It is a question of a fair balance between your present abundance and their need… The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little.
—2 Corinthians 8:14-15
Lately, these two words have been thrown around a lot. Largely in response, I assume, to New York City electing a democratic socialist as mayor last November.
A communist, for the record, is someone who wants the whole economic system torn down. No class distinctions, no private ownership.
A democratic socialist seeks greater public control of the economy through democratic means. Specific democratic socialists may advocate more extensive changes than others.
Communism is one form of socialism. But most socialists are not communists.
Economics is not my thing, but that’s my understanding of the difference.
The Bible obviously doesn’t use those big words, but in the early post-Pentecost Christian church, we can see the distinction.
Acts says the people shared all things in common, meeting each other’s needs and breaking bread together. Sounds kind of like communism—although their sharing appears to have been voluntary rather than imposed by a government.
But in 2 Corinthians, Paul frames it like this: A faithful community must ensure that “the one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little.“
And he didn’t just make this up. He was quoting Exodus 16:18, when the Israelites gathered manna in the wilderness. Part of their daily task was to make sure everybody had enough and nobody had too much.
That, my friends, sounds a lot like the moral concern behind democratic socialism. This is not about tearing down the pillars of capitalism but rather using the principles of democracy to prop people up.
We already use plenty of policies rooted in the same social principle. Social Security actually has the word “social” in the title! Public libraries, museums, Medicare, and even Trump’s recent “Freedom Fuel” program all use shared resources or government action to provide public benefits or lower costs.
You may or may not approve of the reforms happening in NYC, and as a citizen I encourage you to research the candidates and their positions carefully.
But you cannot read the Bible without seeing this same thread from start to finish. In the Kingdom of God, everyone is cared for. Those with abundance have a responsibility to ensure that those in need are not abandoned. And everything we do should be in service to a God of love.
The last thing we need right now is another red scare.
Call this visioin whatever name you want, but may I offer a few suggestions?
Justice, compassion, the Golden Rule, grace, duty, discipleship…
and, I hope and pray,
the American Way.
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