MUSINGS FROM THE DIRECTOR

One of
the themes from scripture that has been bouncing through my head of
late is the expectation that we, as members of God’s family, need to
see and accept our responsibility for each other, for those others who
inhabit this planet with us.  In the story of Cain and Abel we see
this issue raised as God asks Cain where his brother is and Cain
responds, “am I my brother’s keeper?”  This question, about our
connection and responsibility for each other seems to run throughout
the scriptures.  We see it in the prophets as they call the nation
to remember justice between the members of the community.  We see
it with Jesus when he is asked about the greatest commandment and he
points out that love of God and love of neighbor are one in the same.



This
theme or question brings me to consider the means that we have to
assist those other members of the society.  Currently our
government is calling for a change in one of the oldest of the New Deal
programs, Social Security.  It was this program that drastically
reduced the level of poverty among the nation’s elderly and one of its
underlying principles was that we all had responsibility for each
other.  The younger generation would work and contribute to a fund
that would support the needs of those who no longer could work
primarily due to age.



Now we
are told that because of the large number of people in the generation
christened the “Baby Boomers,” the ability of that fund to continue to
support those unable to work because of age will be difficult at
best.  Now I am not an economist or a political scientist or a
demographer.  I come to this question as a theologian and as a
Christian.  From that perspective we are reminded that we need to
carry the responsibility for each other and particularly for those who
are poor or forgotten.  Some proposals put forth seem to operate
from an understanding that we are all independent individuals with our
primary responsibility to care for ourselves and our own close
family.  I will own my stake and you own your stake in the larger
pie.  If your stake is insufficient to supply what you need I am
sorry but the primary goal is to protect my holdings for the future.



When I
place that concept up to the mandate of scripture and of our tradition
as Christians it simply cannot find the defense to under gird it. 
When we are invited to participate in a debate about Social Security or
any program to support the needs of all members of the society can we
ask whether the proposal truly calls for us to offer justice?  Can
we remember that we are a community of people and as the technology
advances that community grows even larger in terms of whom we are asked
to be concerned about.  Do the proposals enhance the sense of
community and shared responsibility or do they separate us one from the
other?  When as a society of people we are invited to consider how
those joint funds we know as governmental budgets are spent can we be
reminded again of Jesus’ definition of life in his kingdom?  “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”