A Higher Precept

“And because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end the same shall be saved.” Matthew 24:12

APPLICATION OF THE WORD

Selfishness, greed, materialism, envy, covetousness, lack of concern about fairness, mercy, equity, and balance leads to disintegration of society (the second commandment of Christ is ‘love thy neighbor as thyself’).

The lack of spiritual purpose leads to the erosion of mutual concern and mutual respect. Consequently, there will be widespread doubt as to who to trust or believe. Core institutions such as the government, the church, and the family deteriorate into fearful, legalistic, superficial, non-committal, exploitive and weak barriers against the spirit of doubt, fear, greed and exploitation that operates in each of us.

Churches will focus on personal benefits, teaching that Christ will bless ‘me’ instead of teaching that the true message of Christ is that He will make ‘me’ a blessing.

Families disintegrate when the personal fulfillment of the parents displace the desire to sacrifice whatever is necessary for the welfare of the family as a whole.

In a similar fashion, government becomes insensitive to the needs of the community. Problems never get solved because the predators will have more respect and honor in City Hall than the problem solver.

In a dog eat dog world, dogs eat dogs. Christ called us to a precept higher than self-preservation. Our high purpose is to glorify Him by how we nurture and empower each other.

Bandage on Symptons

The Baltimore Sun’s October 16, 2008 headline read “20-YEAR LIFE GAP SEPARATE CITY'S POOREST, WEALTHY" and disclosed the life span difference between residents of Hollins Market and Roland Park in Baltimore. The article went on to say that “at the extreme, the difference in mortality rates between some neighborhoods is as wide as the disparity in life expectancy between the United States and a Third World nation such as Burma.”

The disparity is shameful, but of much greater concern are the solutions discussed: public health initiatives, homicide prevention, increasing public housing, lifestyle changes and social sensitivity, among others. These solutions are more like bandages on symptoms than cures to a fundamental illness. What is done to remedy a problem must be based on causes, not symptoms.

Tucked in the article itself is an insight into the cause of the life expectancy disparity: “life expectancy tends to rise with median income..For every increase of $10,000 in a neighborhood's median household income, residents lived 3.4 years longer.” Income disparities are the cause of life expectancy disparities. Since the cause of the disparity is economic, the elimination of life expectancy disparities is economic.

Real solutions therefore require increased capital, small business development, banking and financial infrastructure, recirculation of capital, and jobs. This approach would work in Burma, and Hollins Market as well.