Wasn't it Dickens
who called our attention to the poverty of body and spirit? His metaphors for
scarcity were vulnerable and powerless children.
"This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want.
Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for
on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be
erased." <http://charlesdickenspage.com/carol.html>
We may feel like children in an
impoverished and stratified society helpless and without resources living in a
corporal world where feelings of scarcity control and manipulate; and, so
influence want and fear. But in God's world, there is no scarcity because there
is always enough for us all.
There can be a scarcity of water, of
vaccine, of medications, of diamonds and
gold. Without scarcity how do we value
our needs and wants? Some might say controlling utilities by cost maintains
poverty; controlling food by cost
contributes to poverty; controlling space manipulates racism and other isms of
injustice.
Scarcity seems essential in valuing
things and in creating demand. We do value our time and talents and decisions
are made attaching a dollar amount to a
service or an item. Scarcity or thinking-scarcity forces choices which are not
necessarily a bad thing as long as scarcity is recognized for what it is and
for what it is not.
Whether for Economics or Trade or
Stewardship, scarcity is also opportunity in another form. We are not without
because we are not helpless, powerless, or ignorant. Our gifts were
freely given to us for us to pass on. The 'Doom' to which Dickens refers is
within our control; we have choices to re-frame scarcity and act with generosity
illuminating the metaphors of ignorance and want and eliminating the fear of not enough.
Scarcity! Bah
Humbug!
