Tag Archives: Enough for all

Moving Out of Poverty

Living in the Spirit

September 14, 2020

Scripture Reading: Exodus 16:2-15

The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, ‘If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.’

Then Moses said to Aaron, ‘Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, “Draw near to the Lord, for he has heard your complaining.” ’ And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked towards the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, “At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.” ’

In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, ‘What is it?’ For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, ‘It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. –Exodus 16:2-3, 9-15

Moses and Aaron led people who lived in a time of authoritarian leaders. The Israelites willingly followed them out of slavery in Egypt but were ready to go back to Egypt when the food ran out. They observed the mighty acts of God in their escape but had little trust that God would see them through the trek in the wilderness. God provided them the food they needed but used it as a learning experience that they must also take responsibility for themselves and others.

We live in a country where wealth is held primarily by 1% of our population and where the federal minimum wage has not been raised since May 2007. It is now $7.25 per hour.  That equals an annual salary for a person working 40 hours per week for 52 weeks a year of $15,080. The poverty level for one person is $13,300. All other sized families have poverty levels above minimum wage. These people are caught in the wilderness of poverty. What are you willing to do to improve your lives and the lives of others?

Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the souls you can, in every place you can, at all the times you can, with all the zeal you can, as long as ever you can. –John Wesley

Prayer: Lord, enable our advocacy to work toward a world where everyone earns enough to obtain the necessities of life. Amen.

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.

Breaking Bread

Eastertide

April 26, 2020

Scripture Reading:
Luke 24:13-35

As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.’ So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?’ That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, ‘The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!’ Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread. –Luke 24:27-35

Christ is made known to us each time we break and share bread. Eating together is one of the oldest symbols of community where together we assure that each person present gets some of the very staff of life.

Jesus brought a message of salvation for all God’s children as he sent his disciples forth to carry his salvation and love to the ends of the earth. It is not easy to open our hearts to such breadth of love when we have been carefully taught to be cautious of the other. Cultural norms are hard to even recognize as influencing our behavior, much less change them.

Paul had to deal with this issue in his first letter to the church at Corinth (see 1 Corinthians 11:17-34). He writes instructions about people who arrived early. He did not want them to continue the practice of eating all the food before others came. The early birds might have been from the middle or upper class. They might have provided much of the food being offered. The late arrivers were most likely the working-class people arriving late because of the hours they had to work. Paul told the early arrivers if they were hungry, they should eat before they come. The food used to celebrate the Last Supper was to be shared equally.

I do not think Jesus envisioned a world where all had the same amount of wealth. I do believe he expects us to live together in a world where everyone has enough to meet their basic needs. And in a world where one’s wealth is the result of the oppression of the other.

Prayer: God of Love, help us examine ourselves to find where our behavior is driven by anything other than loving as you love. Amen.

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.

Ash Wednesday

February 19, 2020

Scripture Reading: Psalm 2 or Psalm 99

Why do the nations conspire,
   and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
   and the rulers take counsel together,
   against the Lord and his anointed, saying,
‘Let us burst their bonds asunder,
   and cast their cords from us.’

Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
   be warned, O rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear,
   with trembling kiss his feet,
or he will be angry, and you will perish in the way;
   for his wrath is quickly kindled.

Happy are all who take refuge in him. Psalm 2:1-3, 10-12

We live in an upside-down world. Some call it socialism for the rich where protecting their wealth at all costs is our prime directive. That seems to be the subject of Psalm 2. Greed and power are the gods of some who think their wellbeing is all that matters. Such a worldview sanctified slavery and undergirds illegal immigration today. In the process we are reducing the middle class to the extent that the USA is becoming a country of rich and poor. The same people who disparage the poor for needing food stamps and Medicaid to survive are the ones underpaying them for work rendered.  Most able-bodied people receiving either of these services work, they are not paid a living wage. Food stamps and Medicaid are salary subsidies for large corporations who do not pay enough.

God calls us to righteousness, to justice. All people are God’s children and all of God’s children need the justice of having enough. In the end, God is the judge of our righteousness. In the USA we the people are given the power to support the Common Good, if we are willing to assert our power as citizens.

Prayer: Lord, grant us the courage to champion righteousness. Amen.

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.

Basic Needs

Living in the Spirit
July 28, 2018

Scripture Reading: John 6:1-21

After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias.  A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming towards him, Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?’ He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, ‘Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.’ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?’ –John 6:1-9

Healing the sick, feeding the hungry according to the stories in the gospels of Jesus was the way Jesus invested much of his time. There were plenty of sick and hungry in the first century. The sad thing is plenty still exists today. When Jesus noted that the poor will always be with us*, I think, he was observing more human failure to address the needs of others rather than describing a natural occurrence. According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need when people are in survival mode, their attention is grounded in meeting basic needs, and they are not easily distracted with great philosophical ideas or the threat of hell, fire, and damnation when as far as they can tell they are already there. What people in poverty lack is hope and hope is often born out of food for the belly and relief from pain accompanied by a healthy dose of love. The gift of hope lets them know they have a choice regarding their futures.

While to my knowledge Jesus never said it, the rich will always be with us also and those who invest much of their time and energy in becoming rich. They too sometimes live in the same survival mode as those in poverty, afraid that someone will take their wealth away or become richer than they are. The rich in many ways are as lost as those without food or health care. Some live behind walls of insecurity and gates of exclusion. The difference is the rich are there by choice. It does not have to be that way. We have great examples of wealthy people doing justice throughout the world.

Most of us fall somewhere between poverty and wealth, but we all must choose what kind of world in which we want to live. I for one like the idea of everyone having enough. Indeed, that includes enough to meet basic needs, but it also means enough safety and security, friendship and love, self-esteem, and reaching our full potential. I see that as becoming the people God created us to be and that requires all of us to work to assure that is the reality of all of us.

Prayer: God of Enough, you provided enough manna in the wilderness for each of those escaping the oppression of Egypt. As we are made in your image, help us to recognize our call to assure enough manna for everyone. Amen

*Matthew 26:11 and Mark 14:7

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.

Nurture with Justice

Advent
December 5, 2017

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 40:1-11

See, the Lord God comes with might,
   and his arm rules for him;
his reward is with him,
   and his recompense before him.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd;
   he will gather the lambs in his arms,
and carry them in his bosom,
   and gently lead the mother sheep.
–Isaiah 40:10-11

Isaiah reminds us whose we are. Almighty God protects God’s children, nurtures, and feeds us. The Lord expects us to partner with God in assuring that all children know God’s love and care. Advent is a time when we remember the darkness of life as we await the coming of the Light of the World. My church has a long Advent tradition of collecting warm hats, mittens, gloves, and scarves for those left out in the cold. We pray that each gift does share with each recipient our love as well as a bit of relief from the elements.

The symbolism of the act may be just as important for those of us with enough resources to provide these small gifts. They remind us that in God’s world everyone is to have enough: shelter, clothing, food,  medical care, and love. We are responsible for doing the justice to make enough for all possible. Nigerian author Chinua Achebe states it best, While we do our good works let us not forget that the real solution lies in a world in which charity will have become unnecessary. His words may sound familiar as I have quoted them before and I will continue to quote him until a world that needs no charity exists.

This year we needed more scarves for the ones we targeted to serve. The store where I was shopping did not have enough and referred me to another of their stores in a part of town nearer the inner city. On my way into the store, I walked past one man talking to someone only he could see and another seated on the sidewalk with his back to the wall of the building one hand grasping his grocery cart full of all of his possessions. I experienced first hand the humanity in need of warm clothing, but more importantly in need of justice.

Prayer: Holy One, let us not forget that the real solution lies in a world in which charity will have become unnecessary. Let it be so.

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.

Justice for All

WR-Enough-for-All-2007-BannerLiving in the Spirit
June 26, 2015

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 8:7-15

I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance. As it is written,
‘The one who had much did not have too much,
   and the one who had little did not have too little.’ –2 Corinthians 2:13-15

Paul refers to the story of manna from heaven provided for the Israelites as they wondered in the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt. (Exodus 16:18) As you will recall in the story God provided enough food for the day but no more, except there was enough food to carry through the Sabbath so that all could observe it and rest.

I have read about bills being written, some passed, in various states throughout the nation, defining and controlling how people who receive public assistance can spend the cash they receive and requiring the passage of drug tests as an eligibility requirement. There is an assumption that no one receiving public assistance or food stamps is capable of handling their own money and that they all must be drug users, I guess. It seems to me we have to denigrate the poor to justify reducing expenditures for welfare. The irony is putting systems in place to police the use of these funds or do drug testing would cost more than the money saved. The data show that only a very small percentage of public assistance recipients ever test positive for drug use*. And I would challenge anyone to try to just survive for one month on food stamps and public assistance. I doubt most could make their utility bill payments.

All this chatter is a ruse to avoid the real issues. If everyone were paid a living wage, the number of food stamps recipients under the age of 65 could easily drop by at least half making a major dent in the cost of government. We do not want to struggle with the messiness of reworking the tax code to help small businesses pay a living wage and to make others pay their fair share of the cost of doing business. Food stamps, child care assistance, and Medicaid are primarily wage supplements for businesses.

Paul is not saying we are to encourage dependence. He is saying we need to foster independence through assuring justice for all.

Prayer: Lord forgive us for shaming the working poor in our country. Help us fine the way to assure that The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little. Amen.

*http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2015/02/26/3624447/tanf-drug-testing-states/

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 American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.