Sometimes I wish that finding the truth was easier, and black and white ordered things into tidy rows. I have Christian friends that are from opposite sides of the political fence, and they all desire to know God and bring heaven to earth. I find that it is counterproductive to enter into a discussion with a belief that I already have the answer, and the best emotion to bring to a debate is love.
To those who think that God desires a governmental system that does not have social programs need only to study the system He set up for Israel. To those who think that the poor need only a handout to succeed, need to also study the Bible. :)
The priestly tribe (Levites) collected a ten percent tithe for the poor, the widows and orphans. The Hebrews were also encouraged to give generously to the less fortunate. I really like the system described in the book of Ruth, in which gleaning was depicted. Every land owner that farmed his land was required by law to leave the ends of the rows and corners unharvested, so that the widows and the poor could gather food. They were afforded the chance to work for their food, thus keeping their dignity. Caring for the poor fostered a tradition of compassion in the community, and offering the ability to work for food prevented entitlement and a culture of dependency and laziness.
I actually didn't intend to talk about welfare; I just wanted to set up what I was thinking about yesterday. It occurred to me that the process I use to learn about God and hear His voice is a lot like gleaning. I listen to sermons, read books, talk to friends who have great insight, and I listen to a LOT of worship music. It's my go-to chill out tool.
So basically I'm taking what has been planted by another, and using it to support my spiritual lifestyle. It does require work, but doesn't garner a lot of fruit. When Jesus said the poor would always be with us, He didn't mean they are supposed to stay there. The entire goal of God's social programs were to prompt people to grow, not to keep them where they were. If I stay here, gleaning, I will never step into what God wants for me.
Sadly, this is the highest maturity level most Christians achieve. We learn to feed ourselves, to hear basic truth, to see obvious sin and to lead an honorable life. At least on the surface. This is not what God wants from us. He wants us to be Sons. We are not supposed to glean; we are supposed to be land owners. His desire is for us to hear His voice, and raise our own crops. Spiritual poverty tells us that this is all we can do, that we don't know what the next step is, that our community doesn't see our worth. The truth is that we don't see our own worth. In order to love others, we have to see the beauty in ourselves. We have to see Who we are.
So...go west, young man. Find some land. Stake a claim.
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