I've been trying to reflect on the proper biblical response to the rich in response to the Occupy craze. Looking after the poor is a biblical mandate, but does that mandate include trashing the rich in the process?
The rich are blasted when they oppress the poor; Nathan's "You are the man" speech to David has the analogy of a rich man stealing a poor man's sheep.
Trusting in one's riches is not good, as the writer of Proverbs tells us.
The rich are seen as harsh and uncaring, and are warned here in Proverbs 22-
16 One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth
and one who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.
The oppressive rich will "get theirs", but I don't see where the believer is supposed to be the vehicle of that downfall, other than siding with the poor when they are unfairly oppressed.
How does blockading a port help the poor? Truck drivers are getting an unpaid vacation and stores expecting goods coming in from Asia will get those deliveries a bit later than planned, thus driving up prices somewhat. Asian customers of US companies and the people involved in getting those goods to market on the other end will be sitting on their hands to the extent that our exports are stopped flowing.
Helping the little guy is a Christian calling. One that comes to mind is barring US-born kids of illegal immigrants from getting in-state tuition despite being raised in the state. Yes, that would raise taxes a smidge to help pay for that small subset of folks, but it would seem to be within the scope of what we want state colleges to do; to not do so is taking the frustration of usually better-off immigration hawks out on struggling youth.
Working on a case like that, or finding such kids private-sector donations to help them through school, would be a better ministry than camping out in front of a bank or port. You're actually helping someone rather than gumming up the works of the current economic system.
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