He 'aint heavy

Sir Isaac Newton argued that to every cause there is an equal and opposite effect. It is empirically valid for the physical world, but I contend that it is also valid for the social world.

Let me ask. If you did some good for someone today, would it have a good or bad effect? Maybe not 100% good as in Newton’s world, but in more than 90% of cases the effect would be commensurate with the good first done.

Likewise, do someone in or spit on them as Antonio did to Shylock and see how that comes back to you. It almost cost Antonio a pound of his flesh.

30 years ago, my brother tendered for brick supplies on a major project and a new entrant to the industry put in a tender for a well-priced, innovative brick. It was risky, as most big projects demand reliability of supply. Nonetheless, he gave the small guy a chance. 30 years later, he got a phone call out of the blue from a man he helped so long ago he had forgotten about it all. The man had made a fortune out of his bricks and told my brother that he was sending his private plane to fetch him and fly him many miles away to a celebration, where they would be honored guests, complete with luxury weekend accommodation and a hired car. It took time, but it paid back anyway.

Jewish farmers in biblical times would leave the husks and unpicked fruits of harvest on the land, for the poor to glean. That led to Ruth, a struggling foreigner, finding the only other foreigner in town. Love blossomed and from them came King David, the greatest of all of Israel’s kings.

If we applied that principle consistently in our contemporary world, many otherwise desperate souls would be doing better and the world would be a more harmonious place to live in. Who knows how many Billy Grahams, Davids, Pauls, Einsteins or Luthers could be among those we care to help.

Biblical Jews could not earn usury on their cash resources, for much the same reason. It tied up useful capital in a selfish account, instead of liberating those funds to build employment-creating opportunities across the economy. As such, the untold secret of Jewish wealth is that every Jewish Dollar passes through 15 Jewish hands, 10 for Muslims, nearer to 5 for Christians.

If Christians applied such principles, few if any Christians would be jobless or hungry, but the economy that buys the goods made by the rich would also be stronger. Instead, we all live in a shortsighted selfishness that is leading to a downward spiral in global economic health.

A Japanese cook in a POW mess, was the epitome of obsequiousness, bowing and fawning for the officers, to a fault, until they tried to rattle him. They tried everything, but he stayed constant. So then they confessed: “No more Mr. Wing, sorry”, to which he replied, “Ah so, you no more put things in my bed or tacks in the shower or throw food around or call me names?” “No they replied. “Good” he said, “then I no more spit in your tea”.

A hard boss or a driven business leader, may drive people, micromanage or crush everyone in their path, but in subtle ways, people treated badly will spit in their oppressor's tea. But, those who are treated with dignity and fairness will quietly produce and deliver more than expected. They will give back – aside from a few chancers who will always abuse a privilege.

That brings us to God’s economy. It is reciprocal. A man asked to see hell and saw a table of emaciated, cadaverous souls sitting around a pot of food with long handles fixed to their arms, but they couldn’t feed themselves, so they suffered. When asked to see heaven, he saw the same setting, with rosy-cheeked, well-fed souls cheerfully coexisting round their pot, because they fed each other. That is how the kingdom works.

The only industry that really gets my heart racing is the writing industry and in that, aside from some who can be so self-serving, cold or indifferent, is an army of salt-of-the-earth souls who just see their work as a ministry to God. They are generous and warm, inspiring and challenging, because they love God first and see writing and books as one of the noblest of all His callings.

Thank God for them, for without them the Christian writing industry would just be another soulless economic pursuit with no gleanings on the field and no reinvestment of our time or energy to the greater glory of God.

Yet, I must ask, is it Christian at all if without grace, without a sense of us being of one kingdom not our own community or nation? Is it Christian at all if our values are as deep as our pockets? Jesus was right, "You will know they are mine by their love for each other".

 (c) Peter Missing: bethelstone@gmail.com