“The church needs to stop talking about sex and start talking about money.” [paraphrase, Alan Story]
On Tuesday nite i attended an evening with some friends, largely from Christ Church Kenilworth, looking at Economic Justice. One of the statements the speaker Alan Storey made, was relating to how little Jesus spoke about sex and how obsessed the church often is with focusing on that, while how often Jesus [and the Bible] spoke about Economics and how the only time the church ever seems to speak about money is when we’re asking for it.
He gave some statistics which you can check for yourself, saying that:
Every 16th verse in the New Testament is about money.
Every 10th verse in the Gospels [Matthew, Mark, Luke, John] is about money.
Every 7th verse in Luke is about money.
Every 5th verse in James is about money.
If those are true, then how come we as the church have not given economics a much huger platform.
On the contrary we have actually been taught not to speak about money [this might be a cultural thing rather than a specifically church thing but we’ve definitely bought into it].
Alan then asked us to turn to the people at our tables and share our salaries and what we spend on living and what we give away with them. Big laugh. Why? Because we don’t do that. i wish he’d refused to continue until we had done that. i imagine if you’re sitting at a table and your monthly coffee allowance rivals someone else’s grocery bill or rent then that might be a powerful enough talk in itself. But he let us wriggle out of that one…
But the idea of a room full of people [easily a hundred plus] coming together as the church to discuss Economic Justice in South Africa excites me so much. And Alan is not someone who typically pulls punches and while he may have gone easy on the salary sharing, there were some other ways in which he pushed the screws home.
Alan started off the evening by sending people from a row of tables [30ish people] to stand at the back of the room. He made two other tables move their chairs around one table and squish together. Then he made four other tables of people stand up and pick up their tables. i was made into a policeman with two others and if anyone dropped the table we had to get them to lift it again and if anyone gave us lip we could take them outside and shoot them [well, not really]. He then started his talk and went on for quite a while with these people [some of them fairly old] holding these tables in the air. The biscuits were sent to the people lounging at the front with spare chairs as foot stools and he took turns asking people how they were feeling about their particular space and role. He asked what Jesus would say to the people at the front [Woe to you…] and what He might say to those holding the tables [Put down your table…] and more.
Eventually he let everyone sit down but point made.
Economics in its root word form means ‘The Management of the Household’ and is the same root word that we get both Ecology and Ecumenism from.
Alan defined Justice as Love distributed which is a nice definition to hold on to, especially in our context.
One of the most in-your-face points Alan made which i’m not sure a lot of white South Africans really get right now is the idea that the people without chairs [going back to our chair and table analogy] outnumber those who do have chairs [and chairs in abundance to be able to use as footstools] and at some point – maybe it’s when the children of the people without chairs grow up – they will realise that they would rather die than live the way they currently are living [which is a form of death] and at that point – when the cry becomes Freedom or Death – the people with the chairs are in trouble… because You cannot rule a people who aren’t afraid to die.
That paragraph alone is something we should be reflecting and meditating on every day when we consider how involved in the South African race conversation we are going to be. When we think about learning an African language or whether the salary we pay the woman who cleans our house is minimum wage or living wage or whether there is any kind of theology that allows us to own a holiday house that sits empty for 90% of the year while people live in slums… and more.
If Jesus was focused so much on how we relate to and manage our money and our stuff, how can we not be? Seriously, go and pick one of the gospels [Luke is a good start apparently] and read the story and words of Jesus and think about the things your church leaders put emphasis and whether or not there is a gap.
WHOSE FAMILY IS IT ANYWAY?
Think family… and go and do likewise. Isn’t that the essence of Jesus’ teaching?
Yet the big lie we have bought into is that our family is only the people we share a house with.
In Matthew 12 we see Jesus speak directly to this:
46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothersstood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”
48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Alan spoke about how every rabbi used to summarise all their teaching in the form of a prayer. So in Matthew 6 when the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray, they are not just asking for a Prayer 101, but they are actually asking Him to summarise the message He has brought so they can learn it and take it on.
So when we look at what we call the Lord’s Prayer and we see that the first phrase is “Our Father” we see immediately that we have got ourselves a family.
When Jesus speaks of “Love your neighbour as you love yourself” He is calling me to see my neighbour as an extension of myself.
There was a lot more, but that is a whole lot of stuff to think about. Especially if we take that last line and take some time meditating on it and thinking about what it might mean as a Christ follower in South Africa. If i go to visit a friend in Khayelitsha where so many people have to rely on outside Porta Potty toilets as their only toilet [and what that means if you need the toilet during the night] i need to think to myself: Would i let family live like that?
Would you?
What was one of the points from this post so far that stood out for you? Did anything challenge you? Is there an area of economic justice that you are struggling with at the moment? And would you be happy to sit at a table with seven strangers and share what you earn, what you spend, how much you give away and what your monthly coffee bill is?
[For Part II with more notes from Alan Storey’s talk, click here]
Don’t you think it’s all relative really. Sure we have privilege but we can’t help that our ancestors explored other lands. What do you suggest? Our tax actually goes to help already… We all so busy and working hard thst we deserve a maid and time off. If we didn’t work they would have no job and starve. I do pay well though.
Your comment that you deserve a maid and time off blows my mind – firstly because maid is short for maidservant and the idea that you need a servant rubs negatively against me – it’s one more word that needs to die – secondly the entitlement contained in that statement – i imagine you’re suggesting that people in shacks who have to leave their house to go to the toilet at night deserve a maid too? Or just you and people like you. Because that person probably is the maid. And while you’re sitting with your feet up dunking a biscuit in your hot tea some mother is still catching the third transport she needs to just to get home to see if her children are still alive today…
Your comment that you deserve a maid and time off blows my mind – firstly because maid is short for maidservant and the idea that you need a servant rubs negatively against me – it’s one more word that needs to die – secondly the entitlement contained in that statement – i imagine you’re suggesting that people in shacks who have to leave their house to go to the toilet at night deserve a maid too? Or just you and people like you. Because that person probably is the maid. And while you’re sitting with your feet up dunking a biscuit in your hot tea some mother is still catching the third transport she needs to just to get home to see if her children are still alive today…
Very interesting post and something that’s been debated for centuries. How do you envision the end result? We all live in a 3 bedroom house? But where? Makassar or Clifton or llandudno? How do we make these houses equal? What if one family has no kids and another has 10 kids or 2 kids? Do we get bigger houses? What if one doesn’t want to work, or one works 20 hours a day, do we get same pay or slightly more? How much more? Do we put a limit on earnings? Do we all get free electricity? What about food and coffee? I’m. Sure you a clever guy and can come up with a few more.
I agree there must be more equality, but we need to define the end result better as I don’t think it’s really possible even with good intentions. We are all born pretty unequal, some look good and get all the attention from the opposite sex, others are great athletes, others are smart, others born into wealthy families, and yes race and the privilege of being born white it seems.
I’ve thought about it a lot, but how do we do this equality thing in the long run? Where do you see it. If you think practically that is… Please let’s dialog and engage on this as I’m genuineky curious.
I want black people to have more opportunities but with the limited resources I’m not sure how. Also I think it’s a theoretical concept as nature is geared towards inequality by our definition. It’s pretty brutal nature…
Kevin, i’m not sure what the end point looks like. But i can easily figure out what one step forward looks like. We’re not talking kinda equal here – we’re talking absolute excess in the face of poverty – we’re talking making a fuss until everyone has access to toilets for starters – we’re talking about people with holiday houses they use four times a year selling them and giving the money to the poor or inviting a family to live in them – we’re talking about perhaps levelling all the big houses and making four small houses in their place – i’d personally be up for repurposing golf courses cos of the amount of land and water they take up – there are many ways we can get creative but it really can start with those with excess living within their means and investing in the lives of others around them who don’t have it so good…
While nature may be brutal, human nature beats it in brutality 9 times out of 10…
I think you need to set an example Mr Fish.
Your coffee as you say… How about a year of donating that money to buy some poor beggar a lunch or sandwich?
Easy to talk, but your coffee is the same as a rich man’s holiday house.
i’m not sure what this coffee is you speak of. And not quite sure it’s the same as a rich man’s holiday house… but definitely our coffee consumption should be something we look at. For that reason i have personally chosen not to drink at places like Seattle or Vida E – i love Vida e coffee but can’t justify the price of a coffee [and sure there are probably other justifications i make that can be looked at but i do have an intentionality with my coffee drinking]. And it’s something i need to keep revisiting. Choosing to grab a cup of coffee with a mate yesterday so that we could discuss his upcoming marriage and i could maybe give some tips, advice or answer questions – well that feels like money well spent. And it’s those decisions that we need to be making regularly. i personally could not justify owning a house that sits open for most of the year when some people are living in absolute squalor. We also need to decide where we spend the money that we give away and currently i am quite happy with what we do with our money in that way. Can we always do more? Probably. But finding ways that are sustainable and enable us to continue to give to people, families and causes. that feels like resources well managed.
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I think its mostly relative. Did you know that Bill Gates earns so much money that if he drops a 100 dollars, it is not worth his while to pick it up (he did say that he would in a recent interview though).
Lets do the maths: Lets say you have coffee once a week, or twice a week – R100 * 52 = R5200 per year. You can revise this calculation if you wish. R5200 is quite a lot, possibly a bonus for a black worker (or white) in the lower income bracket.
A wealthy person who has a holiday house (I dont), seems like its extravagant to us middle class people (and how I wish I even had a paid for house as I rent – perhaps I am lower class too as it seems most middle class have a house bond).
I know a guy who has such a holiday house by Langebaan and he drives an AMG and holidays in the Swiss alps. He is a wealthy man, but he also works six days a week, was bankrupt a few times and kept on trying (he did have a good education and white privilege), but he did work hard and take risks. Lets say he is worth about R40 million (my estimate) as he lives in Llandudno in a house worth about R15 mil. He also has a BMW 4×4.
Relatively speaking; isn’t that holiday house like your spare room? Or half your garage to a vagrant? Or that area of the lounge that you could have someone sleep on a small bed? I often think that might be the case for myself, but then I think maybe the vagrant of poor guy might steal, or could be on drugs or could be careless and let criminals into the house by mistake.
Relatively speaking, I drive a Golf from 2005 – its by most standards quite average or even slightly below. I could be driving a scooter (a bicycle even, but I am not fit enough to cycle 20km to work). I could even be driving a Golf from 1995. I like the style of my golf and it is quite reliable. The rich guy on the other hand might say that he likes the additional airbags, the handling, safety aspects, reliability as he cannot afford to miss important meetings. I’ve heard a lot of reasons. Also the 4×4 is needed as he likes to have time in the countryside or camping (work hard play hard type of thinking).
A vagrant may think of you or me having a coffee and planning a wedding quite extravagant. A vagrant would perhaps think weddings are a luxury, or go to a court. They would plan it in the court parking lot. You see how even you can be blinded to white privilege by justifying a coffee to plan a wedding. The same way a wealthy billionaire would say he needs to have a R10k dinner to plan for his yacht purchase.
Anyway, I think it is all relative really. Its just easy to look at the wealthier and judge them than to look at ourselves and our own vices. Thanks for your time.
I once had this wealthy guy over for dinner, and could not believe what he said a few weeks later. He said, “I cannot believe that you are living in such conditions, can I help you with some money?” I was quite taken aback as I thought it was quite average, but for a guy who has a R2 million lounge, compared to my couch and table, it must be quite a difference.
I think we need some kind of guidelines to work within to reach these aims.
Lets say shelter (even a shack), easy toilet access, basic electricity, basic water, basic food and medical is essential. I agree with you on these, but I really am not sure how we can pay for it. I do try to help with these, but I cannot even afford my rent most months even though it is only R5500 per month for a small side cottage (I rent from a part of a bigger house), a flatlet type thing. I budget everything, even movies or coffee (I actually quit as it makes me too wired). But I can of course part with more until I am at the state of a bergie, but don’t think I want to go this far because what happens if I need a dentist or medicine.
I think the problem is that only about 10 million (whites and black middle and upper class) are paying any effective amount of tax. There is another 40 million or 45 million who pay VAT, but no income tax or such. Is there enough money with a growing population?
The biggest challenge for me is to be more transparent with how I spend my money. I think there are definitely certain aspects of my spending that I would be ashamed about if they were public knowledge (coffee, boardgames, rent…) The next steps for me would be to turn that challenge into action and actively spend less on coffee & boardgames and find a cheaper place to rent. I sometimes make up the excuse that because I give my time I don’t need to give my money. I believe we are called to give both and in abundance. “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”
Absolutely. We ran a book study in Americaland called ‘Free’ and one of the activities was the invitation to share your budget with the group – hugely hugely difficult for some people because it causes you to have to face up to what you spend – we brought some of those books home and are i think hoping to run a study once we find a place to stay so might be something you’d be up for…
Great challenge
love b
Very interesting posts on a very important subject and an excellent summary. I do think however that we should have an economy that makes us gradually a more equal society rather than what we have at present which is quickly making us a more and more unequal society. South Africa is now said to be the most unequal society in the world. That is a recipe for disaster.
Ah Jeremy, totally with you on that. But for that to happen i believe the rich would need to let go off their tight hold on their wealth and for some strange reason seem reticent to do that…