God's Economy: No Scarcity

In God's economy, there is no scarcity of resources. Just as there is no scarcity of God's love, there is no scarcity of food for the hungry, shelter for the destitute, or clothing for the naked.

The basic principle of economics is that resources are scarce, and it is precisely this scarcity that gives things their value. Capitalism takes natural resources, which God gave us to provide our basic needs, and turns them into a commodity.

What gives you your value? Your possessions? God doesn't care about what you "own." Your intelligence? God doesn't care about from which school you did or did not graduate. Your unique ability? God doesn't care how you market yourself. God loves you for who you are, wherever you are and whatever you do. After all, like a parent, he created you.

How you respond to God's love will give God joy or pain. To imagine, that we can cause pain in the heart of God! Yet how much more so if we were to give our brothers and sisters joy - so, too, will God celebrate. How audacious!!

I'm reminded of some U2 lyrics:
"Where you live should not decide
Whether you live, or whether you die."

What a world look like where pay were undifferentiated, regardless of what you did? What would a world look where the poor were our celebrities, our role models? What would a world look like where resources, such as access to water, food, shelter and good health, were available regardless of wherever you live?

Maybe it would begin to look like the Reign of God.