The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me (Matthew 26:11 NIV).
What
world problems today seem to be beyond solution? What forces appear
to be in control? Do you react to these problems with: Helplessness?
Cynicism? Sorrow? Disgust? Hope? Why? (Serendipity Bible 10th
Anniversary Edition, page 1015).
It
is my hope and belief that in this one instance Jesus in a sense had
it wrong. For, indeed, Jesus is always with us and it is my hope and
belief that one day the poor will be no more.
The
base of much mischief is the ideology of meritocracy. It is taken as
a tautology that resources automatically reside with those who earn
them. Nothing is more patently untrue. Hierarchical position
becomes the ultimate test of worth. Thus CEO's are fairly seen to
make millions while those in fact providing the most stressful and grueling
service (and are the ultimate source of services and wealth) barely
make a living wage. This fact is awesomely enervating to the
majority of humanity. A side effect of this concentration of wealth
instead of its broad distribution is that economies suffer greatly.
The maldistribution of wealth hugely dampens overall demand and
economic activity. The generation of wealth becomes much less than
it should be.
Capitalism
as traditionally understood has great and fatal limitations. Until
basic fairness is devised and included within economic systems, we
will continue to judge people as the culprit and rail against
laziness rather than facing the challenges of a broader and fairer
distribution of earnings.
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