A Christian Nation?

Last week the Roman Catholic Church elected Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio to be its new pope.  Cardinal Bergoglio chose the name Francis to honor St. Francis of Assisi. Reportedly, as it became clear that the vote was going his way, the cardinal next to him leaned over and advised Cardinal Bergoglio, "Don't forget the poor."  The pope-to-be immediately thought of Francis of Assisi.  "[F]or me he is the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects others," said Pope Francis to an audience of journalists on Saturday, March 16th.  As a cardinal and archbishop of Buenos Aires, the man who will forever be known as Pope Francis lived humbly and pursued a ministry of helping the poor. He now has an opportunity to re-shape a global church long captivated by pomp, power and vast wealth into something that would be more recognizable to its founder.

Scripture tells us that in the early church, "all the believers were together, and had everything in common.  Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need."  (Acts 2: 44-45, NIV).  The choice of early Christians to give up their wealth for the benefit of the Christian community meant, "There were no needy persons among them."  (Acts 4: 34)  In fact, in the story of Ananias and Sapphira, we learn that selling one's possessions and holding some of the proceeds back for personal use had severe consequences. (Acts 5:1-10). 

Why did the early Christians choose to live this way?  The four Gospels contain multiple stories of Jesus preaching about giving up wealth and helping the poor.  As an example, in the Sermon on the Mount he preached, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  And, "No one can serve two masters.  Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and Money."  (Matthew 6:19-21, 24, NIV). 

Also in Matthew's Gospel is the story of the rich young man who asks Jesus how he might obtain eternal life.  After hearing that he has kept the Commandments, Jesus tells him, "[G]o, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow me."  (Matthew 19:21).  There are a number of other stories in the four Gospels where Jesus preaches a gospel of sharing one's wealth and helping the poor.  However, search as you might, you won't find any stories where Jesus admonishes a beggar to get a job.  Nor will you find any instances where Jesus advises his disciples that before you give to a beggar, make sure he will not waste the money on wine or other foolish pursuits.

The tension between those advocating a message of sharing and those unwilling to part with their wealth has been a constant in the Christian Church ever since the Roman Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity by the Edict of Milan in 313.  As Christianity became the established religion in Europe and church leaders accumulated vast wealth, orders like the Franciscans appeared to re-emphasize the need to give up one's wealth and help the poor. 

While many have called the United States a Christian Nation, today there is a wide political gulf between Christians who believe government should have a role in helping the poor and those whose philosophy might best be described as "I've got mine; to hell with the rest of you."  The poor are perceived by many as lazy, stupid and undeserving of help. The rich, on the other hand, are celebrated for their ambition, resourcefulness and entrepreneurial abilities.  Many appear to consider it a greater sin to ask the wealthy to contribute more to the needs of our nation than it is to take away assistance provided to the poor.  Many consider it outrageous to raise the legislated minimum wage to $9 or $10/hour, but have no problem with CEOs and other corporate officers earning millions of dollars/year.  In both cases, they are getting what they deserve, or so believe many who profess to be followers of Jesus.

It will be interesting to hear what Pope Francis has to say about what it means to be a Christian in a society like ours - an affluent society, but one with many, many poor.  Will he support Bishops and priests who tell their flocks to not vote for politicians because they support gay marriage or a woman's right to choose?  Or will he tell his church leaders to begin supporting politicians who support programs to help the poor, even if it means higher taxes for the rich? 

Only time will tell if this new pontiff will stick to his message, the message of his namesake, and the Gospel message of Jesus Christ.