The earth, lovingly created as an environment for life to flourish, shudders in distress because creation’s natural and living systems are becoming exhausted from carrying the burden of human greed and conflict. Humankind must awaken from its illusion of independence and unrestrained consumption without lasting consequences.
[Adapted from “Living God’s Economy: Easter, Abundance, and the Call to Economic Justice” by Carla Long, Mar/Apr 2026 Herald, pp. 10–13]
“God’s economic household includes room for all creation, challenging any economic system that excludes concern and care for the entirety of life” (Money and Faith, edited by Michael Schut, p. 19).
The word economy shares the same root as ecumenical, both referring to oikos, the household. God’s household calls us to make sure everyone has a place at the table, and no one is left out on the porch.
During Holy Week, Jesus clears the temple—a space that had become a place of economic exclusion—making a bold statement to authorities that God’s temple was no place for economic injustice. His actions declared that God’s household is borderless, challenging systems that prioritize national or ethnic identity over the inherent worth of persons.
This expansive hospitality is illustrated in the story of Apostle Joey Williams and a community of Congolese people. What began as “junk email” in 2022 transformed into a global web of connection. Joey’s encounter with Congolese refugees in Independence, Missouri, USA, revealed shared family relationships formed years earlier in Belgium when he was the mission center president of the Western Europe Mission Center. This is God’s “inclusive household” in action: recognizing refugees not as “strangers,” but as family members in the global body of Christ.
This connection expanded further when Congolese members in Independence mentioned people they knew in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, who also were seeking a spiritual home. Within hours, new relationships were formed, and a physical and spiritual home was offered in the Forest Hill Congregation to learn more about Community of Christ and to be together.
This is what God’s inclusive household looks like—cultural needs are honored, and voices are joined in song, challenging systems that treat refugees as “other” and insisting that all belong.
Tomorrow’s Daily Bread story will explore how God’s economy pays special attention to the poor and powerless.
Prayer Phrase
“See, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5).
Weaving a Life
Hold, or imagine yourself holding, a piece of patterned cloth. Examine it carefully. Notice overlapping threads, mingling colors that form the design. Write a journal entry or meditate about the threads and patterns of your life. What design do you see? How does the life pattern you are weaving create justice and wholeness in God’s world? What new pattern is God calling you to weave?
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.