Bedrock Justice

Here's Richard Rohr's entire reflection for today. If anybody ever needs a prime example of why true Christianity is really, really hard, just pay attention to what he's saying here. I know that I'm guilty of thoughtless consumption--everybody is. I'm amazed every time we have had to move and I get to see and pack all the "stuff" we own and have acquired over the years. Who gives a thought to what the global implications of capitalism are . . . except in those quiet reflective moments when it occurs to you that the entire capitalistic system is totally illogical. And of course, as Rohr points out. It's really a matter of bedrock justice we're talking about here. By its very nature, the capitalistic system is an unjust system. Nobody wants to hear this. Nobody.

Economic Justice

It is only in the last couple of centuries that we saw the possibility of actually increasing our goods and resources, and this is called capitalism. Its many good aspects have helped countless people to have the necessities of life and even comforts. It has also allowed a small number of people to have excess and luxury that surpasses anything available to even kings and queens in previous empires.

Our present capitalistic world view is based on an assumption and goal of constant and never ending growth (GNP), which is, of course, logically impossible on a limited planet of limited resources. Those of us born into this capitalistic period have taken it as the only pattern.

Limits should be just common sense but, then again, we tend to be blind when it comes to our own self interest. Logically and sustainably, we cannot just keep expanding, growing, and consuming. We must return to lives of humility, simplicity, and limits (“justice for all”) which is what the Gospel said all along.

Related articles

• Theologians and Activists to Probe Widening Inequality and Soaring Poverty (eon.businesswire.com)
• On Emerging Christianity (strategicsorcery.blogspot.com)