Getting Jesusy.

The following was written by one of my best friends. With his permission, I am posting it here. Read on...

Okay, so I try not to get all Jesusy. The reason is, I know that people are kind of scared of the Jesusy stuff. They have every right to be. The church (which is commonly associated with Jesus) has screwed over a lot of people. They have claimed to speak on Jesus' behalf by condemning people, perpetuating injustice, promoting internalized self-hatred, subjugating people groups, etc. To me, however, that movement and those actions are not associated with the person of Christ. Christ gives a shit about people.

Many current national and local debates have centered around the question of whether individuals have a responsibility to care for other individuals. For instance, should I pay more taxes so that James, a person fighting HIV, can get medication? Should I pay more for my cigarettes so that Kesha can participate in Early Headstart? Should I support programs that ensure Mary, a mother who has schizophrenia, can get the therapy she needs? But in the midst of all of these specific cases, one pervasive theme exists- what is MY responsibility for OTHER people?

At many of the town hall meetings and discourses surrounding the ridiculous PA budget crisis and the national healthcare crisis, you hear people ranting about how they have worked so hard to earn their insurance or that they worked hard so they didn't have to be on welfare or depend on government services. That's all well and good- the American Dream- the pick-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps rugged individualism capitalism mindset. If you don't make it, you didn't try hard enough. But that's assuming we started out with the same hand. That's assuming that we were all giving 100 dollars and had to make the best of it. But that's not how it works. You were given 10, I was given 50, and someone else was born with 100. It's not a level playing field. You are deluding yourself if you think it is.

So given this information, what is your responsibility to care for others? You got your piece, so why should you worry about anyone else? Well, I have three reasons (and one is Jesusy).

1) Moral Responsibility- Some would argue that it's just the 'right thing to do' to care about people who are vulnerable and oppressed. They don't blame being down on your luck on moral depravity, they don't lump people in government services in one category, they stay connected with real, hurting people, and they care. Maybe they know someone who benefits from services or they have, in the past, benefited from services.

2) Fiscal Responsibility- Sustainability takes investment. While it may seem like the government is pouring money into a black hole, they are not. When they fund services, they, in turn, keep people from using more expensive services. Mary (the person with schizophrenia mentioned earlier) can get vocational support and pay taxes, while staying out of expensive institutions like jails, homeless shelters, or state hospitals (cha ching). Kesha gets early headstart and is able to use the skills she learns to escape the cycle of poverty and become a contributing member of society, and as a result, won't use as many government services throughout her lifespan (cha ching). James is medicated, and is able to work instead of just die in a hospital somewhere (cha ching). You know what, paying for services is a sustainable investment (and you can see that when you look at other countries with high taxes).

3) Spiritual Responsibility- Jesus likes poor people. He likes it when people who claim to be his followers like poor people. He likes it when people share the wealth. He likes it when people look into the eyes of someone less fortunate and see a human being. There is no way to justify the rugged individualism of some people with Christianity. It doesn't work. Sorry. Epic fail. If you don't give a shit about your neighbor, are you listening to the message that Christ preaches? Are you listening to the homeless revolutionary who touched lepers, pissed off the religious institution, flipped tables, included women, embraced prostitutes, convinced tax collectors to disperse the wealth, gave to the poor, hung around with cussing fisherman, included the freak, geek, and outcast... ?

Weigh it out. If you're concerned about raising taxes or government control, that's fine. But if you're just covering your own ass, that's not fine. This is a life or death issue. And if you're a Christian, this is a Christian issue.