Living in the Spirit
July 29, 2020
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 55:1-5
Ho, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and you that have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me;
listen, so that you may live.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
See, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
See, you shall call nations that you do not know,
and nations that do not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.
Paul Krugman’s article in the 7-28-2020 New York Times is titled, The Cult of Selfishness Is Killing America. I had just read that piece before I read the above scripture. Another scripture came to mind.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. 1 Timothy 6:10
Socialism is now the dirty word of the year. I do not know anyone that wants collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and control of the distribution of goods. Most people I know are glad we have police officers and firefighters and food and sanitation regulators. I have had food poisoning, and I do not ever want to have it again. I do not like ruining my tires and suspension on bad roads. I know that quality education for all is a necessary foundation for having a productive workforce, as is good health. I heard on the news just recently that a big company did not choose to open a new facility in my state because we had a weak education system. Government that provides for the Common Good is essential to sustaining our capitalistic economy.
The greed that is ruling our land is ruining our economy. Those who came to what is now the USA for religious freedom soon got caught in greed’s snares with lust for land. We christened it and made it holy, calling it the Doctrine of Discovery and Manifest Destiny. Plantation owners discovered they could make a lot more money with slaves than paid staff. We denigrated a whole cadre of people linking their worth to the color of their skin and defining them as three-fifths of a person each so they could be counted in the distribution of legislators but could not vote. Still today, we have onerous and antiquated immigration policies that reinforce entering or staying in our country undocumented, resulting in people working for substandard pay with no benefits. Being undocumented also allows them to be controlled by the fear of deportation.
Prayer: Lord, forgive us for letting the idol of greed dominate our lives. Amen.
*Definition of Socialism see https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/socialism
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.