A few weeks ago I posted a link about Universal Basic Income
to my social media stream, and a friend who I respect came back to me with an
interesting response: They said that they are not sure that UBI is ‘biblical’. Their
point was that God’s provision should be matched by an corresponding expectation
that people undertake work in response; and that the biblical injunction to
stewardship negates an economy based on the ‘free gift’ of money.
This approach certainly has a long tradition within Western
Christianity and Western Society, with the influence of the Protestant Work
Ethic embedding in our collective consciousness an emphasis on hard work,
discipline, and frugality. Comments from a number of sources within the
mainstream denominations suggest that my friend is not alone, and that there is
a substantial suspicion about whether UBI is something that can be supported
from a Christian perspective.
So I thought it might be interesting to explore a biblical
model that might support the concept of a Universal Basic Income, and I want to
offer two key concepts for our consideration. On the one hand we have the
wilderness experience of the Israelites as they fled slavery in Egypt on their
way to the promised land; and on the other hand we have the words of Jesus, so
let’s start there.
It was to
disciples facing uncertain economic futures that Jesus taught the prayer: ‘Give
us, this day, our daily bread’ (Matthew 6.11) and there is an
urgent simplicity to it when it’s heard in a subsistence context. But what can
the stark simplicity of a prayer for daily bread say to a world where
investment banks and food banks sit side by side? Well, in the background to Jesus’ prayer for
daily bread lies the story of the manna which sustained the People of Israel in
the wilderness.
Deuteronomy
8.3 [The
LORD your God] humbled you by letting you hunger, then by feeding you with
manna … in order to make you understand that one does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.
If you
remember the story, when they collected too much, or tried to keep more than
they needed, it went rotten by the next day. And I think this ancient story from
the wilderness wandering of Israel can offer us a parable of transformative
economics. Because here we have a story which speaks of simple living: where
enough is enough, where unnecessary accumulation is pointless, where rest is
sanctified, and where people experience contentment because they have sufficient
resources to live day-by-day.
It is
significant that Jesus quoted from the Manna story in his own wilderness
experience of hunger, as he responded to the tempter’s invitation to turn
stones to bread. (Matthew 4:3-4) The
instruction to pray, each day, for daily bread is not some ritual to get God to
give us what we think we need; rather, it’s a prayer that takes us into
solidarity with those who lack, and which drives us into action to see the
hungry fed, the poor raised up, and the impoverished released from the snares
of debt. It is a prayer that takes us into works of transformative economics. It
certainly did for the early Christians, as they redistributed food and
resources across their community, so that no-one went hungry or in need (Acts 6:1; James 2:15-17).
And I wonder, in our complex, interconnected, globalised
capitalist world, what such actions might look like for us? On the one hand, we
might become advocates for good employment practices where people are paid a
fair living wage, and receive paid holiday, sickness benefits, and maternity
cover. But on the other hand, we might find that the prayer for daily bread draws
from us a commitment to alleviating food poverty.
And so we come to the idea of a universal basic income as an
alternative to the current cruelties of our social security system. A daily
allowance, given with grace, sufficient to live, each day, with dignity. This
surely is what Manna from heaven might look like in our time, as the prayer for
daily bread is answered in the lives of those who would otherwise go hungry.
4 comments:
Thanks for your contribution to the Basic Income Conversation online session about UBI and Christianity earlier this evening (2nd July). I'd like to ask, though, whether we can rightly use biblical doctrines of grace and 'manna' and apply them to secular society. I'm NOT saying that UBI is 'unbiblical' or that we must apply 'if he will not work let him not eat' etc!
But both the latter and Jesus' teachings (and referencing of OT) and the OT itself are all words given in the context of the common life of the people of God: OT, Israel; and NT, church. Therefore, whilst UBI is not contrary to NT principles, can we actively promote it on the basis that it's a God-ordained idea? Isn't it 'simply' good economic and social policy?
(In the same way, various schemes for carbon taxes are a good thing; and in accord with a biblical mandate to care for creation and our fellow man; but aren't anywhere mandated specifically.)
Otherwise, are we not going to end up in a 'theonomy' - just a 'progressive' one rather than a religious-right/moral-majority-type one?
Hi Colin, thanks for your reflections. I think that the example of Manna works precisely because it was a society-wide blessing, i.e. everyone got it, whether they were diligent in their prayerful devotions, or not. I take the point that the society in question was Israel God's chosen people, and that modern western Christians no longer live in a society where faith and nationhood are fused in this way, but I think that people of faith can authentically advocate for a 'universal' blessing to wider society.
Thanks for taking the time to respond, Simon.
I can agree that we should seek to 'bless this city' as per the Exiles; but at the level of 'realpolitik' I worry that attempting political action to 'legislate righteousness' in a theonomy, as US the religious-right seems to want (but with a different definition of what that 'righteousness' is...) can be a distraction from the Kingdom rather than the way to build it and preach good news. But I'm going to press on promoting UBI, Green New Deal and so on, anyway! Shalom!
Hello. Nice and very interesting response to the UBI question. After some time thinking about what you have said I agree partially with Collin.
I looked up manna and it seems it stopped once the Israelites had entered the Promised Land. They were then living off the fruits of the land. Thus it was time limited. I suspect also it was only for the Israelites themselves and not universal, that is, not for Egypt and other nations/peoples also though this might need looking at further. Certainly from a scientific point of view I have often wondered what the Israelite camp would have looked like and the cloud that sometimes was stationary and sometimes moved. They had to burn regular offerings and so I suspect the smoke and ash made by a type of barbeque and with the condensation in the air made particles fall overnight and form what was possibly protein mixed with dew ie. Manna.
Other folk in the Old Testament other than Egypt based were traders/farmers eg. Abraham and a lot of Royalty.
To the New Testament
The church certainly mixed together their assets to meet needs however it is noticeable that Paul (as in the letter writer) worked as a tent maker in order not to be a (financial) burden.
I have the impression also there were characters in the New Testament who helped fund the church ministry.
On a personal note, several times my wife and I have attempted to fit the Western economic stereotype of earning saving and spending and giving. However more often than not we’ve found we’ve been taught dare I say a more Biblical economic practice than we’ve come across elsewhere. For example I ended up using the parable of the Talents about savings and investing. I have also found the ‘cast your bread on the waters’ phrase a good reminder. One thing that I found very intriguing was the practice of bartering. something that up until the time I did it I was very much against. It was offered as a method of payment on some work I did, I prayed and felt strongly to take it and with even the added concept of the banks being a problem. That sent a shiver down my spine thinking of the implications. Not long after the some banks collapsed. It was 2008.
I once heard that Christianity is a type of Communism. I disagree. Even in the Sixties in San Fransisco with the hippies and their communes and soup kitchens only lasted a certain amount of time until I gather roguish types from elsewhere moved in and abused the system.
In short I think UBI is Biblical but is both time limited and context limited.
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