Our inspiration in the Conservative movement is and always has been Jesus Christ, but we are saddened at the multitude of ways the Word of God has been used by our friends to justify selfish, thoughtless greed. We ourselves have been guilty of these sins. We were wrong.
All of us associated with The Conservative News Digest are Christians, and, over the next few weeks, all of us will tell you our stories. We invite you to share yours.
Let me begin to tell mine. I am Albert, and I am a Catholic. I work in the finance industry, and, because I’m certain I would be dismissed from my position if I told you the name of my company or my full name, this much will have to suffice for now. I love my wife, and I love my children, but I know that I am employed by a financial institution that makes its money by taking advantage, at times, of the poor. As a conservative Catholic, this has always bothered me, but I convinced myself that, somehow, God favored me because I was making money, that I was well off.
Now I’m not so certain.
A few years ago, I signed off on some documents that put a family of six out in the streets. Our company approved a 30-year mortgage on a $450,000 home for a couple making less than $50,000 a year combined income. The couple already had credit card debt, and it didn’t take long for them to fall behind in their mortgage payments. It seems it took no time at all for foreclosure proceedings to begin.
I think of that family now as summer moves to fall, making way for winter cold. This family was not poor when we began working with them, but they are not doing well now. They are members of a shrinking middle class. My family and I will be warm this winter. I don’t know what will become of the family who lost their home.
Many in the Conservative movement, we fear, have forgotten some of the harsher warnings of Christ, and the strong words Jesus had for those who forget the poor.
Matthew 25:31-46
31. [Jesus said] “But when the Son of man will have arrived in his majesty, and all the Angels with him, then he will sit upon the seat of his majesty. 32. And all the nations shall be gathered together before him. And he shall separate them from one another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33. And he shall station the sheep, indeed, on his right, but the goats on his left. 34. Then the King shall say to those who will be on his right: ‘Come, you blessed of my Father. Possess the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35. For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in; 36. naked, and you covered me; sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me.’ 37. Then the just will answer him, saying: ‘Lord, when have we see you hungry, and fed you; thirsty, and given you drink? 38. And when have we seen you a stranger, and taken you in? Or naked, and covered you? 39. Or when did we see you sick, or in prison, and visit to you?’ 40. And in response, the King shall say to them, ‘Amen I say to you, whenever you did this for one of these, the least of my brothers, you did it for me.’
41. Then he shall also say, to those who will be on his left: ‘Depart from me, you accursed ones, into the eternal fire, which was prepared for the devil and his angels. 42. For I was hungry, and you did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and you did not give me to drink; 43. I was a stranger and you did not take me in; naked, and you did not cover me; sick and in prison, and you did not visit me.’ 44. Then they will also answer him, saying: ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45. Then he shall respond to them by saying: ‘Amen I say to you, whenever you did not do it to one of these least, neither did you do it to me.’
46. And these shall go into eternal punishment, but the just shall go into eternal life.”
The Scripture quote is taken from the Catholic Public Domain Version.
Enjoy your Sunday.
