Preferential Options

Sixty or seventy years ago, Latin American liberation theologians introduced to the world the concept of God’s “preferential option for the poor.” It’s a somewhat curious expression, but it basically means that God, as proclaimed by the Hebrew prophets and incarnated by Jesus Christ, is unequivocally on the side of poor persons. By implication, we who claim to follow Jesus must also be on the side of the poor. When it comes to a showdown between those who live in luxury and those who live in squalor, we must take the part of the latter. After all, in his parable of the sheep and the goats Jesus indicated that he is most readily found in and among the hungry, the sick, and the imprisoned. We are far more likely to encounter Christ in a shanty in the slums than in a penthouse apartment.

By this token, far too many of our politicians and “leading citizens” appear to have a preferential option for the rich. The so-called “big beautiful bill” that just passed the House of Representatives by a single vote in the wee hours of this morning is startling evidence of not only a preference for the wealthy but also a determination to favor the wealthy at the expense of the poor. In order to provide trillions of dollars of tax breaks that will primarily benefit the super-rich, Congress is prepared to cut hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid and SNAP (food stamps). If this bill becomes law, it is estimated that more than eight million low-income people will lose their health insurance, and three million people will lose their monthly SNAP benefits.

On top of all that, the bill would add $150 billion in new military spending, which may include the implementation of President Trump’s plan for a “Golden Dome” missile defense shield, and scores of billions of dollars for his mass deportation and border security agenda.

This is an obscenity.

I know I’m opening myself to criticism for being partisan, but this is not about partisan politics. Honestly. This is about morality and faithfulness to God. I would oppose this kind of bill no matter which party championed it, because it so blatantly flies in the face of what we know about the character of God and about God’s intentions for the world. I am convinced from my reading of scripture and my long commitment to God as revealed in Jesus and manifested by the Holy Spirit that God’s plan is for equity, justice, and plenty for all. It’s the commonwealth of God that I keep harping on all the time, and it stands in opposition to the Domination System that I may also have mentioned once or twice.

Last night’s budget reconciliation bill is a boon for the Domination System and a punch in the gut to the advance of God’s commonwealth. But God is not dead. Jesus is not asleep. The Spirit is alive and active in the world, calling us to implement God’s preferential option for the poor in this time and place. Last week I wrote about the mistaken notion that God is on our side. Let us instead plant our feet firmly on God’s side—the side of justice and compassion for all God’s children. Especially the poor.