The Washington Post recently ran an article spotlighting the rise in populist authoritarian political parties.
One of the main points of the article was that this sort of thing happens whenever a sufficient number of a country's citizens feel threatened by change.
The changes could be in ethnic make-up (diversity), economics (wage equity) or a host of other things.
The bottom line is that change can cause a person to be anxious. As in: I don't know what's coming next and I'm afraid.
Sometimes the anxiety comes from a perceived lack of control over the outcome.
Catherine Woodiwiss, writing in Sojourners Magazine, mentioned the likelihood of increased intolerance in reaction to greater diversity. Woodiwiss quoted Dr. Jennifer Richeson, a MacArthur 'genius grant' recipient and professor at Northwestern University. Dr. Richeson said pushback against diversity could result in "the increased erosion of progressive, race-related social policy."
A few years ago I attended a convocation put on by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation on diversity. The keynote speaker was Dr. Manuel Pastor, professor of Sociology & American Studies of Ethnic Diversity at USC.
One of Dr. Pastor's main messages was that big demographic changes were taking place in the United States, and within a few decades, the now-majority would no longer be so.
Dr. Pastor's area of expertise is on the study of economic, environmental and social conditions that low-income/minority folks are facing. His keynote message reflected this focus.
As he discussed trends, Dr. Pastor used examples to show that change can be good. Like the development of Social Security (guaranteed income for retirees) and Medicare/Medicaid (national health for seniors and low-income individuals). At the time of Dr. Pastor's presentation, the Affordable Care Act was being considered but was not yet law.
In referencing these illustrations of significant social change, Dr. Pastor pointed out that what benefits low-income groups ultimately benefits everyone.
His message was hopeful.
By helping the least of us, we are actually helping us all.
The bottom line of Dr. Pastor's keynote address strikes a strong chord with Judeo-Christian thinking, at least it should.
It should if we remember what the Bible has to say about treating the poor. (See 1 Samuel 2.8,
Job 29.12, Ps. 34.10, Ps. 82.3, Isaiah 61.1, Daniel 4.27 for a few examples.)
Again and again we see God portrayed as a fierce defender of the poor. Even to the point of a prophet (Daniel) cautioning a ruler to give justice to the poor.
One of the best examples of this sort of thing is found in Isaiah 58.10:
"If you extend your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the afflicted soul,
Then your light shall dawn in darkness
And your darkness shall be as noonday
The Lord will guide you continually."
And it's noteworthy that when Jesus was handed the scroll during a service at the synagogue in his home town of Nazareth, he spoke from Isaiah 61:
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me
Because he has anointed me
To preach the gospel (good news) to the poor..."
Proverbs 14.21 sums it up: "It is a sin to belittle one's neighbor, blessed are those who help the poor."
In the US each new social change (like Social Security, National Health, Child Labor laws and worker safety legislation), has initially been met with a backlash. Opponents called such improvements undemocratic and socialistic.
But rather than being dismayed at actions to include the least of us in decision-making and social equity, we can take heart that it's actually a very faith-filled thing to do.
Photo credit: www.myjewishlearning.com
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