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Taiwan Church News 3052 Edition August 23~29, 2010
Editorial: Managing God’s creation with egalitarianism in mind
Translated by Lydia Ma
A report published by the Executive Yuan on August 19 claimed that the wealthiest in Taiwan have 66 times more money than the poorest. Civil rights groups across Taiwan responded to this report by calling a press conference to urge the government to protect the right to life of Taiwanese people.
They emphasized the gap between rich and poor was widening too fast, people’s incomes were decreasing while the amount of taxes they paid kept increasing, and berated the government for sitting on its hands in the face of these alarming trends.
Many people in Taiwan have even noticed the widening gap between the rich and the poor on the streets ofTaiwan in recent years. For example, they’ve seen walking on one side of the road a young lady donned in designer clothes and expensive high heels. But on the other side of the road is an old lady on her scooter carrying a stack of cardboard boxes piled high enough to obstruct her view. These boxes that she’ll exchange for cash are barely enough to pay for 3 meager meals for the day.
By the same token, we can find a meal for NT$6,600 on one street corner and another eatery that promises to feed a family for just NT$100 on the adjacent corner. Then, there are mansions selling for NT$10 million on one side of the street and there are people standing on the other side of the street who don’t even know what NT$10 million looks like.
These social and economic disparities won’t be resolved overnight, but we can start effecting change through the way we live and the choices we make every day. We can start by helping disadvantaged people and sharing our wealth with them. We can also pressure governments to stop discriminating against the poor in favor of the rich.
As Presbyterians, we can learn much from John Calvin when it comes to handling and enjoying material and financial wealth. Calvin was a proponent of living simply, rejecting luxury, and keeping a leash on human lusts.
Calvin also emphasized that we don’t own what we’ve been given as we’re merely God’s stewards. Hence the reason he considered a sin to abuse resources at our disposal and championed egalitarianism during his life. He believed the rich should share their wealth with the poor and despised humanity’s endless pursuit of profit.
As Presbyterians who fare pretty well financially in Taiwanese society, Calvin would likely say we’re sinning if we don’t see our social calling as taking care of poor and marginalized people.
We could probably learn a lesson from Finland, which allegedly fines its citizens according to their ability to pay. It was reported that Nokia’s CEO Anssi Vanjoki was issued a citation in January 2002 amounting to a whooping US$1,250,000 based on his income and ability to pay – the costliest speeding ticket in history.
Though the fine was eventually reduced to US$103,600 because Vanjoki claimed a glitch in government records, this story is a reflection of aspects we admire most about European culture. One of these aspects is the reminder that for those who’ve been given much, much is expected from them in terms of fulfilling their social responsibilities.
Dr. David Landsborough, Jr. used to remind us often while he was still with us that Changhua ChristianHospital should always remain a hospital where the poor feel comfortable walking in and seeking assistance. He said Christians should never forget the reason God blessed them with so many resources is so that they will manage them wisely.
As we ponder on news about the income disparity between the rich and the poor, Isaiah’s warning to the Israelites about having hands full of innocent people’s blood should be a wake-up call for us all as well.
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