One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:28-31
“Responsible Christian materiality has a great stake in the public good, the arena of neighborliness. Investment in the common good most often takes the form of tax payment. In a society of individual competitiveness, taxes are seen as a pernicious intrusion into one’s monetized freedom that must be vigorously resisted and minimized. Such resistance is nothing less than a retreat from the common good.
In Christian materiality, the payment of taxes is a form of giving back to the community that may be welcomed. Of course not all taxes are good or welcome. Some are ignoble and indeed are pernicious. Responsible materiality requires advocacy for good taxes that enhance the common good. These might include better funding for public schools, improved infrastructure that is available to all, and provision for essential food and housing.
The need for good taxation in responsible materiality is underscored by Arianna Huffington’s observation that it is “much easier” to raise money for “the opera and fashionable museums than for at-risk children. . . . The task of overcoming poverty will not be achieved without the raw power of government appropriations.” Christian materiality does not shrink from the raw power of government and advocates its mobilization in the service of the common good. This form of giving is not only an act of generosity; it is also an act of good citizenship, even patriotism!”
Walter Brueggemann in Materiality As Resistance: Five Elements for Moral Action in the Real World (Louisville: WJKP, 2020), 26.
Today I want to ask a question. If you look at your giving, how do you see neighborliness? It’s really up to you to answer. Many followers of Christ tend to do well to give to God, but not even know their neighbor’s name.
For us, it starts with learning their names, then sharing our lives, our pickles, and lately, even pesto. From there we can have conversations, help them in time of need, and share our Christian faith when the opportunity comes up.
I still swim in the shallow end of generosity in the neighborliness area, perhaps because I travel so much. But it’s good to think and pray about how our giving shows love for God and neighbor, and follow the leading of the spirit to grow.