The God of the Bible does not promise us untroubled, economic security. Prosperity gospels are comforting, but sooner or later we are faced with the facts of life. God has not made me rich. What God has done is to see me through the hard times, to provide for me in times of need, to care for me and my family. This is the promise of the very first Psalm. I don’t believe it is an accident that the compilers chose for the first entry one that begins with the words, “Blessed is the man.” One that proclaims that those who love God will be like a tree planted by streams of water, a tree whose leaves do not wither. God has promised to be with us, even in the “valley of deep darkness.” And Jesus asks us why we are so anxious when God knows our every need before we ask it.
Anxiety is part and parcel of the human condition, but we are called to exercise faith in the midst of life’s difficulties. Faith does not grant us immediate relief, nor does it guarantee fulfillment of our every wish. It does, however, provide us with needed security, with hope that things will get better, that we will get through this. We will overcome because God is with us. Yes, we will still have to look for the best prices, defer spending, even on things we may need, but ultimately, in all things that matter, we trust in God to fulfill his promises to us, to look after us.
This does not relieve us of our responsibility as citizens of his kingdom nor does it relieve us of our responsibility to exercise our rights and duties as citizens of whatever country to which claim allegiance. It is one thing to acknowledge that many of the things we face daily are beyond our control; it is quite another to absolve ourselves of responsibility for our neighbors. I may not be able to change the economy, but I can reach out to those in need. I can act with kindness and compassion. I can share in the suffering of my neighbor and do whatever lies within my means to alleviate that suffering. I have been priveleged to travel the world and see at close hand the effects of poverty, war, and ill-conceived revolutions. It has taught me this: I am my brothers and sisters keeper. Cynicism may be a plague of our time, but it provides no answers. It solves no problems. The world changes by degrees. Want has a human face. It is the face of the one who stands before me. I may marvel at the rising cost of groceries, but I can still buy groceries, and I can still help others, and in that small, seemingly inconsequential act of kindness, I can make a statement for the common humanity of us all. This is message of the biblical book of James. Clothe the poor, feed the hungry, comfort the weary. This is the heart of Gospel as it is to be lived in our daily lives, and this is the hope of the Gospel. For that, thanks be to God.