There are vultures circling overhead in Washington, DC, Chicago, Philadelphia and hundreds of other cities.  They are watching for the opportunity to feed on the misfortune of those who have fallen behind on their property taxes.  They are waiting for the government to place a tax lien on those properties, swoop in to buy the debt and potentially turn a small investment into a large profit–or take the house in foreclosure to resell and make even more profit.  Investing in Tax Lien Certificates has become an “industry”–and industry that preys on the elderly and the poor.

Bennie Coleman, a 76 year-old veteran with dementia, owed $134 in back property taxes to the District of Columbia.  One day, US Marshals came to his door and moved him and all his belongings out of his home.  His home had been foreclosed by the holder of his tax lien–a predatory investor who had purchased his debt.  In the end, he was left with nothing.  Read his story HERE.

REFLECTING ON ‘HOME’

‘Homes’ are many and different.  For some ‘home’ is exactly the place one wants to be when life seems chaotic, unexplained and difficult.  Early Easter morning the disciples came to the tomb only to find it empty.  They returned to their ‘homes’ broken hearted, empty and baffled.  When life’s dreams and hopes are shattered and life is like an empty tomb, ‘home’ may not be a physical building, but a community where we want to be with others whom we trust for encouragement and sharing our burdens. For some others ‘home’ is space and place – a place of safety and warmth, a place of rest and renewal, and a place of belonging.

Sadly this is not the reality for many people.  Families are evicted because of their inability to pay rent.  Millions of people are fleeing from the security of their homes due to war, religious and ethnic strife and similar reasons.  Developers are demolishing low income homes to build luxury homes, only the the rich and affluent could afford.  The result is an alarming increase of homelessness.

For us Christians home is not space and place.  Home is not limited to a particular country or village, Home is God’s world where people of different races, religions, languages and cultures live in peace and harmony enjoying the abundance of God’s creation.

   Question for Reflection: What does ‘home’ mean to you?

Prayer: Gracious God, enable all your people to live in safe and peaceful habitations. Amen.

– Contributed by Rev. Eardley Mendis, Pastor of 1^st Lutheran Church, Chicago

ECCLESIASTES 2:4-11; 1 KINGS 6:38 – 7:12

The writer of Ecclesiastes (possibly Solomon) built opulent houses and enjoyed all the “comforts of home.” Solomon spent 7 years building the Temple in Jerusalem and 13 years building his palace (all built using slave labor.) Note the lengthy description of his palace and the “high-end” materials and features.  Yet in the end, his home and the luxurious lifestyle left him empty.

Questions for Reflection

1. What logic do you think Solomon used to justify such a large and opulent house?
2. What logic do people use today?
3. How would your home and lifestyle change if you took the lesson, “this too is meaningless,” to heart?

There is no devotional for Sunday, March 13, 2016

AMOS 6:4-7

Beds inlaid with Ivory, luxurious couches. These seem to be the trend in upscale homes of Amos’ day. Yet, the people are condemned for their complacency and for not grieving “over the ruin of Joseph.” (Joseph is not a person but a representative name for the community.) Those with economic means do not seem to be aware of or concerned about the economic state of the rest of the community. Our communities are often divided by economic class so that those with economic means are isolated geographically from those who are “ruined”.

Questions for Reflection:

1. What does “grieving for the ruin of the community” look like?
2. What action could you take to identify more closely with those who do not enjoy the “luxury” of a bed?
3. Is there any way that people of faith could bridge the divide between islands of wealth and communities of poverty? If so, describe it.

Imagine living in a space the size of a 1-car garage—and paying $3500 a month! You can have this experience right now in New York City at Carmel Place, a 55 unit development of “micro apartments” that range in size from 250 – 360 square feet. In order build such small studio apartments, the developer had to agree to make 40% of the units “affordable” –reducing the rent to about $1500 a month. Who would want such a small living space? So far 60,000 people have placed their names into the lottery for the “affordable” units. Because of the demand, critics are concerned that smaller may not turn out to be cheaper going forward.

Watch for the trend for micro apartments to spread to other large cities. Already, there is a proposal for tiny studios in Logan Square targeting young singles who are looking for an affordable place without having to share it with a roommate. It will likely be unaffordable for most people.

JAMES 5:1-5

Without employment and living wages, people are at risk of homelessness and housing instability. God also seems very upset at the income gap—some are living in great luxury while others have little or nothing.

Questions for Reflection:

1. Does James suggest an answer to this problem?
2. Does the gospel have an answer to this problem? If so, what?

FOR FURTHER REFLECTION

According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, a household would need more than one full time minimum wage worker to afford a two-bedroom rental apartment at fair market rent anywhere in the country. In Chicago, it’s even worse. A person must earn at least $47,067 to afford a median priced one bedroom apartment in Logan Square. Need something larger to accommodate a family? You’ll need to earn at least $70,237! A person making minimum wage ($10 per hour) would need to work 135 hours each week—the equivalent of three full time jobs and 1 part time job! Why do you think so many people are opposed to increasing the minimum wage? If we cannot raise the minimum wage, what other ways could we make housing more affordable for families? Contact Logan Square Neighborhood Association to find out about affordable housing initiatives.

A glow in the dark toilet.  Yes, it is a real product.  And lots of people will spend upwards of $20 plus tax just for the novelty of it.  Hopefully, you’ll resist the temptation–and think of better uses for $20 this Lent.

JEREMIAH 22:13-17

God, through Jeremiah, condemns those who “build palaces by unrighteousness and upper rooms by injustice” and identifies the source of this opulence as the unpaid wages of the workers.

Questions for Reflection:

1. Do you think God’s condemnation is relevant today? If so, how?
2. What is the answer to Jeremiah’s question: “Does it make a person a king if he has more and more cedar?”
3. Why then, do we aspire to accumulation of luxury goods and high-end amenities for our homes?
4. What actions ensure that it will “go well” with us?
5. What does it look like to “defend the cause of the poor and the needy”?

LUKE 12:13-21

Jesus told this parable in the context of a family quarrel over how the inheritance would be divided. The rich farmer’s ultimate goal was to “live comfortably” and he was willing to ignore God’s law to reach it. (The Law stipulated that the poor, the widow and the alien be given access to the fields to glean the extra.)

Questions for Reflection:

1. Jesus warns against “all kinds of greed.” How do you known when greed is motivating your actions and decisions?
2. Is desiring to “live comfortably” a kind of greed? Why or why not?
3. When have you been tempted to “upgrade” when you have more than enough?
4. What would you say to someone who suggested that God wants to bless people with “comfortable living”?

This week, thousands of people will converge on McCormick Place in Chicago for the annual International Home and Housewares Show where they will see all the latest innovations in home appliances and trends in home fashion.  While the show is not open to the public, the housewares will soon show up in stores–which means they will show up in ads and sale papers and ultimately your house.  (At least that’s what the 2,000+ exhibitors at the show are hoping.)

In 2014, Americans spent $47 billion on small appliances,  non-electric housewares and home fashions (Source: the NPD Group), a 1% increase from 2013.  For the second year, blenders trended up significantly.  And most people do not purchase new items because their old appliances no longer work, but to upgrade to something they perceive as “better”.

Imagine what we could do if we opted to keep our old, perfectly functional, toasters and blenders for one more year.  Imagine if we chose to spend 10% less ($4.7 billion) on kitchen gadgets to make sure others have a kitchen.