Prophetic Values
Tuesday, October 5, 2010 -- Week of Proper 22, Year Two
To read about our daily commemorations, go to our Holy Women, Holy Men blog:
http://liturgyandmusic.wordpress.com/category/holy-women-holy-men/
Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 987)
Psalms [120], 121, 122, 123 (morning) 124, 125, 126, [127] (evening)
Micah 1:1-9
Acts 23:12-24
Luke 7:1-17
We begin reading the great 8th century prophet Micah today. Scholars assign the collection of judgment speeches to the prophet Micah who lived during the reigns of Judean kings Jotham (742-735), Ahaz (735-715), and Hezekiah (715-687). Micah joins Amos and Isaiah in speaking words of judgment on the ruling elite for their corruption, pride, complacency, greed and abuse of power. (There is another collection of salvation speeches in chapters 4-5 and 7:8-20 that address a later time and are usually presumed to have been attached to the Micah collection during the sixth century when the book was edited and redacted.)
Micah opens speaking judgment to the ruling elite in the capitals of Israel and Judah. He forcasts the end of Samaria, the capital of Israel. He says that the incurable wound has also come to Judah and Jerusalem. Micah will speak of the political and religious corruption in the high places, where the wealthy devour the people by injustice, and the prophets deliver favors for bribes.
He speaks to a system where the wealthy and powerful influence the government for economic benefits that concentrate money and power in their hands, ignoring the needs of the peasant and poor. Micah's theme is similar to the other eighth century prophets.
One might imagine Micah's voice speaking today to Washington and Wall Street. We are living with the tragic consequences of a decade of tax policies that have favored the wealthy, and slack financial regulations that allowed giant investment firms to create a gambling game out of housing loans and wreck the economy. The wealthy and powerful have been practicing corruption, pride, greed and abuse of power in our generation also.
Census figures from last week show that the gap between the wealthy and poor in the U.S. is at a record high. The top-earning 20% of Americans ($100,000+/year) have 49.4% of all income. Households living below the poverty line earn 3.4% of U.S. income. That's a 14.5-to-1 ratio -- the highest ever recorded, and double the rate in 1967 when these measurements began.
In our lifetimes, the gap between rich and poor has doubled. Last year alone it rose from 13.6 to 14.5 (-to-one).
Last year the wealthiest 5% ($180,000+) gained in annual income while the median families at $50,000 slipped lower again. Income inequality continues tor rise. When tax data is also taken into account, the gap is even greater.
More people are slipping into deep poverty. The percentage of people at one-half the poverty line ($10,977 for a family of four -- try to live on that) rose from 5.7% in 2008 to 6.3% in 2009, the highest level since we started tracking the data in 1975.
Thank God for the government programs that have moderated a few things. Thanks to Social Security, older Americans in poverty has decreased from 10% in 2000 to 9%. But child poverty has increased in the same time from 16% to 21%.
Thanks to children's Medicaid (CHIP), the percentage of children with medical coverage has grown even while employer sponsored insurance has declined. And food stamps have been a critical safety net for so many.
Were it not for government poverty programs, the misery index would be so much greater.
Yet many politicians are talking about retaining the Bush era tax cuts for the super wealthy, even though that's part of what has created not only the growing income gap between haves and have-nots, but also the deficit that historically grows so disproportionately during Republican administrations.
Is there any doubt what Micah, Amos, and Isaiah would say to the rich and powerful today who add to their wealth while the people struggle?
To read about our daily commemorations, go to our Holy Women, Holy Men blog:
http://liturgyandmusic.wordpress.com/category/holy-women-holy-men/
Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 987)
Psalms [120], 121, 122, 123 (morning) 124, 125, 126, [127] (evening)
Micah 1:1-9
Acts 23:12-24
Luke 7:1-17
We begin reading the great 8th century prophet Micah today. Scholars assign the collection of judgment speeches to the prophet Micah who lived during the reigns of Judean kings Jotham (742-735), Ahaz (735-715), and Hezekiah (715-687). Micah joins Amos and Isaiah in speaking words of judgment on the ruling elite for their corruption, pride, complacency, greed and abuse of power. (There is another collection of salvation speeches in chapters 4-5 and 7:8-20 that address a later time and are usually presumed to have been attached to the Micah collection during the sixth century when the book was edited and redacted.)
Micah opens speaking judgment to the ruling elite in the capitals of Israel and Judah. He forcasts the end of Samaria, the capital of Israel. He says that the incurable wound has also come to Judah and Jerusalem. Micah will speak of the political and religious corruption in the high places, where the wealthy devour the people by injustice, and the prophets deliver favors for bribes.
He speaks to a system where the wealthy and powerful influence the government for economic benefits that concentrate money and power in their hands, ignoring the needs of the peasant and poor. Micah's theme is similar to the other eighth century prophets.
One might imagine Micah's voice speaking today to Washington and Wall Street. We are living with the tragic consequences of a decade of tax policies that have favored the wealthy, and slack financial regulations that allowed giant investment firms to create a gambling game out of housing loans and wreck the economy. The wealthy and powerful have been practicing corruption, pride, greed and abuse of power in our generation also.
Census figures from last week show that the gap between the wealthy and poor in the U.S. is at a record high. The top-earning 20% of Americans ($100,000+/year) have 49.4% of all income. Households living below the poverty line earn 3.4% of U.S. income. That's a 14.5-to-1 ratio -- the highest ever recorded, and double the rate in 1967 when these measurements began.
In our lifetimes, the gap between rich and poor has doubled. Last year alone it rose from 13.6 to 14.5 (-to-one).
Last year the wealthiest 5% ($180,000+) gained in annual income while the median families at $50,000 slipped lower again. Income inequality continues tor rise. When tax data is also taken into account, the gap is even greater.
More people are slipping into deep poverty. The percentage of people at one-half the poverty line ($10,977 for a family of four -- try to live on that) rose from 5.7% in 2008 to 6.3% in 2009, the highest level since we started tracking the data in 1975.
Thank God for the government programs that have moderated a few things. Thanks to Social Security, older Americans in poverty has decreased from 10% in 2000 to 9%. But child poverty has increased in the same time from 16% to 21%.
Thanks to children's Medicaid (CHIP), the percentage of children with medical coverage has grown even while employer sponsored insurance has declined. And food stamps have been a critical safety net for so many.
Were it not for government poverty programs, the misery index would be so much greater.
Yet many politicians are talking about retaining the Bush era tax cuts for the super wealthy, even though that's part of what has created not only the growing income gap between haves and have-nots, but also the deficit that historically grows so disproportionately during Republican administrations.
Is there any doubt what Micah, Amos, and Isaiah would say to the rich and powerful today who add to their wealth while the people struggle?
Lowell
__________________
| Audio podcast: Listen to an audio podcast of the most recent Morning Reflections from today and the past week. Click the following link: -- Morning Reflection Podcasts About Morning Reflections "Morning Reflections" is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church. Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer. Evening Prayer begins on p. 117 An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at missionstclare.com -- Click for online Daily Office Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html -- Click for Divine Hours Discussion Blog: To comment on today's reflection or readings, go to http://lowellsblog.blogspot.com, or click here for Lowell's blog find today's reading, click "comment" at the bottom of the reading, and post your thoughts. |
| The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love. See our Web site at www.stpaulsfay.org Our Rule of Life: We aspire to... worship weekly pray daily learn constantly serve joyfully live generously. Lowell Grisham, Rector St. Paul's Episcopal Church Fayetteville, Arkansas |
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