So Long As The Profits Are Mine!

I came back to Boston a few summers ago to hear a group of two-thousand Ivy League graduates meeting in the Boston Sheraton on a Monday morning singing a hymn. This was it: “Deck the halls with Commie corpses, ‘tis the time to be remorseless!” (These are educated people!) “Sharpen now your own stilletti, cut the Pinkos to confetti!”  How'd you like to have a congregation like that? (Some of you have!) And they liked it so much, they sang in the next breath, “God bless free enterprise, system divine! Stand beside her, don’t deride her, so long as the profits are mine.” In the midst of arrogance of that kind in world, I want to cry out with Jeremiah, “Let not the wise person glory in human wisdom; let not the rich person glory in human riches; let not the powerful person glory in human power; but let those who would glory glory in this: that I am the Lord God who practiced steadfast love -- hesed -- and judgment -- mishpat -- and righteousness -- tsedaqah.  In these things I dance,” says the Lord.  I want to come back to the real drama; because I believe God has given us so much and has certain expectations from us.

-- October 7, 1985 Pastor's School in Florida