Don’t be afraid: Rethinking church economics (luke 12:32)
When Jesus says "don't be afraid," it's not a dismissal or chiding of our fears. Rather, it's an intimate embrace, like a parent holding a frightened child close and whispering words of comfort. As your pastor, I've been reflecting deeply on how we approach fear, particularly around resources and generosity, and what it means to build alternative economies as a faith community.
Recently, I witnessed someone go through exposure response prevention therapy (ERP), where instead of trying to rationalize away fears, they got intimately acquainted with them. This mirrors an ancient practice of the Stoic philosophers called "pre-meditatio malorum" - pre-contemplating the worst that could happen. Both approaches recognize that pushing fear away only makes it grow larger.
This understanding transforms how we read Jesus' words in Luke 12:32-34. When Jesus says "Don't be afraid, little flock," he's not denying the reality of our fears. Instead, he's getting close to those he cares about and offering comfort grounded in a profound truth: that God delights - not just is willing, but delights - in giving us the kingdom.
For fifteen years, I've preached about how "heaven" in the New Testament isn't primarily about the afterlife but about God's present activity on earth. Yet it was only this week that I realized "storing up treasures in heaven" isn't about the future either. It's about building alternative economies and communities right now that reflect God's kingdom values.
The church isn't meant to be just another organization - it's meant to be what theologian N.T. Wright calls "a small working model of the kingdom of God." This means creating cooperative economies where there are no poor among us, where resources flow not upstream to maintain racial capitalism, but outward to ensure everyone's needs are met.
Think about the Montgomery Bus Boycott. While we all know Rosa Parks, equally important was Jo Ann Robinson, who organized an alternative transportation system that sustained the community for 371 days. That's what it looks like to build kingdom economics - creating sustainable alternatives that challenge unjust systems while caring for community needs.
This is why our church is working to establish a benevolence fund and why we're partnering with organizations like Transmission Ministry Collective. We're not just solving immediate needs - we're building a model of what community care can look like when we move past scarcity thinking and into God's abundance.
Jesus tells us to "make wallets that don't wear out." This isn't financial advice about leather versus vinyl - it's an invitation to invest in something permanent: relationships and communities that embody God's justice and care. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be too. Let's build something lasting together.
