Plutocracy
Wednesday, December 1, 2010 -- Week of 1 Advent, Year One
Nicolas Ferrar, Deacon, 1637
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 936)
Psalms 119:1-24 (morning) 12, 13, 14 (evening)
Isaiah 2:1-11
1 Thessalonians 2:13-20
Luke 20:19-26
One of the powers of the prophets is their ability to hold up for us the hopes and ideals of God's dream even when things appear at their worst.
The first five verses of today's reading from Isaiah was our first reading in last Sunday's lectionary. It is a glorious vision of a great hope. Isaiah imagines the nations of the earth processing to the Jerusalem temple where all people will learn God's ways. The product of this teaching will be peace: "they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." Isaiah urges God's people to live by that vision -- "Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!"
What follows is an indictment, a description of the actual conditions in the nation. "For you have forsaken the ways of your people, O house of Jacob." Isaiah speaks of the corruptive influence of the neighboring wealthy and powerful nations. "Their land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures; their land is filled with horses, and their is no end to their chariots." Wealth and power. Isaiah complains that God's people have been seduced by wealth and power and the idolatry that follows them. He warns of consequences, divine consequences of a betrayal of God's values and of their departure from following God's dream.
Bill Moyers has sometimes functioned as a prophet in our time. A Texan and graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Moyers served in both the Kennedy and Johnson administrations before embarking on a career in journalism. He has been a leading interpreter of the intersection of faith and politics.
For some time Moyers has sounded a bit like Isaiah or Amos, declaring that the U.S. has become a plutocracy, a nation ruled by the wealthy. Last month he made a major address as the Howard Zinn Lecturer at Boston University offering disturbing evidence for his thesis and calling the nation back to our ideals and dreams of democracy. "Plutocracy and Democracy don't mix," he said. A video version of the speech with Q & A following is here. A transcript of his speech is found here. Before I knew of Moyers' speech, I wrote a column that was published locally in last Sunday's paper expressing similar concerns.
When John the Baptist revived the role of the prophet, he told the people "whoever has two coats give one to someone who has none." Jesus opened the sermon on the plain in Luke's gospel with blessings on the poor. His encounter with Zaccheaus inspired the tax collector to make financial reparations to all whom he had cheated, and Jesus ends his visit with a wealthy young man who couldn't accept Jesus' invitation to give up his wealth and follow, saying, "How hard it will be for the wealthy to enter the Kingdom of God." In the passion narrative, Joseph of Arimathea gives us an icon of a just person of wealth, risking station and reputation by giving his own tomb to Jesus, an executed capital criminal, and Nicodemus offers an example of a just use of power when he defends Jesus in the Sanhedren.
Wealth and power offer solemn responsibilities to those who posses them. Will those gifts be used in service, especially to the objects of God's attention as the prophets tell us -- the poor, the weak, and the marginalized -- or will those gifts be used simply to increase wealth and power? The prophets try to inspire us toward God's highest ideals and dreams for us even as they bring light and accusation on our worst characteristics.
"Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!" Isaiah implores.
Nicolas Ferrar, Deacon, 1637
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 936)
Psalms 119:1-24 (morning) 12, 13, 14 (evening)
Isaiah 2:1-11
1 Thessalonians 2:13-20
Luke 20:19-26
One of the powers of the prophets is their ability to hold up for us the hopes and ideals of God's dream even when things appear at their worst.
The first five verses of today's reading from Isaiah was our first reading in last Sunday's lectionary. It is a glorious vision of a great hope. Isaiah imagines the nations of the earth processing to the Jerusalem temple where all people will learn God's ways. The product of this teaching will be peace: "they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." Isaiah urges God's people to live by that vision -- "Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!"
What follows is an indictment, a description of the actual conditions in the nation. "For you have forsaken the ways of your people, O house of Jacob." Isaiah speaks of the corruptive influence of the neighboring wealthy and powerful nations. "Their land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures; their land is filled with horses, and their is no end to their chariots." Wealth and power. Isaiah complains that God's people have been seduced by wealth and power and the idolatry that follows them. He warns of consequences, divine consequences of a betrayal of God's values and of their departure from following God's dream.
Bill Moyers has sometimes functioned as a prophet in our time. A Texan and graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Moyers served in both the Kennedy and Johnson administrations before embarking on a career in journalism. He has been a leading interpreter of the intersection of faith and politics.
For some time Moyers has sounded a bit like Isaiah or Amos, declaring that the U.S. has become a plutocracy, a nation ruled by the wealthy. Last month he made a major address as the Howard Zinn Lecturer at Boston University offering disturbing evidence for his thesis and calling the nation back to our ideals and dreams of democracy. "Plutocracy and Democracy don't mix," he said. A video version of the speech with Q & A following is here. A transcript of his speech is found here. Before I knew of Moyers' speech, I wrote a column that was published locally in last Sunday's paper expressing similar concerns.
When John the Baptist revived the role of the prophet, he told the people "whoever has two coats give one to someone who has none." Jesus opened the sermon on the plain in Luke's gospel with blessings on the poor. His encounter with Zaccheaus inspired the tax collector to make financial reparations to all whom he had cheated, and Jesus ends his visit with a wealthy young man who couldn't accept Jesus' invitation to give up his wealth and follow, saying, "How hard it will be for the wealthy to enter the Kingdom of God." In the passion narrative, Joseph of Arimathea gives us an icon of a just person of wealth, risking station and reputation by giving his own tomb to Jesus, an executed capital criminal, and Nicodemus offers an example of a just use of power when he defends Jesus in the Sanhedren.
Wealth and power offer solemn responsibilities to those who posses them. Will those gifts be used in service, especially to the objects of God's attention as the prophets tell us -- the poor, the weak, and the marginalized -- or will those gifts be used simply to increase wealth and power? The prophets try to inspire us toward God's highest ideals and dreams for us even as they bring light and accusation on our worst characteristics.
"Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!" Isaiah implores.
Lowell
__________________
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| 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 |
posted by Lowell @ 8:05 AM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Hi Lowell,
Is there a blog of your writings for the newspaper or another way to access these? Everytime I try to read anything from the news online it wants me to sign up and I don't want to buy the newspaper. I'll have to spend some more time on this reflection, it is packed full. Peace, Janet
I'm also wanting to read your newspaper articles. Went to the NW Arkansas Times online, but wasn't successful in finding it. Looks like you get a lot of push back from conservatives that see the Gospel as just meant for individual salvation.
I used to post my articles on our stpaulsfay.org site, but I haven't done so in a long time. It will take me a little while, but I can catch up. Might be able to do it today.
That business about individual salvation our Presiding Bishop called the greatest heresy in our day (or something like that) -- and she caught a lot of flack too. If we could only get out of our own cultural skin just a bit, we would see that such an individualized focus is very unfaithful to scripture. It is a caving in to the philosophy of the World.
Lowell
Thanks - that would be great if you could do that - there may be many interested in reading your articles.
When I was 32 I read the bible, and re-read (the new testament was all about love and acceptance) and then looked for a church. It was most difficult to find a church that mirrored what Jesus seemed to teach - where his heart was. It's almost a work out your own salvation - with others in community - and soon you find that your neighbor becomes most intimately the one across the world suffering, as well as the friend in the pew right next to you. I can relate to Charles de F.. from todays reading. It is why I desire and work for peace in small ways. Peace, Janet
(watched the clip late last night, very informative)
It seems that this would be a good topic for our time with you, Lowell, for the Episcopal Peace Fellowship meeting during, before or after the Diocesan Convention in March. We are still on for that, I hope..........Caroline
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