February 2009

The basic Christian response to the economy should be that of stewardship. That is where God owns everything and we get to use it to achieve God’s purposes and by so doing also maintain our lives. Our lives include both physical and spiritual aspects. The Christian life includes celebrating the abundant life God wants us to enjoy; in God’s presence, enough is abundance. A simple life with contentment is rich in itself.

Christian faith speaks to our desires and self-control. The church liturgy is about shaping us to desire what God wants, to be satisfied with God, and what God provides. The economic crisis, therefore, is a deeply spiritual problem that cannot be easily solved by the government.

The Christian values on which an economy should be based are valuing God’s creation and people’s contributions, not the creation of wealth. People talk about the economic system as if it is a framework from which we cannot stray. But governments and companies planned and created the current system, and they can also plan an economy that operates for the common good. Christians should and could use the freedom the market provides to serve others rather than trying to serve themselves. This can be done by being mindful of how and where we spend our money and where we apply our political support. There is a longstanding church tradition to help those in need and if we have spent beyond our means, we need to confess and repent. Scripture tells us over and over not to be indebted in that way.

The real problem, the experts say, is not the debt, but the reasons behind it. People of the developed nations have been seeking happiness in a materialistic lifestyle. Capitalism has offered people a freedom of choice, as the route to happiness. It has persuaded people to borrow money they can’t afford, to buy things they don’t need. While promising freedom and happiness, it has led to bondage and misery. Materialism is a false idol.

Christian stewardship means several things: exercising self-control, ceasing to idolize wealth, and saying enough is enough. This speaks directly to the compulsion to over-consume, and calls us to live within our means.

Hospitality means being generous to the poor, to the jobless, the homeless. It also means changing the way we live together and care for each other. The economic crisis could lead to a resurgence of Christian faith, but the focus should be on living right in this world, in the way we deal with the poor and the environment. Christians need reminding of this because in general they are living the same lifestyle as non-Christians. Every financial decision is a spiritual decision. If God owns everything, then before every financial decision, people need to be taught to ask: “Is this going to help me draw closer to the Lord, and enable me to give more and bless people?”

Today, financial experts seem to be urging economic stimulus packages that focus on large-scale infrastructure, things that have lasting value. This would create jobs and leave something behind. Now would be the time to spend money on visionary things that would help the environment, retrofitting houses, building fuel-efficient cars, expanding public transit. The stimulus should be directed to projects that help the most vulnerable, such as building social housing. The best economic stimulus is to help the poor, who need it most. If government gives money to the poor, they spend it locally, while the middle and upper classes are more likely to save it or spend it elsewhere.

Christians should be prudent; and if they have the money, now would be a good time for wise spending, i.e. investing in the kingdom of God. If everyone cuts back now, it will exacerbate the economic problems. In fact, Christians may be freer to spend now (on kingdom priorities) than other people because their identity is not tied to any wealth or possessions they may have.