February 18, 2003 

AN ABSURDITY

I'm prompted to write this by a letter-to-the-editor in Monday's (February 17) Star-News, written by a woman in La Canada Flintridge. She expresses her outrage against an injustice:
"It is an absurdity that people who have committed murder live in better conditions than families who can't even put food on their tables. While prisoners receive three meals a day and sit in their cells doing nothing, the poor moneyless families are starving."

It is an absurdity, and the obvious solution is to upgrade the condition of the poor. But this well-meaning lady, whose La Canada Flintridge address indicates she might have some of this world's goods to share with the poor, doesn't seem to have thought of that option. Her "solution" to the injustice is to downgrade the condition of the prisoners:
"Although they never committed any crime, it seems as if these poor families are doing worse than these convicts. These families must strive for their very lives, and I don't think it is right for this to happen. These inmates need more punishment."

Let that sink in. A person who is clearly among the "haves" feels uncomfortable with the injustices between two classes of "have-nots." We are asked to make her more comfortable, not by bringing some comfort to poor families, but by making sure convicts feel more discomfort. We are not asked to improve the lot of the poor but to make sure that guilty prisoners suffer more. All so that she can feel better.

This is not my Lord's kind of justice. He calls upon his followers to give food to the hungry and to visit prisoners (Matthew 25:44-45). People who bear his name are called upon to do this, even if it is at their own expense (Matthew 5:40-42).

I remember an issue that came before the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance years ago. It was a situation in which immigrants from Mexico were being misused by an employer. The African-American pastors had mixed emotions, because the Mexican workers were taking jobs formerly held by black workers. Finally, one wise pastor said:
"There's nothing the people in charge would like better than to see the hungry dogs fighting over the bone."
His insight prevailed, and the ministers supported the Mexican workers.

The letter writer's solution to the dog fight would be to take the bone away from both of them; then there would be nothing to fight for. She might be a good, moral church-goer, but I can't think of anything less Christian than her attitude. Talk about an absurdity!

–Pastor George Van Alstine