it. The ELCA has a strong statement on economic justice lifting up the common good as the central feature. Its position on peace is inclusive and not reckless, supporting the principles of just war and pacifism and nonviolence. We are a big tent. And I could go on. Not perfect, but faithful, thoughtful, justice focused, peace centered, inclusive and respectful.

I read the gospels and see a Christ who heals, teaches, and preaches, and does not advocate violence. Christ is an active pacifist, advocating justice and peace, welcoming all to the Table of the Lord. Jesus is one who speaks truth to power and sacrifices himself instead of others. Jesus is one who is humble to the God of Abraham and lives today through the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control. Jesus is the one who casts out fear and greed and replaces them with love and generosity.

Social change begins in the heart. I can think of no better place to have "heart surgery" than with Christ, and being part of a church, a congregation, that practices the Spirit of Christ. Frankly, some churches do it better than others. Just look around. When you worship and hear the call to hate, to advocate intolerance, to blindly support capitalism without constraints, to speak of justice only in limited, ideological terms, then move on, as evil is at work.

In this time of fear, defensiveness, and greed, I know of no better place to begin restoration, to nurture hope, to plant the seeds of justice and to fly the dove of peace, to connect the dots, than with the Christ, and in a church where the Spirit of Christ blooms amidst the community of the faithful.

Peace!
Ron