Amy and Captivated by Scarcity

Captivated by Scarcity

This phrase - captivated by scarcity - is the best short definition of sin that I've ever heard.

It comes from the Anglican priest and theologian the Rev. Dr. Sam Wells who uses it not as a definition of sin but rather in the context of rethinking service and what we mean by service.

Wells has written that the most important word in the Bible is "with" and we as humans - and as Christians in a particular way - want the most important word in the Bible to be "for" because we want to "do for" others.

We want to give people advice, money, solve their problems, solve the world's problems - you name it - all because we fear deep down that there isn't enough.

We fear that there is not enough money, resources, wisdom, faith, hope, love, justice, power, community...

We fear that there is not enough God.

So we get captivated by scarcity - held captive by this idea that there is not enough and we - we! - have to do something about that - rather than receive with open hearts and hands the radical abundance of God.

St. Francis is both Episcopal parish and community center. The mission of St Francis is to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. (Micah 6:8) In A Nazareth Manifesto, Wells writes that "poverty is a mask we put on people to hide their true wealth."

How can we at St. Francis resist the temptation to see one another as a set of needs to be filled, a set of problems to be fixed, and instead co-create and nurture one community of love, justice, mercy, humility that reflects ever more the radical abundance of God in the world? Amen.