Adam Daniel Finnerty: The Shakertown Pledge

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Now fear the Lord and serve Him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:14-15

If you have traveled to Lexington, Kentucky, you have likely heard of Shakertown. In 1973, a group of retreat center directors gathered there and made a pledge. While it does not mention the topic of debt per se, it brings sharing with the needy into view, which often results in the retiring of debts. I heard about this pledge in the book cited yesterday.

“Recognizing that earth and the fullness thereof is a gift from our gracious God, and that we are called to cherish, nurture, and provide loving stewardship for earth’s resources, and recognizing that life itself is a gift, and a call to responsibility, joy, and celebration, I make the following declarations:

1. I declare myself a world citizen.

2. I commit myself to lead an ecologically sound life.

3. I commit myself to lead a life of creative simplicity and to share my personal wealth with the world’s poor.

4. I commit myself to join with others in the reshaping of institutions in order to bring about a more just global society in which all people have full access to the needed resources for their physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual growth.

5. I commit myself to occupational accountability, and so doing I will seek to avoid the creation of products which cause harm to others.

6. I affirm the gift of my body and commit myself to its proper nourishment and physical well-being.

7. I commit myself to examine continually my relations with others and to attempt to relate honestly, morally, and lovingly to those around me.

8. I commit myself to personal renewal through prayer, meditation, and study.

9. I commit myself to responsible participation in a community of faith.”

Adam Daniel Finnerty in No More Plastic Jesus: Global Justice and Christian Lifestyle (Maryknoll: Orbis, 1977) 97.

The notion of sharing with the poor rather than accumulating for ourselves requires a whole different way of living than how society tells us to live. It’s living with margin and resources to aid others like the Good Samaritan. For Israel, God’s instructions meant living differently than the nations around them.

Just as in the days of Joshua, we must choose to fear the Lord and serve Him in faithfulness, regardless of what others are doing. This requires making commitments. The Shakertown Pledge declares such commitments. We may not change the whole world if we choose to live this way, but we will undoubtedly change the world in which we live.