The Problem of Wealth A Christian Response to a Culture of Affluence
By Elizabeth L. Hinson-Hasty
A parable about the meaning and value of the commons.
A Book Excerpt on Unity
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"The people of the city gathered at the amphitheater of a nearby park to talk together about how to sow the seeds of community. They shared stories and listed to each other until these things came to mind.
"The commons are the ground of shared life and the oikosystem of the One called Love.
"The commons are a household where all know and embrace their creation in the image of Love, sharing by day and night, gathering water to drink from the lakes and rivers under the sky, eating foods produced by the rich humus of the land, and seeing the wealth in the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and in every living creature that moves on the ground.
"The commons are like the people who identify with no name and every name – diverse, varied, dynamic – loving their own needs and wants as much as their neighbors and nature.
"The commons are like a treasure hidden beneath paved parking lots, garbage dumps, flattened mountaintops, fenced yards, gated communities, exclusive schools, private clubs, and technology used only to satisfy and protect individual wants and desires.
"The commons are the means and ends of profits and governed by shared life rather than efficiency, production, and the bottom line.
"The commons are like tables spread with food, and everyone is welcomed to dine regardless of their ability to pay; instead, the price of their meal is determined by the truths they are willing to share.
"The commons are an expression of Love, the basis of all that is and that which is yet to come." (Origins: These sayings and parables about the nature of the commons are inspired by Matthew 1.3.)
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