It seems that sometimes the history of what the Church has done in times of struggle gets overlooked. We seem to get lost in personalities and political agendas that move us away from who we, the Church, are in society. The Church has a long history of stepping into spaces and representing well. I think we are in a moment where it’s time to once again be the innovative and corrective voice in the world. It’s time for the Church to step up.
It’s no secret that when young children were being used as workers in factories and such, it was the innovation of the Church that began Sunday Schools not just to teach the Bible, but also to teach children how to read. The Church stepped in to address child labor. Most businesses honored Sundays, and children didn’t have to work. Churches used the day to meet a societal need, and many children and, ultimately, adults, too, learned to read and write.
There was also an earlier time when healthcare was lacking for poor families, and it was denominations that began opening hospitals to serve people who couldn’t afford healthcare. In fact, some of the best known hospitals today are Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, Catholic, and Adventist, to name a few.
This risky, innovative work of the Church even shows up today in HBCU’s, as many were established by churches that saw the need for Black people to have access to higher education. These colleges stand today as historic institutions that serve Black students.
It’s time again, my friends, for the CHURCH to answer the call of our day. The racial wealth gap is a frightening sign of where wealth does and does not sit today, and it’s worsening. We can begin to push on this issue, and there are ways to begin to move the economy in a positive direction.
There are many ways to move the needle, but I will mention three that I believe the Church and communities of faith are positioned to make happen.
1: Home ownership is a key factor and a way for people to gain equity, and churches are major landowners that can begin to build and offer housing. We don’t have to leave this to developers and city planners to dictate.
2: Get resources to local businesses that are owned and operated by Black and brown people. The Church can begin to move some missions dollars to invest in local entrepreneurs who have been denied resources and access.
3: Develop and teach theologies of money and finance that call out predatory lending and practices. Where is our moral leadership on verses like this: “If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not charge him interest (Exodus 22:25)”? These are explicit scriptures that suggest we should not charge the poor and marginalized interest, yet we charge poor people more. This is a standard practice that is contrary to Biblical teaching, and we need to have the courage to say it.
The Big C, Church, can and should be on the lookout for what’s wrong in the world and step into that space with innovative and risky solutions as a reflection of our faith. This is a spiritual call, if you will, from our creator to stand with and for justice. This is a holy practice that values all humanity. It’s Time for the Big C to step up and step into economic justice.