By Al Staggs

MANY, BOTH RICH AND POOR

MAY VERY WELL BELIEVE

THAT THE WAY THINGS ARE, ECONOMICALLY,

IN THE UNITED STATES,

IS JUST WHAT GOD INTENDED.

“GOD WILLED IT,” AS LOS POBRES

IN LATIN AMERICA BELIEVED

BEFORE LIBERATION THEOLOGY

CHALLENGED THAT AGE-OLD ASSUMPTION

AND MADE OBSOLETE, INTERPRETATIONS

OF BIBLICAL TEXTS THAT FAILED TO APPLY

THE RADICAL NATURE OF THE TEACHINGS

OF JESUS AND THE HEBREW PROPHETS.

FOR THE STORY OF THE EXODUS

IS NOT ONLY A STORY ABOUT THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL

ESCAPING FROM THE TYRANNY OF EGYPT,

IT IS A PARADIGM FOR OPPRESSED PEOPLE

FOR ALL TIMES.

“PREACHING GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR

AND LIBERATION OF THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, “

HAS FAR REACHING APPLICATION TO THE CURRENT

ECONOMIC DISPARITY BETWEEN THE RICH AND THE POOR.

JESUS IS NOT LIMITING SALVATION TO INDIVIDUAL, ISOLATED SOULS,

BUT EXTENDING TRUE LIBERATION FOR ALL HUMANKIND

FROM BONDAGE AND SERVITUDE TO ANY EMPIRE

THAT REWARDS THE RICH AT THE EXPENSE OF THE POOR.

IT IS THOSE WHO PROFIT MOST WHO ARE THE CREATORS

AND SUSTAINERS OF THE PRESENT STATUS QUO

AND THEY ARE NOT GODS.

THEY ARE DEMONS WHO MAKE THEIR DEALS

UNDER THE RUSE OF LAW AND ORDER,

THEY ARE PURVEYORS OF SYSTEMIC VIOLENCE.

I CANNOT BELIEVE IN A GOD WHO WOULD SO ORDER

AN ECONOMIC SYSTEM THAT ONLY A FEW WOULD HAVE SUCH

HUGE SURPLUSES WHILE TENS OF MILLIONS DO WITHOUT.

I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT GOD IS PLEASED

WITH OUR STATUS QUO

AND OUR CONTENTMENT TO LET IT REMAIN SO.