Greed is America's Idol. It has led us to hold many among us down, out and back through exploitation, quick profits for the few at the expense of the many, systems designed to favor the wealthy and keep the poor right where they are, keep people from having affordable housing, safe transportation, good schools, healthcare, nutritional food, drinkable water, breathable air, livable incomes, adequate benefits, etc., etc., etc. It has led us into wars, exposed us to the world a...s bullies, opportunists and arrogant, intolerant despots. So when people would tell you that God is not pleased over people being gay, having children outside of wedlock, considering abortion as an option or using birth control, let them know why God is TRULY not happy with our nation, and how we all play a part in a reverence to greed that leads to injustice, inequity, inequality, hatred, intolerance and the unrest that comes with it all.
Agape Love is Jesus' COMMAND. It does not allow us to give the love that belongs to God and Neighbor to Mammon, but COMMANDS us to active commitment on behalf of the "other", especially "the least of these...". Jesus said that we cannot serve both God and wealth... it is time we stop trying to do so as believers, and start being FOLLOWERS OF JESUS' WAY...
We CANNOT love God and hate our Neighbor, at least not and be faithful to either. If we say we love God, then we must love what God loves, and the Law and Prophets, Gospels, Acts and Epistles all share that God loves economic justice, helping the poor and disenfranchised and living thankfully with enough. Our identity as a nation is wrapped up in "The American way", and centered around an unsustainable "standard of living" that we have set up which means MORE, always MORE. Those who can make that happen for themselves do just that, at the expense of those who cannot. Our system of laissez-faire Capitalism is set up to benefit those who already have wealth and power at the expense of those who have little of either. It is an unjust, unfaithful, unloving and un-Christ-like system.
If believers in Jesus will be FOLLOWERS of Jesus and His Way, then there will be a different way with a different system based on His commanded Agape Love. It will reflect the active commitment on behalf of the other that Agape Love demands. It will lift people up to having enough, and let those who have more than enough know the self-sacrifice of unconditional love in sharing what they have for their neighbors, even strangers and enemies, as Jesus defines neighbor. It will shift the settling for fleeting happiness over having more than one needs, into a deep, abiding joy and sense of satisfaction in knowing that others have what they need. The joy will be in relationships with God and Neighbor, rather than in self with un-living wealth. It will bring completeness, wholeness and well-being to ALL, including those who re-define the objects of their love.
THEN there will be peace BECAUSE there is JUSTICE, EQUALITY, EQUITIBABLE TREATMENT FOR ALL in this newfound WELL-BEING. THEN God will be pleased with us as individuals, corporations, churches, government and nation. THEN it will be GOOD NEWS, but Good News for ALL PEOPLE...
Pastor Jamie
