Wanting what we don't have has an evil twin called coveting: wanting what someone else has. This is a significant enough problem to bear mention in the ten biggies that Moses brought down from Sinai. Again, the One who knows us best forbids that which has the capacity to hurt us worst. Maybe it is because I see this so clearly in my own heart, but this particular commandment doesn't seem to get the notice granted to the others. Murder, adultery, stealing, lying, all get frequent mention; there are even laws against them in most modern societies. I am not aware of any civil ordinance against coveting.
It looks as though President Obama is aware of this situation. A major plank in his campaign platform would appear to be, "Thou shalt covet the one percent." This is ironic on so many levels as to be ludicrous. Firstly, I would say he is part of the one percent; not only his annual household income, but the perks of his office transport him to the height of privilege and wealth. Not many people can count a customized 747 as their personal, regular means of transportation.
The second level of irony is that without the support of the one percent, neither Obama nor anyone else would become President. Like it or not, it takes great wealth to run for the highest office in America. If a candidate does not possess it himself (eg. Forbes or Romney) he must raise it from those who do. Related closely to this situation is the economy in general. Without the participation of people of means, there will be no expansion, no job growth, no getting out of recession (in spite of opinions to the contrary that government can spend us to prosperity.)
The final irony in President Obama's strategy is more philosophical. The Campaigner-in-chief has recently decided to throw the cloak of Christianity over his policy decisions. (See my last blog.) Not even the most virulent progressives would advocate murdering opponents or outright stealing their campaign funds or lying to advance their cause. (Okay, maybe little lies.) But no one blinks when being encouraged to break the tenth commandment and covet the one percent.
It has been instructive to watch the left deal with the Occupy movement. Here are the ultimate coveters; these people epitomize the rage against inequality, the raw human desire to have what someone else has. I suspect that more politicians would support the Occupy movement publicly except that they look so, dare I say, sinful. If it weren't for the rape, murder and mayhem, those people in the parks would be perfect poster children for Obama's cause.
Lest I begin to gloat, I must admit that part of what bothers me about Mitt Romney is his great wealth. (There are other real concerns which I will address at another time.) According to his recently released tax returns, if he received a daily paycheck in 2010, he would have been paid over $59,000 every day. My immediate response to that (after holy cow!) is not something I wish to print here. My Biblical response must be one of gladness for the man's good fortune. I can commend him for his generous gifts to charity. What I cannot do is covet his wealth. The new covenant did not repeal the tenth command in the old covenant.
Let us not get caught up in the politics of envy as some are calling it. Coveting is still a sin. Jesus promised that the poor would always be with us. That implies that wealth inequality is part of the human condition, just like the tendency to want more than we have. If you are reading this you are among the wealthy compared to most of the world. Learn with me the secret revealed by the Apostle Paul to be content in whatever state we may find ourselves. After all, "Godliness with contentment is great gain."
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