Charity or transformation?
One tension I sometimes feel as a socially conscious person of faith is where the solution for social problems comes from. As an evangelical kid, I know the right answer is "Jesus." But it's not always that easy. Do people in my neighborhood of north Minneapolis need the transforming power of the Holy Spirit? Sure. But that's not just an abstract spiritual experience. Faith needs hands and feet, too, as James says. The work of community transformation and healing can be immensely practical.
But then the question becomes the relative roles of church and state in that process. Conservatives would say church--see W.'s insistence on faith-based solutions to hunger and poverty. Liberals see government as a more helpful solution. I'm not sure Scripture comes down on either side of that debate. The Old Testament has several programs that scream welfare state--forgiving all debts every 50 years? Having all tithes go to the poor? Allowing for gleaning the fields? Yet the early church practiced the work of justice without the help of government. People sold fields and gave out of the proceeds for the sake of others they'd never even met. In theory, the New Testament model has it's attractions--particularly because I'm kind of an Anabaptist at heart.
It's with this tension in mind that I read a story in the latest Christianity Today about World Vision's "big box" store to be used for community development. For the conservative answer to work, in my estimation, there need to be more, many more stories such as this. It can be convincing that justice needs to be the work of church and private individuals--that only faith and personal investment can cure what ails us. Yet such language, to me, is often used to simply justify larger inaction. We give our $20 to the non-profit of our choice and all go out to Appleby's. Using the tools of commerce and the market not just to get financial security, but to enrich society as a whole--I'd love to see a Republican running on that platform. Democrats don't talk about it as much as they used to, but at least some (such as Edwards or Obama) have that call to community responsibility that I think is the core ethic here. In any case, when you have a minute, look at the piece above. It's an interesting project.
Comments
Interesting point about politics and biblical views of helping the poor.
Perhaps the best answer is "do everything," but I'm sure that's not politically satifactory.
More and more I'm convinced that the Christian faith doesn't map well onto either party.
Posted by: brad wright | August 22, 2007 06:54 PM
Yeah--I think somewhere in between is probably the answer, but it's not clear exactly what that means. As I wrote, I think I find myself leaning more and more toward the anabaptist angle--that the church's community ultimately holds the answer. But at the same time government does have a role. Definitely a quandry--thanks for your response!
Posted by: Anonymous | August 22, 2007 09:37 PM