quite ashtonishing, i am really into this economy and mission series!

…i was just watching a teaching dvd my wife gifted to me (for my birthday) called “countering pharaoh’s production-consumption society today” with walter brueggemann, in which he talks about how in a system based on scarcity is forced into enslavement; yet when pain is voiced [by those who produce wealth and accumulation for others] it makes the injustice a matter of public fact which in turn requires the rearrangment of social power, and this is what YHWH responds to in Exodus, and leads them from enslavement to redemption and covenant and the rearrangement of social and economic power via that covenant. one of the most amazing things about exodus 2:23 is that the people of israel did not cry out to YHWH, they just “cried out”…but YHWH responds to the cry of injustice…in this founding narrative of all scripture, the narrative brings our attention to the entry of God into the venue of rapacious economics; he goes on to speak about how the church of pur age seems to not understand what exactly its role could be nor what to do about the economics of exploitation and the fear-mongering myth of scarcity (possibly because we are enslaved in the system or even willng participants): but it is in the slaves giving voice to the pain (in which makes the injustice a public fact, and the cry is heard by God) and also in the former slaves countering this system with prophetic hope, both voiced and demonstrated. i so believe this is exactly what you are doing here jason, because perhaps the children of this slavery are not as blind to it, and have begun (as you said) to create alternatives…and so all i can say is: more Lord! help us…

ok, one more quick comment: poverty is not seen as a problem of injustice, in my opinion, because we are enslaved in a system that is economically prejudice. seriously, we look down upon the poor and those in poverty. who listens to the poor? our system of economics has “formed” us and told us what has meaning and what doesn’t, and it’s based partially on economic-status. we impose our overly-consumptionist and imperialistic predujices upon them, therefore, why would we listen to a poor person? it’s one of the structural evils that i feel called to fight. it’s just one more way we oppress…

Steve, you’re comments are such a reflection of my own thoughts on this issue. Kind of creepy : ) Also, I really appreciate you representing Bruggeman’s perspective here. I wasn’t exposed to him much before January of this year, but since then I have been highly inspired and stirred up by his thoughts on economics, the arts, and the prophetic role of the church. Interestingly, his stuff isn’t reflected in this series because I wrote most of it over a year and a half ago for a Fuller paper.

Regarding your second comment: At Verge LA I titled this talk, “The Beggar’s Bowl” after the Thomas Merton quote. During the Q&A session one man asked me why I thought the Church has had such a hard time embracing an economy of gifts. I think there are a variety of reasons, but at it’s heart I really believe it boils down to this: being poor is deeply shameful in our culture, and this kind of economy requires the embrace of a beggar’s identity. The Kingdom twist (as usual) is that in order to become “rich” we must first become poor; by insisting on being abundant we’ve created an economy of scarcity, but by embracing our own total scarcity we can enter into an economy of abundance.

For others reading this I should note that I’m NOT talking about becoming “rich” in the world’s sense of the word. This is not some prosperity scheme I’m talking about, although this is the dynamic that prosperity preachers bastardize by converting it to individually owned dollars, cars, and mansions. Let me be clear: There is no life of luxury among the beggar’s who populate the kingdom as long as inequality remains. To the extent that Kingdom people are materially wealthy (some are, and that’s not a bad thing) their wealth is supposed to be gathered specifically so they might distribute it wisely to those whose gathering abilities are weaker or debilitated. This is how wealth is a “blessing” in the OT. Those who are wealthy are those who have been entrusted by God to distribute wisely, thereby relieving themselves of the burden of superabundance and correcting the injustice of inequality in the world. By the time of Jesus and the NT, however, the wealthy in Israel, by their very refusal to rid themselves of their wealth justly, have ceased to be the embodiment of God’s justice and have instead become the embodiment of wickedness. This is why there’s an apparent polarity concerning the blessedness/wickedness of the rich from the OT to the NT.

“Why is it that poverty generally isn’t seen as an issue of justice in the United States?”

I think to some degree poverty HAS been seen that way. It’s especially being seen more and more that way these days to an unjust degree in the political spectrum….but I digress – not to mention I’m getting off point.

I personally believe that since here in America where everyone has the right to the PURSUIT of happiness (not a guarantee of achievement, but the right to pursue it), many times people within poverty are looked down on as lazy. Some times laziness is indeed the case – sometimes it is not. Sometimes “poverty” (or what may be considered poverty) is chosen because of what one may deem as the “simpler life”. Not lazy – but simple (my maternal great-grandfather is a great example of this. He gave up a good job with the railroad to be his own boss – answering to no one to farm his own land at the mouth of a holler/hollow).

Unfortunately, when we run into those truly lazy people who are in poverty because of their own bad choices – we tend to unjustifiably group the rest in with them as well (the same as we do with stereo typing and grouping all wealthy people into people who are “snobs”, “better than thou” and greedy”). It’s understandable why we do that – however, it doesn’t make it right, fair or justified.

Julie, good comments. I think you’re right that certain folks have considered poverty a justice issue for quite some time, but in general I would say it’s been thought of as merely a social problem. Most people wouldn’t say the poor are victims of injustice. Many do say the African-American poor are victims of injustice, or the Native-American poor, or the mentally-ill poor, etc., but the category of “poor” normally requires some sort of discriminatory qualification in order to be considered a justice issue. In America it is assumed that everyone should be given the same opportunities to prosper and be treated fairly along the way. If you “make it” great! You’ve confirmed the greatness of America. But if you don’t make it, that’s your own fault and no guarantee, either – unless someone deprives you of your fair shot. That is discrimination of some kind, we always call it injustice, and we all know that some of the poor in America are victims of discrimination.

My position is a little more radical. I’m contending that the very presence of the poor in the world is an injustice.

Your comment about lazy people is very true. It can be hard to have compassion for those who seem to sabotage themselves, and the bible calls folks like that “fools.” I am one of them. I’m struck, however, by the image of God covering Adam and Eve’s nakedness in spite of the fact that their impoverishment and shame were entirely products of their own foolish disobedience. If God has compassion on fools, then to some extent, so must I.

“but in general I would say it’s been thought of as merely a social problem. Most people wouldn’t say the poor are victims of injustice.”

True.

“In America it is assumed that everyone should be given the same opportunities to prosper and be treated fairly along the way. If you “make it” great! You’ve confirmed the greatness of America.”

True and unfortunately many American’s believe that the true greatness of America IS confirmed when you DO “make it”. When in actuality (and to the contrary), ONE greatness of America is just the fact that one simply has the opportunity. Personally I feel it’s unfortunate that many miss that point.

“It can be hard to have compassion for those who seem to sabotage themselves,”

It is indeed (although it’s very easy to hope and pray they don’t procreate :-). Many times, I think it’s best to just let those people be because their hearts are not willing to change and their ears are not willing to listen. However, sometimes we ARE called to help those because their hearts are in the position of change and they are ready and willing to listen. But that doesn’t make it easier to help them. One reason could be – as you mentioned:

“I am one of them.”

God knows we all have played the role of a fool. Personally, I’ve had moments of going above and beyond into the role of “complete MORON”! There are quite a few moments when I can help those that are like who I’ve been because I know the feeling of shear guilt and repentance for actions that others are in the midst of living. However, as you’ve stated before, sometimes it’s too painful to run to the aid of someone because the mirror of the past is staring you in the face. Hopefully someday I can have more moments where I stop looking at that past mirrored image and just simply learn the lesson of not to “look” like that ever again.