God’s Economy

Captain Rachel Montgomery looks to the Bible to explore the justice and equality of God’s economy, and our responsibility to live lives of generosity and awareness in our communities.

We are living in times of significant global change, where economy, politics, violence and poverty are hot topics of discussion. In the countries of our territory, we are experiencing the after-effects of a pandemic, along with a cost-ofliving crisis. Without trivialising how difficult this is for people, it is without a doubt the poor who always suffer the brunt of hard times.

The world is lopsided when it comes to economics and equality. In Shane Claiborne and Tony Campolo’s book, Red Letter Christianity, they explain that, ‘If life were likened to a baseball game, some people are born on third base, and others on first, and some are born with only one shoe to play with’.

Jesus has plenty to say about injustice and setting things right. Sometimes we may hear people quoting Jesus from Mark 14:7, ‘...the poor you will always have with you’, as a way of excusing ourselves from action; a way of saying we need to be concerned about saving souls, not about poverty, because Jesus said the poor will always be here. But a better reading of the text would be, ‘we will always be with the poor’. When Jesus spoke these words, he was surrounded by the poor and marginalised. We must ask then, where are the poor? Are they among us?

God’s plan of generosity

It would appear at the centre of God’s economy is the idea of redistribution. One of the first stories in the Bible is about the Exodus, where God rescues the Hebrews from slavery and oppression in Egypt. As they are being led out of Egypt, God establishes some new laws and patterns for living, as he calls them to be a holy nation—‘holy’ meaning set apart or called out. This nation is called to show the world what a society of love looks like. Within their practices they are to show hospitality to strangers, special care for immigrants and foreigners, and care for the poor, widows and orphans.

There was also the Year of Jubilee, occurring every seven years, which was God’s regular and systemic dismantling of inequality, where slaves were set free, property was redistributed and debts were freely forgiven. In Deuteronomy 15:11, God says to be openhanded towards your brothers (and sisters) and towards the poor and needy in your land. Jesus is not excusing us from action, rather he is calling us to action. Poverty is our responsibility. God’s people are not to accumulate stuff for tomorrow but to share indiscriminately with the holy confidence that God will provide for tomorrow, especially when there is someone in need today.

In the life of the early Church, this community showed the world what a society of love looks like. In the book of Acts it says, ‘All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone who had need … All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had … There were no needy persons among them’ (Acts 2:44–45; 4:32–34). The resources of one person were God’s instruments of provision for another person, all things were held with thankful hearts and open hands. We see how central need-sharing and redistribution was throughout the life of the early Church. Bearing one another’s burdens was a part of who they were. If one person suffered, they all suffered.

It’s easy to get caught up in accumulating stuff, but Jesus said not to store up treasures for yourself on earth (Matthew 6:19). As Mother Teresa said, ‘The more we have … the less we can give’. The world needs to see what a community of love looks like. It doesn’t mean that we’re left without providence or security. We have an alternative security, and it comes from God and from a community that believes in bearing each other’s burdens.

Jesus did not call us into individualism as much as he called us into community. Mahatma Ghandi said, ‘There’s enough for everyone’s need but not enough for everyone’s greed’, which must prompt us to ask the question of our own living: where there is abundance and surplus, how is this being offered with a thankful heart and open hands to those in need?

We are called to a radical lifestyle that trusts in God for tomorrow. When we stockpile while others go without, who or what are we placing our trust in? Claiborne shares, ‘We’ve found that as we hold less and less for tomorrow, there’s more and more for today for everyone.’

Right now we may have plenty and can help those who are in need. Later they will have plenty and can share with us when we need it. In this way there will be equality. God promises that there is enough to share