The
Beatitudes and the Politics of Poverty
Matthew 5:1-12; Matthew
25:40
“Then the
King will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, anything you did for even the least of
my people here, you also did for me.’”
So, here’s my problem with the
beatitudes: for words that are supposed to be comforting, they don’t sound
comforting at all. The voice in my head that says “I do not feel very blessed
when I am poor, hungry, thirsty, or persecuted.” Going to a person struggling
with poverty and telling them they are blessed with spiritual riches without
doing anything to alleviate poverty is obnoxious. When Christians offer pity
without addressing the systems and structures that allow 39.7 million people in
our country to live in poverty, we deserve our reputation for being too
heavenly minded to be any earthly good.
I can’t believe that when
Jesus offered these words, they were meant to be carefree clichés, or
condescending confirmations of human misery. Naming those who are poor, or
those who are weak, or people who mourn as “blessed” was deliberately shocking.
Jesus held a firm belief that the fulness of God’s new Reign was really on its
way. Jesus believed he lived in the time of fulfillment. His words were urgent:
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land—soon! Blessed are the
merciful, for they will be shown mercy—soon!” We miss that urgency. Over the
next few weeks, I want us to consider the beatitudes as political statements,
not just spiritualized platitudes. I want to restore a sense of urgency to
words that are so familiar to many of us, we don’t stop to think what they can
mean today. We begin with the very first line, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Prepare our hearts, O God, to accept a
Word. Silence in us any voices but your own, so that we may experience your
Word and also do it; through the power of your Divine Spirit. Amen.
The American middle class is
in trouble. Our incomes stagnate while the costs of life’s necessities continue
to rise. Even for those with jobs, the promise of economic growth has failed to
deliver. Income for the typical middle-class household has actually fallen over
the past 10 years. For the past decade, Gallup has asked Americans about their
biggest financial concern. Those in the middle class consistently say they are
most worried about the high cost of living, lacking money to pay for medical
care in the case of a serious illness or accident, and running out of money in
retirement. Sadly, Americans have also been telling pollsters, even before the
start of the 2018 Recession, that they think their children will be worse off
than they are.
If the middle class is at
risk, that means the American Economy has a growing population of at-risk
families. Tens of millions of people live in poverty, although many refuse to
think of themselves as “poor.” Some make daily choices as to which necessities
they will have to live without. Many work part- or full-time, but on that
basis, are still unable to lift their families out of poverty. Some lack the
family, educational, and community support important for upward mobility.
Although those living in poverty are particularly visible in cities, we know hidden
poverty in suburban, small town, and rural areas can be just as painful. The
poor are disproportionately women with their children. Systemic racism and
sexism continue to influence the rate of poverty. There is nothing generous
about our national definition of poverty. In 2019, the official poverty line for
a family of four is $25,750, or about $125 per person per week. That’s the
ceiling, not the average. About 40% of
poor U.S. families have incomes of less than half the poverty line. 33% of African-American
children live in poverty. 33% of American Indian children live in poverty. A
quarter of Hispanic or Latino children live in poverty.
Here is one of the problems: Instead
of addressing the needs of the American poor and the shrinking middle class,
American economics has taken the lion’s share of our impressive gross domestic product
and invested in a far-reaching mission of income redistribution to the rich.
The share of domestic income going to the middle class has been shrinking for
decades. The poorest fifth of American households have seen their after-tax
income increase by 18%. The richest fifth, have seen real income increases of
65%. For the top 1%, real income went up more than 2.5 times. America is now a
land of economic insecurity for most, and a playground of unprecedented wealth
for a small minority. We live in an unequal society where those on top can
enforce their will against people who have less. Those on the bottom have
little reason to believe they will get a fair shake. No wonder we sense that
our politics are permeated by distrust.
If the economic arena becomes
a reigning power for us, the question arises: in what or whom shall we place
our trust and hope? We can’t place our hope in the GDP. We can’t place our hope
in unlimited economic growth. Neither Wall Street, K Street, nor Madison Avenue
have your family’s best interests on their agenda. And even though we’ve heard
it before, it bears repeating: Money does not buy happiness. You may have heard
the joke, “Those who say money can’t buy happiness just don’t know where to
shop!” The data indicate money really can’t buy happiness among the more
affluent. Study after study indicate income is a weak measure of happiness. Do
you know what produces happiness? The answer is complicated, but one answer is:
“Other people.” We flourish in settings with warm, nurturing, and rewarding
interpersonal relationships. We are at our best when we are giving, not
getting.
In 1968, Robert Kennedy spoke about
this. “Our Gross National Product . . . counts air pollution and cigarette
advertising . . . it counts special locks for our doors and the jails for
people who break them. It counts the destruction of the redwood and the loss of
our natural wonder in chaotic sprawl. It counts . . . nuclear warheads and
armored cars for the police to fight the riot in our cities . . . and the
television programs which glorify violence in order to sell toys to our
children. Yet, the Gross National Product does not allow for the health of our
children, the quality of their education or the joy of their play. It does not
include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our [relationships], the
intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It
measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom or our learning,
neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country. It measures everything
. . . except that which makes life worthwhile.”
As Christians, we need to think
strongly about what Jesus said about God’s economics. That which we keep to
ourselves, that which we hoard, that which we take at the expense of other’s
survival, we keep from God. And what we give to the least of those among us, we
give to God. Our faith provides a vantage point for critiquing any system of
this world which falls short of what God intends: Human impoverishment,
excessive accumulation and consumerism driven by greed, gross economic
exploitation. God stands in judgment of
those in authority who thrive at the expense of others. God moves with
compassion to deliver the impoverished from all that oppresses them.
From the vantage point of
faith, here is one vision for a New American Economy: sufficient, sustainable
livelihood for all! The language comes from a study put out in 1999 by the ELCA.
The study reminds us how we depend on God and are interdependent with one
another. The new American Economy thrives when we nurture one another, sustain
each other, and hold each other accountable. The statement proclaims:
- As people of faith, we realize that what human beings want is not necessarily what they need for the sake of life.
- As people of faith, we acknowledge that what is in our interest must be placed in the context of what is good for the neighbor.
- As people of faith, we recognize that intense competitiveness can destroy relationships and work against the reconciliation and cooperation God desires among people.
- As people of faith, we affirm that God promises a world where there is enough for everyone, if only we would learn how to use and share what God has given for the sake of all.
- As people of faith, we insist that economic growth must be evaluated by its short-term, and long-term effects on the well-being of all creation and people, especially those who are poor.
If we want those who live in
poverty to experience the fullness of the Reign of God, then we commit ourselves
to serve Christ by serving the least. We provide counsel, food, clothing, shelter,
and money for people in need in ways that respect human dignity. We develop
mutual, face-to-face, empowering relationships between people who have enough
and people living in poverty. We advocate for public and private policies that
effectively address the causes of poverty. We support organizations and
community-based efforts that enable low-income people to obtain sufficient,
sustainable livelihoods. And we continue working to eradicate racism and sexism
that. Most of all, we become aware of how the Divine Spirit wants to expand our
vision and transform our priorities.
I get restless when I see us
offer less than what God intends for the world. When I think about these
issues, I return to a poem by Drew Dellinger, called “hieroglyphic staircase.”
it's
3:23 in the morning
and
I'm awake
because
my great great grandchildren
won't
let me sleep
my
great great grandchildren
ask
me in dreams
what
did you do while the planet was plundered?
what
did you do when the earth was unraveling?
surely
you did something
when
the seasons started failing?
as
the mammals, reptiles, birds were all dying?
did
you fill the streets with protest
when
democracy was stolen?
what
did you do
once
you
knew?
What if God is asking those
questions of us?
What did we do when our
economic household was being plundered?
What did we do when our
democracy unraveled?
Did we fill the streets when
equality was stolen?
What will we tell our great,
great grandchildren?
What did we do once we knew?
Imagine an America where the
pursuit of happiness is not about getting and spending, but in the growth of
human solidarity, real democracy, and devotion to the public good. Imagine an America
where the benefits of economic activity are widely and equitably shared.
Imagine an America where the environment is sustained for current and future
generations. Imagine an America and where the virtues of simple living,
community self-reliance, good fellowship, and respect for nature prevail.
If we really want those who
struggle with poverty to be blessed, if we really want the poor to experience
the full Reign of God, then we continue to establish a Jesus economy where no
citizens or immigrants are left to fend for themselves alone and afraid. In
this new way of life together we don’t keep holding on to what we already have
while grabbing even more as if our life depends on it. We don’t have to gather
and hoard. We can stop build ever-bigger
garages or renting ever-larger storage units to house our stuff. Welcome to the
new story, the new day, the new economy, a new life together in which we hold
only to give, and we gather only to share.
Sources:
“Making
Our Middle Class Stronger: 35 Policies to Revitalize America’s Middle Class,” http://www.americanprogress.
org/issues/economy/report/2012/08/01/12034/making-our-middle-class-stronger/
“A
Social Statement on Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All by the ELCA”
(1999). http://www.elca. org/What-We-Believe/Social-Issues/Social-Statements/Economic-Life.aspx
America the Possible by Gustave Speth
(NetGalley Edition: 2012)
Drew
Dellinger, “Hieroglyphic Staircase”
http://people.tribe.
net/cefe44e3-67d7-4375-99eb-46638d882eb6/blog/df552535-4ec8-47d6-a01a-a097667683b7
http://sermons.spiritofpeaceucc.
com/2012/07/abundance-of-broken-pieces.html
https://news.gallup.
com/poll/233642/paying-medical-crises-retirement-lead-financial-fears.aspx
https://www.brookings.
edu/blog/social-mobility-memos/2018/06/05/seven-reasons-to-worry-about-the-american-middle-class/
https://aspe.hhs.
gov/poverty-guidelines
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