Finding Faith ... in a more equitable distribution of the world's wealth

Stevebidmead, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

The New York Times has done some really smart reporting recently on a disturbing trend that could spell disaster for our modern world in many ways.

They have been tracking how those with great wealth -- both individually and collectively, say as in nations -- are more averse to using their amassed wealth to help the world stave off critical pending crises than ever before in history.

Now before you chalk this up to a liberal, main stream media + liberal protestant pastor rant, consider that throughout history the amassing of wealth hasn't been so brazenly hyped and encouraged as it has in recent times. ... Well, maybe that's not true. But, what might be true is that at no time in history have the ultra rich felt less pressure to benefit society than they do now.

In fact, as the Times reports in a Nov. 19 story: "Medieval theologians regarded the rich as sinners and thought that the building of large fortunes should have been discouraged. At the very least, the rich were expected not to appear to be wealthy and to provide generous bequests to charitable institutions to the benefit of their souls."

And as such, there is ample evidence throughout history that the rich went to great lengths to support soceity in times of great need as a way of soothing the beast, so to speak. Or at the very least, make the amassing of wealth by the rest of society more palatable.

But there has been a change in the rich and super rich over the last decade and half since the Great Recession devastated wealth for so many. The opposite has happened to the rich, who came out of the Great Recession relatively unharmed financially, and since they have worked harder than ever to protect their wealth by opposing leglisation, policy and financial reforms that would ultimately tap their resources on society's behalf.

Look, I get it: We live in a capitalistic society, which is cherished by many for the illusion that self reliance and grit can open the promise to great wealth to any one. But with a cursory examination of today's opportunities for those without wealth, that farce is quickly punctured.

The fact is that there is not a level playing field in America, where the equitable distribution of wealth is infinitely more humane than the rest of the world.

So, where are you going with this, pastor? ... I can cleary hear the question ringing in your head. ... Well, here ... this is where I am going ...

"For what does it profit them if they gain the whole world but lose or forfeit themselves?" (Luke 9:25)

Full disclosure: I grew up in poverty although I never knew it at the time. That was just life. Sitting in the car, waiting with my mom in line at a government food commodity distribution was just part of my life. Drinking powdered milk? I just thought every kid did. Wearing hand-me-down clothing from my siblings? Thought that happened in every family. ... And I could go on.

It was later in life, as I studied in seminary that I learned what a trigger the subject of wealth can be to me. I'm working on it because I know it's big baggage that I carry, and it gets in the way of relationships and my pastoring at times.

But setting all of that aside, there is still the problem of the rich and super rich choosing not to help fund society. Look around: We are facing some critical crises that will determine the future course of the entire world. And if the earth's richest people and countries believe it's not their problem, the math just doesn't compute for me.

Secondly, which I guess is the flip side of the coin from my first point, is: What do the rich gain by holding onto their wealth if it means the planet on which we live will be unhabitable because we've ruined God's beautiful creation or just as frightenening, global society has broken down into a dystopian, everyone-for-themselves existence? In either case, what good will the wealth be?

And finally, there's simply the gospel to be considered. If we truly are the one Body of Christ, and we inherit the heavenly kingdom through our relationship with the son of God, then how do we justify the amassing of wealth in essentially five percent of the world's population? That's just not living into the gospel. Period. ... No matter how much glitter we through on that.

I have no answers at this point other than prayer. The prayer that those who are the most fortunate in the world are moved by the Holy Spirit to see the greater need and participate in a more equitable distribution of the world's resources. Failure to do so will lead to castastrophy.