As Long As it's Not My Job

We've all heard people comment on the misfortune of others. When someone suffers as the result of some event beyond their control, we often express some form of condolence.

But for some reason, Americans tend to be less sensitive when such suffering comes as the result of someone getting laid off from work. Sometimes we react as though the victim somehow deserved their misfortune.

Now I'm not talking about situations where people are let go for cause or normal market conditions. I'm talking about layoffs as a result of situations like mergers and outsourcing. When euphemisms like "increasing shareholder value" are used to say boost quarterly profits while corporate officers take home more pay in a week than all of those they lay off receive in a year.

None of this is particularly surprising. Economic theory teaches us that people always behave in their own self-interest, even when it harms others.

But that's not what Jesus says. To the contrary Christians are to love their neighbors as themselves and even to place the needs of others above their own - that is how the world is to distinguish them from others.

Instead, we find the majority of Christians holding to a kind of "bottom line theology" when it comes to marketplace issues. The notion that dollars are more important than people is well entrenched in the typical evangelical church of today.

Because they are social conservatives, many Christians fall into the trap of being excessively fiscally "conservative".

The emotional reaction of blaming people for getting laid off is the result of a combination of jealousy and self-pride - clearly not traits becoming of a Christian. But it's even worse when seasoned with a good dose of hypocrisy - when we are okay with layoffs as long as it's not our job.

Wow. That's not only an ineffectual testimony to Christ, it's actually worse than a worldly stance.... like doing Kingdom work in reverse.