Occupy the Church

I sympathize with the “Occupy” movment, at least about the disparity of wealth in America today. I feel particular concern for young people who graduate from college with tens of thousands of dollars of debt into a job market that is depressed. I recently heard on NPR that older people are now 47 times wealthier than young people – it is always the case that older people are wealthier, but this number represents a new record.

There is plenty of biblical precedence for the message of the equal distribution of wealth, not the least of which is the Old Testament concept of Jubilee – every 50 years all resources are thrown back into the pot and handed out again equally. Jesus had plenty to say about the economy, usually addressing the injustice of some having much and the majority having very little; it’s not as if this message isn’t clear. We can disagree as Christians on how this is to be done but not about the fact that it needs to be done.

There is a deep and abiding spiritual foundation for much of what the issues the occupiers are raising. So, why not “occupy the church?” I believe that this kind of dialogue and witness is not only appropriate to being the church in our world, but also vital to it. What do you all think? Pastor Jim