The Gospel and Economic Justice, www.gospelpolitics.com

For all its imperfections, the Occupy Wall Street movement successfully focused much attention on economic inequality in the United States. As a result, the relevance of the gospel to economic justice became a hot topic. Politically conservative Christians generally don't see much, if any, relevance; while politically liberal Christians think the gospel has much to say about the increasing economic inequality we see around us. How do we make sense of even in our politics. Those values are all about loving God; loving and treating one's neighbor (and enemy) as ourselves – not only in personal interac it all for ourselves, beyond the labels?

Well...let’s take a look at scripture:

There are so, so many scripture passages that talk about economic justice; about lifting up the poor and oppressed; about reining in the excesses of the rich. In fact, there probably is nothing God talks about more in the bible than this topic. God spoke through virtually all of the prophets of the Old Testament about selfishness and economic inequality. For instance, the prophet Amos said: But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! (Amos 5:24)

The book of Amos is about a society similar to our own in which the profits produced by the work of the people were going, not back to the people who created them, but rather to the rich landowners. Amos called for economic justice and righteousness. One of the few verses in the bible repeated verbatim is this one: I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy. (Psalm 140:12 and Proverbs 13:23)

Later in Proverbs we read: The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern. (Proverbs 29:7)

When Jesus began his public ministry, he said: The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. (Luke 4:18-19 (quoting from Isaiah 61))

Later, in the Beatitudes, Jesus said: Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God....But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. (Luke 6:20; 24.)

And these are just a sampling!

As with any political question, when it comes to economics, Christians must honestly ask themselves which view best reflects Christian (i.e. gospel) values: individual wealth creation or promotion of the common good?

No matter how you look at it, if we really believe the gospel, then we will believe in the things Jesus believed in. We will live Jesus' values. Yes, even in our politics. Those values are all about loving God; loving and treating one's neighbor (and enemy) as ourselves – not only in personal interactions, but through shaping public policy; sharing what we have with others; and generally promoting a better, more just, righteous, and unselfish world -- for all of God's children.

Let’s take this seriously!