The upcoming Sunday's lectionary reading (Luke 13:1-9) partly inspired this post. The reading emphasizes
the importance of repentance (turning around), the uncertainty of life and at
the same time the patience of the Lord who gracefully awaits that penitent act
from us. This earlier than usual post was inspired also by a stunning religious editorial in last Saturday's paper (read on).
The message of the lectionary reading is for everyone, even “seekers” and non-believers.” It is difficult
and unjustly used as a club of judgment lest one repent against "seekers" and "non-believers" because this reading primarily addresses disciples, which you readers are likely to be…It addresses root hypocrisy that “seekers” and non-believers” more easily see than do we ourselves.
A Baptist
preacher in North Carolina wrote a criticism of socialism in a nationally published column (see for
example here,
it was also published in the Chattanooga Times Free Press last Saturday). His criticism might
benefit from reading and preaching this text.
“Pastor Bo,” as he likes to
call himself, makes some unbelievably outrageous claims in his attack on socialism, such as women are
property of men. Also he mangles scripture by partially quoting it (proof texting) to trumpet with obviously unintended irony his
idea that socialism is a theological evil.
He argues socialism is evil because it mandates behavior (to take other person's property - their monetary wealth), therefore it is inimical to
both American and Judeo-Christian ethics. He maintains this is so because
Judaism and Christianity expect the faithful to elect (choose) voluntary
behavior (to give one's wealth freely, although he seems to reject this idea).
Pastor Bo extends his argument to say that Christians who are good Americans do not vote themselves a portion of the fruits of labor of others. Had he
grasped the beautifully expressed irony of his politically inspired screed,
he likely would have rewritten it. (My parenthetical words in the previous paragraph illustrate the irony. I suspect he also advocates the Ten Commandments as mandated rules for righteous living, but I will not address the humor of that position in light of his argument about socialism.)
What
Pastor Bo forgets (omits?) is that over many millennia the biblical warrant calls Christians
and Jews to heal the circumstances that inspire socialism.
Isaiah (1:10-17) castigates Judah and
Jerusalem, “…I will hide my eyes from you …cease to do evil, learn to do good;
seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.”
Paul (2 Corinthians 8) admonishes, “…it
is a question of … 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.”
Lest Pastor
Bo object that Paul is talking only about Christians coming to aid of fellow
Christians we should pray that he understands the defense by Jesus of the woman
who incurred exorbitant expense to anoint him before his arrest and death as irony
towards her critics (See the passage in Mark and John for the two accounts of
this event.) We might paraphrase his words to clarify the irony, “You can help
the poor any time you choose; however, you will not and therefore you
will have the poor always among you as a millstone about your neck.”
Yes, Pastor
Bo, socialism is a bad thing for some people. Not because socialism is
intrinsically evil (one could argue all self-serving ideals evil) but
because the existence of socialism, its core motivation, intrinsically exposes
an evil besmirching Judaism and Christianity - Christians and Jews are not
fulfilling adequately their vocation to exercise compassion to those in need.
A pastor
criticizing the evil of socialism sounds like the ultimate irony as the pastor
seeks to cloak the spotlight on one’s own spiritual poverty. That is why the
Lord loves a cheerful giver; the gift of grace humbles the giver, encourages compassion and helps the
giver avoid the danger of judgment of those less fortunate.
Pastor Bo,
why don’t we do something more compassionate than talk about the evil of socialism?
Amen.
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