Separation of church and state? Yes, I know.  Taxes and Faith?  Both call on us for choices. How we make those choices depends on how we see our society (and for that matter, how we see our faith): “ME” society or “WE” society. And in choices we make toward a “We” society that boundry between church and state begins to look very permiable.

The Judeo-Christian faith community sprouted into existence with a divine promise of salvation. At the heart of this promise  was community; its existence and its place.  The promise was put to the test with each wave of empire that swooped through the land, from Egyptian to Syrian to Babylonian to Greek to Roman. As empirical pressure threatened their very existence they drew strength and direction from phrases like giving the “first fruits of our harvest” so the “Levites, the resident aliens, the widows and orphans”… “can celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house”. (Check out Deuteronomy 26 as an example).  As Jesus said hundreds of years later, the most important of these community regulations were loving God with every ounce of your heart, soul, mind and passion and loving your neighbor as you love yourself. The ancient regulations connected the love of God and the love of neighbor in symbiotic relationship.

On January 26, we have an opportunity to make a choice. About community(… and about faith). Ballot Measures 66 and 67 are efforts to shore up Oregon’s broken tax structure in support of education, health care and public safety. Some parts are temporary and some are permanent. Your mail box will no doubt be flooded with cries for YES votes and NO votes. Be informed. See who is supporting which side. And make a choice.

I’ve read some from each side. There is a lot to sift through. I find both sides attempting to answering the question, “How will it affect ME?” Who is answering the question, “How will it affect WE?”

Peace, Bill