For generations, people in the Western world have fixated on scarcity. This mindset, rooted in the belief that resources and opportunities are limited, has shaped how Americans build their economy and define success. But as Buckminster Fuller pointed out decades…
What the birthright debate reveals about race, wealth and belonging
In spring 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments from President Donald Trump regarding his pursuit to end birthright citizenship. On the surface this decision, if passed, raises questions about the future of American citizenship, including how citizenship will…
What can we learn from Jesus’ encounter with the Rich Young Ruler?
“And looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, ‘One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come follow me’”…
‘Economic Community’ teaches United Methodists all wealth belongs to God
Editor’s note: This is the third in a five-part series on the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church and how they intersect current issues. Money, money, money, money. Everybody needs it, and some get a lot more than…
Beware the billionaires who promise to make America great
The growing number of billionaires joining the Trump administration seemed humorous at first. “How many billionaires does it take to change a light bulb at the White House?” None. Billionaires don’t change light bulbs. Thirteen billionaires — a baker’s dozen…
From Scrooge McDuck to Zacchaeus to 21st century wealth inequality
It’s hard to believe a full month has passed since Christmas. Technically, there is more daylight in January than in December. The sun is slowly but surely rising sooner and setting later. Yet, the world feels darker now that Christmas…
The day the camel slipped through the eye of a needle … and the church did not
You may have read the remarkable story about the life of Charles Feeney, who recently died at 92 after having given away almost all of his $8 billion to the causes he believed in. At some point in his life,…
What will Twitter’s $44 billion purchase do to theological discourse?
Imagine if the online theological discourse that led to the rise of Donald Trump and the conservative determination to use political power and misinformation to push their agenda on others was owned by a man rich and powerful enough to buy and control it for $44…
GDP never was intended to show economic health, so why do Americans obsess over it?
Just before Christmas, Visual Capitalist released one of its signature infographics capturing the $94 trillion world economy in a single frame. It’s a stunning image, insofar as Voronoi diagrams can be stunning, in no small part because the numbers are…
The U.S. wealth gap presents both a political challenge and a spiritual problem
In November 2012, a YouTube user known as “politizane” created a viral video about wealth inequality in America that animates research conducted by Dan Ariely and Michael L. Norton using a series of graphs produced by Mother Jones magazine. Ariely…
How much wealth does America need before we’ll address homelessness?
In college I read a story by Leo Tolstoy called “How Much Land Does A Man Need?” Tolstoy’s story is about a peasant named Pahom, whose desire is to own enough land to make him wealthy. It did not start…
Private property or the public good? Thoughts on wealth, taxes and justice
Growing up in the 1970s, there were some things I was sure of. One such truth was that America is a Christian nation — founded by Christians, based on Christian principles, uniquely favored by God. I suspect many Christians who…