In the Shadow of Plenty
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
. ., ‘, IN THE SHADOW OF PLENTY 1. ,. , ,. ,, , , Other books by George Grant Brzkging in the Sheaves: Transforming Poverty into Productivity, 1985 ,. ‘ The Dispossessed: ,,, Horw?essn& in America, 1986 To the Work: Ueas ., fbr Biblical Charity, 1987 IN THE SHADOW OF PLENTY The Biblical Blueprint for Welfare . George Grant DOMINION PRESS ● FT. WORTH. TEXAS THOMAS NELSON, INC. “ NASHVILLE ● CAMDEN O’ NEW YORK ~ “ ,,. ,,, :-, ,,, ,. , ,, ,. ., ,, . Copyright 01986 by George Grant All righti reserved. Written permission must be secured from the publisher to use or reproduce any part of this book, except for brief quota ions in critical reviews or articles. - ‘i Co~publish Jd by Dominion Press, Ft. Worth, Texas, and Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville,\ Tennessee., . Printed in t+ United States of Amm”ca Unless othIi rwise noted, all Scripture quotations w from the New King James Version of the Bible, copyrighted 1984 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Temessee. Library of Congress Cata.Iog Card Number 86-050794 ISBN O-93C462-17-3 .,. , To my family: Karen, my lovely wife Joel, Joanna and Jesse, my three wonderful children the Blakleys, Grants, Dougherty, Casons, and McCartkys ,, as well as my BF kith and kln . TABLE OF CONTENTS Editor’s Introduction . .. .xi Part I: THE BIBLICAL BLUEPRINT: 10 PRINCIPLES Author% Introduction, . ., . ...3 1. Wordand Deed Evangelism . ...9 2. The Samaritan Legacy. ...25 3. Dominion by Service . ...38” , 4. HiHo, HiHo, It’s Offto Work WeGo . ...49 5. Sheaves Forthe~rovident . ...58 6. Charity Begins at Home . ...67 7. Uplifting the Uplifters . ..’ . ...78 8. The Unbroken Circle . ...88 9. Exceeding Whatis Written . ...96 10. The Foundation of Peace. ...107 Part II: THEBIBLICALB LUEPRINT: 3 STRATEGIES 11. Whatthe Government Should Do . ...121 12. Whatthe Church Should Do . ...136 13. What Families Should Do . ...151 For Further Reading . ...159 Scripture Inde. x . .161 Subject Index . ..”’ . ...173 What Are Biblical Blueprints? . ...175 vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS’ In his renowned Memoirs Sir Jarnes Mackintosh, the 18th century’s “philosophical politician” wrote a noble tribute to his devoted wife. In acknowledging the eflorts of my beloved Karen, I can do little better than to re-phrase his sentiments, his divine union being so ah to my own. “1 was guided in my choice only by the blind affection of my youth. I found an intelligent companion and a tender friend, a prudent monitress, the most faithful of wives, and a mother as tender as children ever had the fortune to have. I met a woman who by the tender management of my weaknesses, has painlessly taken to correcting the most pernicious of them . During the most critical periods of my life, she has presemed order in my affairs, from the care of which she relieved me. She has gently re- claimed me from depression; she has propped my weak and irres- olute nature; and she has been perpetually at hand.to admonish my heedlessness and improvidence. To her I owe whatever I am; to her whatever I shall be.” Others, who have stood in the gap as I have labored to “tangi- bilitate” this manuscript include: my elders Frank Marshall, Kemper Crabb, Dave Marshall, and Brian Martin; my mentors James B. Jordan, David Chilton, and Gary North; my publishers David Dunham and John Mauldin; my HELP co-workers J. D. McWilliarns and Suzanne Martin; my “midnight oil compatriots G. K. Chesterton, Lloyd Billingsley, William Gibson, Bruce Sterling, ” Alexander Schrne.mann, R. L. Dabney, ‘R. J. Rush- ix x In &Shaabw of Plenty doony, J. R. R. Tolkien, and (believe it if you can, Captain) Wil- liam Ashbless; and of course my dearest friends in life,.: Ponch,’ Peut, and Punk. - - The Second Sunday of Epiphany, 1986 ‘, Humble, Texas EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION ty G(ny N&h “But would you let people starve?” Thk question is the standard last-ditch response by a person who has heard half a dozen arguments, with the supporting evi- dence, that public welfare financed by taxation (1) increases the number of people who are poor, (2) increases the dependence on the state of welfare recipients, (3) reduces per capita productivity in the society and therefofe reduces per capita wealth, (4) creates resentnient among voters, (5) keeps growing despite the failure of the programs, and (6) benefits mostly middle-class, welfare bu- reaucrats. The evidence is clear; hardly anyone disputes it any , more (ten years ago, they still did). Nevertheless, millions-of voters (including Christians) cannot follow with their hearts where their minds are takkg them. So they argue that the person who is bringing them thk unpleasant information is himself callous. He is heartless. He doesn’t care about the poor. “Would you let people starve?” Now,, George Grant has answered .&at question. He has avoided the trap of liberal humanism by facing squarely the com- plete failure of the welfare system. He has also avoided the trap of conservative humuni.sm by. embracing the necessity to demonstrate compassion and justice. In short, he has done what has seldom- if ever— been done before: He has answered the poverty questigm Biblically. And he has answered with more than mere words. George Grant is the pastor of a small church that has effect- ively implemented the principles described in this book in their local community. In fact, they have so effectively implemented~ them that they have gained national media attention and notoriety xi i xii In the Shaabw ofPlenty over the past several years. What have they done that is so unique, so provocative, and so successful that ABC, CBS, and Z%e WhZZ StreetJournal have had to sit up and t e notice? %-y simply, they have believed’hnd prac- ticed the Bif Iical blueprint for welfare. They have undersood that poverty is a spirihuzl concern that can only be addressed in a spirit- uai fashion. L Poverty and Hell Questior:. What is temporal hunger compared to eternal hell? Physical hunger is a down payment from God on what lies ahead: spiritual hunger for eternity. Of course the humanist rejects the ,Bible’s explanation of the origin of hunger. In his view, there is no God who interacts with men in histo~. There never was an Ad~ and Eve who ate fmrn a forbidden tree. The Lord’s Supper does not restore fellowship between regenerate Christians and some sovereign God who’ judges men and nations in history. So there obviously is no link between foo~ and salvation, or especially betweep hunger and damnation. herefore, the humanist demands a solution to the. problem of hungerF that make: no reference to God, the church, salvation, heaven, and hell. Well, the Bible also has a more earth-bound apswer to the qtiestion of why people are hungry. This answer doesn’t make hu- manists happy, either, but there is one. The Biblical answer is: ,“People who don’t produce anything of value are going to starve, whether we legislate any tax-financed welfare programs or not.” Thk answer also bothers the critics. Thk answer categorically denies that the state, with its powers of taxation, can cure man- kind’s fundamental problems. But these people believe in the state. (These days, this twentie”th-century faith is rapidly waning; but so far they don’t believe in anything else higher than the state, or more effec:ive than the state, so by default, they still believe in the state.) They believe that man can save himself. They believe that God doesn’t hold men responsible for their actions. Ulti- mately, they elieve in salvation through legisl~ion, the ancient her- l’ 1 ,. ‘ Editor% Introduction Xlll my that the New Testament preaches against, sahxztion t5y law.’ The Bible is verj clear: each individual is fully responsible be- fore God for his sin. God really does send people to,hell for eternity. If they die in their sins without proclaiming their faith in Jesus’ Christ as the sin-bearer who became God’s substitute sacrifice at Calvary, then they are judged by God and put into eternal screaming agony forever. The argument over poverty and its cure h ultimate~ an ar@rnmt over ‘ hell and its cure. The cm-e for,hell is faith in the saving work ofJesus Christ at Ca&ary. This is also the cure for poverty. ~ ,/ . The Bible’s.Cure for Poverty ~ ,’. ‘ Has Biblical law anything to do with the Bible’s stiiumon to pcwerty? It has everything to do with it. The Psalmist-says: ‘ I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the . righteous ‘forsaken, Nor hk descendants begging bread. ‘He is ever,, ‘ “merciful, and lends; “And his,descendants are blessed. ~pti fmm evil, and do good; And dwell forevermore. For the Lord, loves jus- tice, And does not forsake His saintv They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, And dweIl in it forever (Psalms 37:25-29). There is a tight relationship between wickedness and @verty. There is alsoa tight connection between righteousness and having enough to eat. ‘God places ‘the unrighteous! under covenanted judgment: cursing. Their descendants are cut off. He places the righteous under covenantal judgment, too: blessing. They &e never found begging, and their descendants inherit the earth. This is what outrages the humanists, pagan Third World tyrants, theologically liber~’ Christians, Christian collegd soci~ science professors, and the welfare state politicians who are buy- ing people’svotes with tax money. It means that the cure for pov- erty is faithfulness to ,God and obedience to His revealed Word, the Bible. Furthermore j there is no othar curefor long-tam ~oukty except o@uard obedience to, God% Kingdom princz>les. Even God-haters &n benefit exte,mally if they conform themselves outwardly to these ,- ,.