Socialism should be a virtue, not an economic structure.

It doesn't surprise me that Socialism has come to have such a negative connotation among many in our society, especially within religious circles. It's affiliation with various villainous dictators in history with their often ethnocentric, close-minded beliefs serves to disenfranchise people at face value. If we take the time however, to see what Socialism, as it stands on its' own, freed from the shackles of the tryannical philosophies of their historical proponents, we may not cringe the next time we hear the word used in political discourse. Before you start picketing and calling me a "Liberal, communist loving, hippy" hear me out. I agree that Socialism is a bad economic structure. I don't think that people should be forced to share their income with others based on government imposed law. After all, God gave us free will. The concept behind Socialism is to create an egalitarian society, where access to resources is equal for all. Yeah, I Wikipediaed that shit. Economic equality may be achieved, but i'm skeptical that Socialism would create social equality. Sharing and giving cannot be forced, but need to be done with compassion, otherwise the result will be bitterness. But Socialism as a virtue is an entirely different thing. Socialism should be a virtue practiced by all who claim to follow Jesus. It breaks my heart to know that people including myself, can claim to be Christian or the recently popularized term "Jesus Followers," yet be so blatantly opposed to the idea that we should share with those less fortunate. We were charged to feed the hungry, clothe the poor, and visit the prisoners. Socialism is an economic system that is trying to implement a structure that would provide a way of doing two out of those three, yet most Christians shudder when they hear it. Something is fundamentally wrong here. We've gotten off track.

"According to the Federal Reserve, in 1990 the richest 1 percent of America owned 40 percent of its' wealth -- the greatest level of inequality among all rich nations, and the worst in U.S. history since the Roaring Twenties. Furthermore, the richest 20 percent owned 80 percent of America -- meaning, of course, that the bottom four-fifths of all Americans owned only one fifth of its wealth."

These statistics are disconcerting to say the least. Imagine what would happen if we practiced compassion for our neighbors. God promised us that there was enough on this earth for everyone. It seems that there is more than enough. Sadly something has gone wrong and instead of sharing the bounty, the priveledged hoard it. Sometimes I wish, that like fruit left out too long, money went bad; that it would rot and fall away so that stockpiling money would be as absurd as stockpiling bananas. No offense DK. Maybe then people would be more apt to share. I think Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, says it best.

"Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared."

Alexi Murdoch - "Orange Sky"

This is one of those songs that you discover at just the right time. I thought it was beautiful the first time I heard it, but it later came to have deeper meaning for me. Songs are like seeds in that way. They wait earnestly for the perfect time when all the conditions are right. And then it happens. Life. Growth. Beauty. So this is for someone who needs a seed. Grace, love.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgNDWKq0alE&feature=related

The Great Divorce

I just finished reading a beautiful book by C.S. Lewis titled "The Great Divorce." As always Lewis has found a way to bring me back to God. Those of you who have read C.S. Lewis will know what I mean. His words and ideas are dripping with truth. This is an excerpt from "The Great Divorce" that weighed on me in the way that only truth can.

"That's what we all find when we reach this country, that we've all been wrong. That's the great joke. There's no need to go on pretending one was right. After that, we begin living."

- C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce

It seems as though that's what we're all doing at times. Pretending we're right. Pretending the solitude that comes from ostracizing others to maintain our egos is worth it. Lewis refers to pride as the greatest sin. Although sins are all equal, I think Lewis means greatest in the sense that pride is the root evil behind so many other sins. To stop pretending starts with being honest with oneself, so that we can be honest with others. So I start the daunting task of being aware of my own flaws and brokenness, before judging others. This is day one.