The Other Side

So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. Luke 10:32 NIV

Bankers at the highest level across the world are in the news again, and for all the wrong reasons. The dust hasn’t settled over the scandal of ‘fat cat’ banker’s bonuses, and now they are in the news for adjusting the ‘libor’ interest rate to suit themselves, for their own personal gain, and not the customers they serve.

Meanwhile, ‘Obamacare’ has passed the legislation process in the US, and the first thing that the prospective Republican candidate does is to promise to repeal the law, ‘on the first day in office’ if elected. He is playing to the mainly evangelical Christian base in the Southern Bible Belt especially. My understanding of the Bill is that it will require some of the better off Americans to pay a little more in tax, to help the poorer citizens get hospital care they otherwise would not get.

For those who do not see the connection, I will give an opinion. The bankers (not all of them) at the top of the tree, are feathering their own nests at the direct expense of the poorer customers who count on these well paid custodians of their bank, to look after their welfare. But no, they walk over on ‘the other side’. Similarly, the idea that the US poorer citizens in bad health who cannot afford health insurance, can rely on the richest in the country to help them is a non starter. The evangelical christians (small ‘c’) in the Bible Belt, walk on ‘the other side’ because it is not their problem that the poor cannot look after themselves. After all, the argument seems to go, I had it hard too, and pay my insurance, so why can’t they? This reminds me of the phrase attributed to Marie Antoinette, who when confronted with the problem that the French peasants had no bread, said: “Let them eat cake”. Self centred to say the least.

This concerns me. In the light of Jesus parable, which we use as a means of improving our witness and life, why does it not apply to the bankers or the Southern Bible Belt evangelicals? In truth, most of the bankers will not even claim to be Christian, but the evangelical right of the USA, do! Please tell me if I am missing something obvious. I will listen. The poor will want to know the reasons too. Remember that a ‘Levite’ was the equivalent of our church minister, pastor or religious person (that’s you and me). In the words of our example Jesus on this very subject: The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. Mark 14:7 NIV