Bridging Economic Divides Through Christlike Relationships

 

Summary

In today's discussion, we explored the profound impact of relationships across different economic circumstances and how they shape our lives and opportunities. The study published in Nature highlighted that cross-class connections significantly influence economic mobility, more so than factors like school districts or family composition. This finding underscores the importance of bridging social capital, which involves forming relationships that cut across economic, ethnic, and cultural differences. Such connections open doors to new ideas, possibilities, and a better way of life.

Reflecting on the teachings of Jesus, we see that the church is uniquely positioned to foster these cross-class connections. Jesus broke down barriers between Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female, creating a community where all are one in Him. This community is called to embody the equality of all people before God, regardless of their economic status. Dallas Willard's insights remind us that true spiritual formation occurs when our actions align with our beliefs about equality.

We are challenged to examine our own biases and behaviors towards those who are economically disadvantaged. Do we treat them differently? Are we willing to engage with them genuinely? Recognizing our own neediness before God helps us see others as equally needy and deserving of love and respect. The Bible teaches that when we serve those regarded as the least, we are serving Christ Himself.

Practical steps can be taken to bridge these divides, such as engaging in activities in economically deprived areas or simply reaching out to someone different from us in our church community. By doing so, we not only enrich our understanding and empathy but also live out the call to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Key Takeaways:

1. Cross-Class Connections: Relationships with people from different economic backgrounds significantly impact our opportunities and perspectives. These connections provide access to new ideas and possibilities, fostering personal and communal growth. [02:08]

2. The Church's Role: The church is uniquely designed to create bridging social capital, breaking down barriers and fostering unity among diverse groups. This reflects the early Christian community's radical inclusivity, where all are one in Christ. [04:27]

3. Spiritual Formation and Equality: True spiritual formation involves aligning our actions with our beliefs about the equality of all people before God. This requires examining our biases and behaviors towards those who are economically disadvantaged. [06:23]

4. Recognizing Our Neediness: Understanding our own neediness before God helps us see others as equally needy and deserving of love and respect. This perspective fosters genuine compassion and service to those in need. [07:55]

5. Practical Steps to Bridge Divides: Engaging in activities in economically deprived areas or reaching out to someone different in our community can help bridge economic and social divides. These actions enrich our understanding and embody the call to love our neighbors. [09:40]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:28] - Introduction to Economic Opportunity
- [01:13] - The Decline of Fair Opportunity
- [01:53] - The Power of Cross-Class Connections
- [02:41] - Bridging Social Capital
- [03:56] - The Church as a Community of Unity
- [04:53] - Insights from Dallas Willard
- [05:32] - Life as a Temporary Inn
- [06:09] - Equality Before God
- [06:55] - Examining Our Biases
- [08:11] - Serving the Least Among Us
- [09:12] - Practical Ways to Engage
- [10:13] - Reaching Out in Church
- [10:41] - Conclusion and Call to Action

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Galatians 3:28 - "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
2. James 2:1-4 - "My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, 'Here’s a good seat for you,' but say to the poor man, 'You stand there' or 'Sit on the floor by my feet,' have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?"

Observation Questions:
1. According to the sermon, what is the significance of cross-class connections in economic mobility? [02:08]
2. How did Jesus exemplify breaking down social and economic barriers according to the sermon? [04:27]
3. What does Dallas Willard suggest about the relationship between spiritual formation and our beliefs about equality? [06:23]
4. How does the sermon describe our own neediness before God and its impact on how we view others? [07:55]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does Galatians 3:28 challenge the traditional social and economic divisions within the church community? [04:27]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that our actions should align with our beliefs about equality? [06:23]
3. How might James 2:1-4 be applied to modern church settings, especially in terms of favoritism and discrimination? [08:28]
4. What practical steps does the sermon propose for bridging economic and social divides, and how do these relate to the teachings of Jesus? [09:40]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your own social circles. Are there opportunities to form relationships with people from different economic backgrounds? How can you take a step towards this? [02:08]
2. Consider your church community. How can you contribute to creating an inclusive environment that reflects the unity described in Galatians 3:28? [04:27]
3. Examine your personal biases. How do they affect your interactions with those who are economically disadvantaged? What changes can you make to align your actions with your beliefs about equality? [06:23]
4. Think about a time when you may have shown favoritism, as described in James 2:1-4. How can you address this behavior in the future? [08:28]
5. Identify a practical step you can take this week to engage with someone different from you in your community. What might this look like, and how can it enrich your understanding and empathy? [09:40]
6. Reflect on your own neediness before God. How does this perspective change the way you view and interact with others, especially those in need? [07:55]
7. What specific action can you take to serve those regarded as the least in your community, and how does this align with serving Christ Himself? [08:11]

Devotional

Day 1: The Power of Cross-Class Connections
Relationships with people from different economic backgrounds significantly impact our opportunities and perspectives. These connections provide access to new ideas and possibilities, fostering personal and communal growth. By engaging with individuals from diverse economic circumstances, we open ourselves to a broader understanding of the world and the unique challenges others face. This engagement not only enriches our lives but also contributes to a more equitable society where opportunities are not limited by economic status. [02:08]

"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:12-13, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your community comes from a different economic background than you? How can you intentionally build a relationship with them this week?


Day 2: The Church as a Community of Unity
The church is uniquely designed to create bridging social capital, breaking down barriers and fostering unity among diverse groups. This reflects the early Christian community's radical inclusivity, where all are one in Christ. By embracing this role, the church can become a beacon of hope and a model of unity in a divided world. It is called to be a place where differences are celebrated and where every individual is valued and included, regardless of their background. [04:27]

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28, ESV)

Reflection: How can you contribute to making your church a more inclusive and welcoming place for people from all walks of life?


Day 3: Aligning Actions with Beliefs
True spiritual formation involves aligning our actions with our beliefs about the equality of all people before God. This requires examining our biases and behaviors towards those who are economically disadvantaged. By doing so, we can ensure that our actions reflect our faith and commitment to justice and equality. It is a call to live out the teachings of Jesus in a way that honors the dignity and worth of every person. [06:23]

"Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment." (John 7:24, ESV)

Reflection: What biases might you hold towards those who are economically disadvantaged? How can you begin to address and change these biases in your daily interactions?


Day 4: Recognizing Our Neediness
Understanding our own neediness before God helps us see others as equally needy and deserving of love and respect. This perspective fosters genuine compassion and service to those in need. By acknowledging our own vulnerabilities, we can better empathize with others and extend grace and kindness to them. It is a reminder that we are all in need of God's love and mercy, and that we are called to share that love with others. [07:55]

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways do you recognize your own neediness before God? How does this awareness change the way you view and treat others?


Day 5: Practical Steps to Bridge Divides
Engaging in activities in economically deprived areas or reaching out to someone different in our community can help bridge economic and social divides. These actions enrich our understanding and embody the call to love our neighbors. By taking practical steps to connect with those who are different from us, we can build a more inclusive and compassionate community. It is an invitation to step out of our comfort zones and actively participate in creating a more just and loving world. [09:40]

"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Philippians 2:4, ESV)

Reflection: What is one practical step you can take this week to engage with someone from a different economic or social background? How can this action help bridge divides in your community?

Quotes


I want to talk to you and talk to me today about money and rich and the poor, what we will do with our lives and how our relationships impact us and I'll tell you from the outset this is not going to be one of those talks about how to make your life more pleasant or more enjoyable but it is incredibly important that it gets deeply into how to live together with God how to live in the Kingdom how to become the right kind of person how to use my time and my resources my relationships to do that so I hope that you will stay with me. [00:00:14]

This study actually looked at 72 million people I don't know of another study on that scale before they leverage Facebook to do that and here's what they discovered, that people who have relationships with other folks in different economic circumstances, cross-class connections or what are sometimes called economic connections, that makes more of a difference in people's lives than school districts, than family composition, than racial composition of neighborhoods what makes the biggest single difference is if a person has relationships with other people who do have resources who do have educations because it puts them in touch with ideas and possibilities and hopes and goals and a way of life. [00:01:44]

What another sociologist Robert Putnam calls bridging Social Capital, social capital is a term that's been around for more than 100 years now a school administrator coined it as far as is known in 1916 it it's having relationships with other people having connections through which flow ideas and possibilities and opportunities but Putnam says bridging social capital that is that cuts across differences so that I'm now connected with people who are different than me ethnically or culturally or economically or educationally that makes the single biggest different difference in lifting people into the possibility of opportunity. [00:03:13]

There was once a man a couple of Millennia ago he grew up poor but he has torn down the dividing wall of hostility that separates Jew and Gentiles slave and free male and female and created this strange community in which now all are one in Christ Jesus and that actually happened and a community was born in which slaves would be together with slave owners if you read a book like Philemon and relationships would get formed friendships would get made across every kind of Distinction there had never been a community like this. [00:04:09]

Anthony put it like this some of those who stopping ins are given beds While others having no beds stretch out on the floor and sleep is only as those in beds in the morning when night is over all a light get up and leave the Inn it is the same with those who tread the path of this life both those who have lived in modest circumstances and those who have had wealth and fame leave this life like an inn taking with them no worldly Comforts or riches but only what they have done in this life whether good or bad. [00:05:02]

When we think about bridging Social Capital what is it that makes a society a place of genuine opportunity only if we believe with our whole being in the equality of rich and poor before God can we walk in their midst as Jesus did unaffected in our personal relations by the distinction. Dallas would often talk about how one way to think about spiritual formation is when I believe with my whole body what I say I believe in my head and I might say I believe Rich poor are all equal and alike before God but actually when I walk amongst those who are poor how do I respond what happens in my body what is my body language the tone of my voice the ease of the flow of my words what does that say. [00:06:09]

How do we respond to that man sleeping in those discarded boxes does it take great and awkward effort even to acknowledge his presence or to speak to him if need be or to take his hand or help him with his few possessions are we frightened of him though the circumstances are perfectly safe do we shrink from being seen near him or dealing with him is his smell and dirtiness alone enough to repel us from him or how about others not in such an extreme condition does the fact that a person is without work or an apartment or an automobile make us treat him or her as if he or she were different if so then we have not truly beheld our own ruined condition and because of this we cannot heartily love that person. [00:07:02]

It's when I come to see my own desperate neediness before God then I recognize other people are just simply needy like me and of course in the Bible they're very clear statements uh supremely from Jesus about how when we are giving to those that the world regards as the least of these without enough money for clothing or for housing we are in the presence of him or in the Book of James Dallas actually writes about this uh uh how James talks about when a rich man comes into a church to give it a good seat a lot of attention Poor Man's hustle off stand in the corner sit on the floor we insult the poor and failed to care for our neighbors as we would be cared for. [00:07:59]

We might Dallas goes on do some of our ordinary business in the poorer districts of our community it may even be as simple as getting out of our cars and onto public transportation one of the great social and economic divisions in many parts of the world is between those who must ride public transportation and those who can transport themselves we might also do shopping banking even living in the poorer districts of our area to lend substance to our grasp of how the economically deprived experienced their world and Ours this will add a great substance to our understanding prayers and caring that can never be gained by an occasional Charity Run. [00:09:12]

This week you might think about where do you go to shop where do you go to eat or one other real simple thing this coming Sunday when you go to church go to church and look for somebody there who looks different than you somebody who may not be very well dressed may look a little shabby somebody who is alone somebody who might not be from the same kind of education or background that you are and go sit next to them and talk to them and pray for them bless them and just notice in my own heart how natural am I in this moment what does my body tell me that I deeply believe about this person. [00:10:05]

Reflecting on the teachings of Jesus, we see that the church is uniquely positioned to foster these cross-class connections. Jesus broke down barriers between Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female, creating a community where all are one in Him. This community is called to embody the equality of all people before God, regardless of their economic status. [00:04:27]

Recognizing our own neediness before God helps us see others as equally needy and deserving of love and respect. This perspective fosters genuine compassion and service to those in need. The Bible teaches that when we serve those regarded as the least, we are serving Christ Himself. [00:07:55]

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Transcript
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