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| Sam Funkhouser, a Princeton Seminary graduate, a farmer, and a member of the Old German Baptist Brethren, New Con- ference, gave the keynote address at a workshop on "Anabaptist Rebirth: Just, Joyful and Sustainable Living." |
Eighty people showed up at the Harrisonburg Mennonite Church yesterday for some serious Bible study and reflection on the level of wealth and privilege we've come to feel entitled to, as in a quote by Funkhouser in the flier produced for the occasion: "We live like royalty, enjoy a level of prosperity that is unjust and unsustainable, and that is predicated on the poverty of others... Nothing could be more clear in the teachings of Jesus and the prophets than a condemnation of this kind of wealth."
Some months ago I got the following response from a church leader I had reached out to regarding the event: "The quote from Brother Funkhouser could come across as confrontational vs. conversational in tone which will appeal to the already convinced.... I don’t think this was your intention as planners but does indicate a bias of the desired impact/outcomes of the event. I am not suggesting these biases are wrong, but only that they may be perceived negatively and off putting by some thus keeping away those you most hope to attract."
I thought about that a lot as we went through the day together at Harrisonburg Mennonite. Maybe he's right. Maybe we are just preaching to the choir. But most in attendance welcomed the opportunity to address this question and to engage in conversation in their table groups and over the lunch hour, where we enjoyed a "stone soup" stew made with chopped vegetables participants brought with them. And in the spirit of renewed concern over our world neighbors in need, over $2000 was raised for the work of Mennonite Central Committee, a world relief and development organization.
Here is a sample of input from yesterday, this by panelist Daryl Byler, an attorney working for a non-profit legal aid organization in Washington DC:
Giving like Zacchaeus
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| Attorney Daryl Byler works for the District of Columbia Bar Foundation. |
community purchased a two-story house on a large lot in an
economically declining neighborhood. We paid the grand sum of $15,000 for a large house that needed lots of work.
To the west of our property, many of the houses were nicer than ours. But to the east of our property most of the houses were in considerably worse shape than ours – and in a flood plain. This is my first memory of really thinking about my economic status and to whom I compare myself.
None of us considers ourselves to be wealthy when we compare ourselves to the uber-rich like Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, or Elon Musk. Or even if we compare ourselves to persons who live in a more upscale neighborhood than our own. But the picture changes dramatically if our point of comparison is the average person in a least-developed country like Haiti, Sudan, or Bangladesh.
Years later, when I worked in the MCC Washington Office, a colleague, Dave Schrock-Shenk, wrote a 28-day devotional guide titled "Basic Trek: Venture into a World of Enough"; It uses the metaphor of a "trek" or journey to explore the concept of "enough" from a Christian perspective. Basic Trek challenges readers to simplify their lives and live more responsibly for the environment and the well-being of others. It addresses topics like consumerism, environmental responsibility, and living with enough for everyone.
Basic Trek reminded its readers that, while the United States has only about 5% of the global population, we consume around 25% of the world’s resources – or five times our fair share. The U.S. is also estimated to produce 30% of the world';s waste.
But even within this wealthy nation, there are huge disparities:
According to 2022 data from the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances (the most recent available data), the typical white household has roughly six times the wealth of the typical Black household. This disparity has persisted and even widened over decades.
This wealth gap is a result of historic and current policies and institutional practices – for example, redlining and other forms of housing and lending discrimination – that have facilitated wealth accumulation by white families while creating barriers for Black families. Additionally, white households are significantly more likely to receive substantial inheritances that help perpetuate wealth across generations.
Soon after we were married, Cindy and I set a goal to increase our giving by one percent of income each year – as one way of countering the impulse to consume more than our fair share as our income grew.
We have not always achieved this goal. And I’m aware that our economic choices had an impact on our children as they were growing up. They didn’t suffer, but they may have, from time to time, expressed the view that their parents were tight.
We try to live simply, to recycle, reuse, and budget carefully. We don’t eat out that often, and we try to keep our driving and expenditures to a minimum. But I am well aware of inconsistencies and that I still consume far more than my fair share.
In recent years, we have increasingly shifted our giving to justice-minded organizations – particularly those led by people of color for the benefit of people of color – like the Equal Justice Initiative, led by Brian Stevenson.
I reflect often on the story of Zacchaeus, the tax collector in Jericho. The city was a major hub on trade routes, especially for pilgrims traveling between Galilee and Jerusalem. This made it a perfect location for a chief tax collector like Zacchaeus to operate and accumulate vast wealth.
The Roman tax system often involved a “tax farming” model. Chief tax collectors like Zacchaeus would bid for the right to collect taxes in a given area. To recoup their investment and turn a profit, they would routinely overcharge citizens, earning them the reputation of traitors and thieves.
The story of Zacchaeus is found in Luke 19. Some scholars think that Zacchaeus may have been the tax collector Jesus referred to in his parable in the previous chapter. In that parable, a tax collector and a Pharisee are praying in the temple. The tax collector, who beats his breast in humility, is justified, while the self-righteous Pharisee is not.
If this parable was based on a real-life event that Jesus witnessed, it may explain why, when he passed through Jericho, Jesus looked up in the sycamore tree and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.”
I have often wondered what Jesus said to Zacchaeus when he went to his home. Likely, Jesus talked about kingdom economics and loving one’s neighbor as oneself. Or perhaps, Jesus just listened to the confession of a man who had come to realize the error of his ways.
Whatever the case – at the press briefing after their meeting, while the crowds complain about the lack of judgment Jesus has demonstrated by eating with a sinner – Zacchaeus says to Jesus, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.”
What would it look like if those of us who are solidly middle class gave half of our possessions to organizations serving those living in vulnerable situations?
The average American gives just under 2 percent of disposable income to charity. According to the group Nonprofit Source, Christians today give 2.5% of their income; during the Great Depression, it was 3.3%. Only 5% of Christians tithe.
According to the National Philanthropic Trust, the average annual household giving by generation is as follows:
The Silent Generation (Born 1925-1945) with $1,367
Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964) with $1,212
Generation Z (Born 1997-2012) with $785
Generation X (Born 1965-1980) with $732 and
Millennials (Born 1981-1996) with $481
That’s not a lot of money. What difference would it make if American Christians, who consume more than our fair share of global resources, instead made the same choice that Zacchaeus did, to give half of our possessions to those living in vulnerable situations?
The story of Zacchaeus ends with Jesus saying to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham.” In other words, this is what it looks like to be part of God’s family and to love neighbor as self.
Today, salvation has come to this house. I prefer the word liberation. Today, liberation has come to this house. That is to say, we seek this way of living not out of guilt but because it is how we are liberated and set free. Unlike the rich young ruler in the previous chapter of Luke’s gospel, Zacchaeus made the liberating choice. While the young ruler clung to his possessions, Zacchaeus joyfully embraced the cost of following Jesus.
There is liberation in not being bound to the idea that we must wear the latest fashions, or drive the best cars, or live in the biggest houses.
There is liberation in seeking to repair the harms done by an economic and political system that has benefited white people at the expense of our neighbors of color.
There is liberation in knowing that our neighbors are fed and have a warm place to sleep and share the same opportunities as we do.
What a difference it would make for us if we gave like Zacchaeus. What a difference it would make for those who do not currently receive their fair share due to no fault of their own.
Wouldn’t it be beautiful to hear Jesus speak these words to North American Christians: “Today, liberation has come to this house because they, too, are now acting like children of God.”
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On Jesus as a financial advisor:
To hear a previous recording of Sam Funkhouser's prophetic address:
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