By Nicholas Keehler of Parkville, Missouri, USA
God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.
Is the economy working?
I’m inclined to answer that question with another question. Working for whom? While many of us, particularly in the United States, have our needs for shelter, food, water, and health met so well that we take them for granted, not everyone can say the same. If we truly yearn for the society Jesus spoke of in Luke 4, in which the oppressed are set free, then the answer to our initial question must be a resounding, “No!”. The gap between the global rich and poor continues to widen, and as we enter a future increasingly defined by climate catastrophe, it is the poor who will feel the strain on Earth’s resources the most. My concern extends beyond just our human friends. Our four-legged relatives, and those with fins, wings, leaves, and roots, may also be counted among the oppressed.
In her book The Serviceberry, Potawatomi scholar Robin Wall Kimmerer pushes back against the traditional understanding of economics as the study of how the scarcity of resources influences our decisions. As a biologist, that perspective does not reflect the world as she knows it. In a world defined by scarcity, competition is king, no matter how many resources Mother Earth truly has. Instead, Kimmerer prefers to think of economics simply as the way we organize ourselves to sustain and enhance life. It is a game that everyone can win, but only if we work together. Rather than a world of scarcity requiring competition, she envisions a world of abundance requiring cooperation.
But this is not just a theoretical idea. This type of economy is being practiced today in local communities! You may remember learning about the “Tragedy of the Commons” in school. This theory, popularized by Garrett Hardin in a 1968 essay, suggested that individuals, when allowed access to a common resource, will inevitably act in their own self-interest and overuse that resource. For example, when everyone is allowed access to clean water, some individuals will use far too much, leaving none for their neighbors or future generations. In the global North, we do not need to look very far before we notice how our toilets flushing or our bathtubs filling illustrate our complicity in this tragedy.
(continued in tomorrow’s Daily Bread)
Prayer Phrase
“Do good…share what you have” (Hebrews 13:16).
Enough to Share
Take a moment to notice what you are holding onto—perhaps a worry, a resource, or a desire for more. Take a breath and release it. Ask yourself, “Where am I being invited to trust that there is enough?” Think of one way you can share what you have today—your time, your gifts, your attention, or your resources. As you breathe in, say, “There is enough.” As you breathe out, “If I share.” Pray, “May my trust become generosity, and may my generosity create abundance for the welfare of all.”
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.