Posted by
peripheral on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 7:09:59 AM
I was just thinking about - - -
There is some hint in the politics of our day that Marxism
is beginning to appear. The idea occurs when it is associated with the words of
a candidate suggesting small-town American voters turn
to guns and religion out of bitterness with job losses. The word association is
all-too-easy when reference is made to Karl Marx and his reference to religion
serving as an opiate to the people.
The deeper issue that has been
with our country for a long time is the idea of “a class society”! Whenever a
discussion occurs about taxes, reference is almost immediately made to the
benefit derived and received by the “rich”, whereas the “middle class” bears
the brunt of the tax load, and those in “poverty” get overlooked or bypassed.
It could be said that this is employing Marxist language in our contemporary
body politic.
Another part of the “Class” issue
focuses on the people group we call “illegal immigrants”. To be sure, there is a
considerable cost associated with this people group. For instance, $29 Billion
Dollars has been wired back to Mexico; $257 Billion has been sent back to Latin
American Countries; the cost for social services for all in this group is $400
billion; costs for school children in
this group is more than $14 billion; costs for incarceration of illegals is
$1.5 billion; skilled jobs taken by illegals is 10.5 million. The medical costs for this group is
astronomical. If you wish to keep up with the data and ongoing daily costs, you
can do so online by going to: http://www.immigrationcounters.com.
The fact that there are
designation of “Classes” is not new. The Bible addresses, but does not
condone, the reality of people
groups/”classes”. There is frequent mention of those who are indentured; those
in captivity; those who know extreme poverty; those who are oppressed. And,
there is the message of Hope through the prophets that deliverance will occur
and their captivity will be ended. One can get a glimpse of the horrors
experienced by some in Hebrews 11:36 through 38, ”Others suffered mocking and
flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in
two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and
goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated of whom the world was not worthy,
wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.” We find some passages that seem hard and
difficult for us: (1) Titus 2:9, “Slaves are to be
submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing,
not argumentative…”; (2) Colossians 3:22, “Slaves, obey in
everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as
people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.”; (3) Ephesians
6:5, “Slaves, obey your
earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would
Christ…” The words do not condone
slavery but indicate how one should function as a believer in Christ while
enduring adverse circumstances.
We actually have no idea where matters
are headed in our nation and world. We already have some food rationing (rice)
in California; Fuel costs are escalating beyond
the limits of affordability; food riots are taking place today in Haiti; demand
for goods world-wide is driving up costs; the lowered value of the American
Dollar is impacting every household. And, we have a politician who claims some “…become
bitter and cling to their guns and religion….” No solutions! Just rhetoric and more rhetoric.
A word for us in such times is in The
Sermon on the Mount – Matthew 6:25 through 34. Take time to read it, and then, be confident in the True God Who assures
us that all we need will be added and supplied to us.
You think about this with me - - -