Preface
One of my most cherish readings was the National Bestseller, Long Walk To Freedom, by Nelson Mandela. This personal memoir was rich, compelling, sad, thoughtful, and inspiring. After reading this book Mandela was more human than an icon of the legend. Below is one of his most provocative statements that lay down the foundation for this week’s blog post:
“Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. You can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom.”
Let your Heart not be Troubled
Many centuries before Nelson Mandela’s words concerning poverty, justice, slavery and other social/political/economic injustices, the writer of Ecclesiastes advised any seeker of wisdom and truth the following:
If you see injury; fraud, distress, the unjust gain of those in need, and violent perverting of a formal decree and equity in a region, do not be dumbfounded against the matter, for one powerful is protected by a powerful superior, and higher elevated are over them.
The gain of the Earth is taken by the whole; the King himself profits from the Land. Ecclesiastes 5:8-9
In the political system, there is very little or no satisfaction by its citizens if those who are in power are blinded and driven by the spirit of mammon. Throughout all of the Holy Scriptures, seekers of truth are warned about the eventual emptiness and unfitness that greed has on the human soul.
The writer of Ecclesiastes 4:1 says “I returned, and considered all the oppression that is done under the sun; behold the tears of such as were oppressed and they had no comforter, and on the side of their oppressors there was power, but they had no comforter.”
This year, our government has been critically exposed to moral insensitivity if not amoral crimes against its American citizens. I have written many blog posts listing these offenses, thus there is no need to repeat them here.
Nevertheless, the Scripture reference notes the multiple levels of a gigantic scheme of mutual wrong-doing by those in various political levels, each being guilty of oppressing each other, seemingly without any judicial indictment for known crimes and outlaw behavior.
Verse nine is perhaps better understood in this manner, “moreover the profit of the earth is for all, the king himself is served by the field!” The interpretation of this verse is key in adding the innocent and oppressed of evil rulers who politically govern as either an autocratic or despotic leader.
In a perfect America, perhaps in times past, our healthy government encouraged an equal opportunity for all of its citizens and business to compete in the opened free enterprise system which is one of the main thrusts to a healthy economy. The Achilles heel of capitalism’s success is GREED!
Such a philosophy of greed as a necessary evil is reported by many since the early eighties. Yet, with the powerful emergence of progressive entrepreneurs and companies, greed is not the problem with capitalism, the lack of empathy is the mortal sin of our nation.
In Forbes magazine, the author, Rainer Zitelmann, wrote an article entitled, The Driving Force of Capitalism to add perspective to this blog. He summarized the fact that people and companies pursue their interests is the same in every society.
This is not a specific feature of capitalism. Under capitalism though, only those entrepreneurs and companies who prioritize their customers’ interests, rather than their self-interest, will achieve success in the long term.
Companies that fail to understand and respect what consumers want will lose market share and may even disappear entirely as they are driven out by other companies that better meet their customers’ needs.
Empathy, the ability to recognize the desires and needs of others, is the true basis of capitalism—not unbridled greed and selfishness. https://www.forbes.com/sites/rainerzitelmann/2019/09/02/the-driving-force-of-capitalism-is-empathy-not-greed/#3c317ffa67aa
Returning to our passage of Ecclesiastes 5:9 while we include this matter of empathy to our discussion, we may be able to discern that there is a very major difference between a fair or honorable King [ruler/ or official] and that of a tyrant.
The Topical Bible defines a tyrant as An absolute ruler; a sovereign unrestrained by law or constitution; a usurper of sovereignty.
A tyrant devastates and destroys, while a good ruler cherishes his country, protects and furthers the interests of the land, the spiritual institutions, the Arts, and industries, and the well being of those whom he is charged.
God is the Ruler of all Nations
God is the only One who can comfort those who are oppressed, while He judges the righteous and the evildoers. The loftiest noble and peasant must alike humbly acknowledge the Lord our God and faithfully revere and obey Him.
Throughout the Holy Scriptures, there are a host of warnings from God against oppression, needless to say, that any form of oppression is against the moral and divine laws of God’s initial spiritual design.
I will list only three.
Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel,
“Since you have rejected this word
And have put your trust in oppression and guile, and have relied on them,
Therefore this iniquity will be to you
Like a breach about to fall,
A bulge in a high wall,
Whose collapse comes suddenly in an instant. Isaiah 30:12-13
Woe to those who enact evil statutes
And to those who constantly record unjust decisions,
So as to deprive the needy of justice
And rob the poor of My people of their rights,
So that widows may be their spoil
And that they may plunder the orphans.
Now, what will you do in the day of punishment,
And in the devastation which will come from afar?
To whom will you flee for help?
And where will you leave your wealth? Isaiah 10:1-3
For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly practice justice between a man and his neighbor, if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin, then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever. Jeremiah 7:5-7
Let this Current Generation become the spiritual impetus for Change
Paraphrasing Nelson Mandela’s statement, all forms of human oppression are manmade. If this is true, then with the help of God, there are meaningful ways in which grace, mercy, empathy, and aid can be humanely granted to our neighbors who are suffering in our present culture.
The needed change will not come from those who are empowered, wealthy, and the lost ones who are not seekers of Truth.
God has called, commissioned, and made the Beloved Community of Called-Out ones of this generation, to be His faithful spiritual image-bearers in this lost culture. If we do our part, God will do His part toward reforming the hearts of those who are lost and those who are oppressed.
“When the community is suffering, a person should not say to himself, ‘I will go to my own home, and eat and drink, and imagine myself at peace…’ But rather, he should share in the community’s pain.” https://outorah.org/p/33635/
The Pathway of Spiritual Transformation
- Be wholehearted with the Lord God
- Place the Lord before you at all times
- Love your neighbor as yourself
- Seek, learn to know and obey God in all ways of your life
- Walk humbly and discreetly with God each moment of your journey
- Be forever mindful of spiritual warfare
- Each day is a new creation and blessing from God
- Be and extend “light” in the presence of darkness
- Practice daily spiritual disciplines with consistency
- Choose life over death
- Find safety and stability in the Family structure and the Body of Christ
