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| The Dow Jones Industrial Average has been one way of measuring the strength of our nation's economy. |
Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door. She was proud and committed detestable sins, so I wiped her out, as you have seen. Ezekiel 16:49-50 (NLT)
Contrary to widespread fears, the U.S. economy, by most accounts, appears to be doing better than expected. First the good news:
• The rate of inflation is slowing.
• A greater than expected 263,000 new jobs were created in November, and job growth is exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
• The jobless rate is 3.7%, a historic low level.
• Gas prices are continuing to drop, in spite of predictions they would rise as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
• The stock market appears to be relatively stable.
I'm not an economist, but should we be celebrating an economy that at least doesn't appear to be going over a cliff anytime soon? And hope that our 401k's may be able to ensure a comfortable retirement?
Or should we, given the warnings of Jesus and the prophets, be looking at a sobering other side of the picture?
For example, dare we celebrate the success of any economy that has resulted from land and resources having been brutally stolen from native peoples who lived here for millennia before our arrival? Or one which has prospered at the expense of hundreds of thousands of cruelly mistreated African slaves and multitudes of impoverished and abused immigrant workers? Or one in which large profits are still being made through the exploitation of vast amounts of natural resources and cheap labor around the world?
To the extent that any economy fails to deliver good news for the poor and release for the oppressed, a compassionate God--and the verdict of history--will not offer an unqualified blessing.
Nor should we.
2 comments:
So Harvey, which "native person" did you give your house back to before moving to VMRC? VMRC is the epitome of "white privilege" since you need multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars to simply get in. This doesn't count the multiple thousands they require each month to live there. How many African villages could you support if you moved there in your retirement instead of VMRC? You're a hypocrite.
I agree that in far too many respects we are truly all hypocrites, and especially as individuals and institutions who bear Menno's name. Here is an excerpt from the Complete Writings of Menno Simons, page 559:
Is it not sad and intolerable hypocrisy that these poor people [of the state supported churches] boast of having the Word of God, of being the true Christian church, never remembering that they have entirely lost their sign of true Christianity? For although many of them have plenty of everything, go about in silk and velvet, gold and silver, and in all manner of pomp and splendor; ornament their houses with all manner of costly furniture; have their coffers filled, and live in luxury and splendor, yet they suffer many of their own poor afflicted members (notwithstanding their fellow believers have received one baptism and partake of the same bread with them) to ask alms; and poor, hungry, suffering, old, lame, blind and sick people to beg their bread at their doors... even though the Scripture plainly teaches and says, Whoever has this world's good and sees his brother have need and shuts up his bowels of compassion for him, how dwells the love of God in him?
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