As I completed my first year of full-time employment, this also coincided with tax season, and I had the chance to look at how much of my money was actually withheld for federal taxes. In the past I had never made enough to even bother filing, or there hadn’t been much taxes taken out. But now that I have a legit job, I realize how much of my pay goes to the government. Although I understood it was necessary, I wasn’t thoroughly pleased.

 

My political views (and all other views) are continually expanding and growing as I experience more of life and understand how everything fits together. More and more I believe that, as a Christian, there are issues I feel called to support because it seems to fall in line with what Jesus taught and did while on earth (universal health care, generous welfare, improving the conditions of the disadvantaged around the world, etc.). Clearly these programs would require an increase in taxes, which until I actually saw how much of my money got taxed, I was all for.

 

I was talking with an “experienced” citizen about taxes as related to our next President. He asked me if I realized how much more of my money could be taken out to fund these broad and extensive programs. Well, I don’t. And actually, since I’ve come of age in the past 5 years, I have only been familiar with the government with a conservative President and Congress. I can only imagine how things would be different with liberal leadership, but don’t really know. This is an area I’ll have to educate myself; or maybe there is no way to know how things will be different in 2009 and beyond.

 

But either way, I have heard the claim that government programs that give aid to the sick, underprivileged, and innocent are really only so effective, and are by no means comprehensive. I will have to observe for myself if these new emphases come to pass, but I can imagine that, in the end, our political system is always going to be flawed either way. I have new perspective on what it takes to make things happen in the country: my money (granted, my taxes don’t help very much!), and call me selfish, but aren’t there other ways these issues could be addressed other than relying on the government to act?

 

It got me thinking about our responsibility as a church; the American Christian church. I know this is pretty idyllic, but as a 20-something, it’s my responsibility to provide these options to the world! :) What if each of our christian churches was so ingrained in the community that everyone in town knew they could go to the church to get help or assistance? What if the church created new jobs for the homeless and unemployed? What if we sponsored community members to get medical attention? What if we assisted families in getting loans or partnered with them in other financial needs? What if we became part of the solution of the nation’s problems instead of standing by and waiting for the government to do something about it? I know, easier said than done. But why not?

 

“But Dustin, this would cost too much. We’d be spending so much money supporting people who don’t even care about church.“ True. But why would they? If you didn’t read my last blog about my experience moving, you might like to, because it hits at the heart of what I’m getting at here: people don’t care what you know, until they know you care. What better way to show people the church cares, than to take care of the burdens and worries that haunt them as a way of life. “How will I pay for this? What will we do for food tomorrow? I need medical help?” What if a national association of churches was formed to support our nation and its people’s needs. We have some rich churches. Who knows what we could do?

 

We take care of our members. What about the community? How much different would our churches be if we provided assistance to people in the community for big things. Another question to ask is, “If your church ceased to exist, would anyone in the community miss it?” My guess is that our neighborhoods and towns wouldn’t miss our churches if they were gone. But not if we threw ourselves into their lives and helped bring them to their feet.

 

Crazy idea, I know. Is it so crazy though?