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LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD TO REDUCE INEQUALITY

Why aren’t all Americans worried about the growing problem of inequality? If we aren’t living paycheck-to-paycheck ourselves, it is easy to be oblivious to the problems of those who are because we just don’t see them. Ironically, on-site exposure to the poorest of the poor in other countries can open our eyes to the problems the poor face in America. That’s one of the reasons why my husband and   [Read More …]

Your Money Autobiography

A money autobiography is a reflection process on the role and influence of money and material possessions in our lives. It challenges us to explore the past to see how our attitudes, assumptions, and values were formed concerning money and wealth. The money autobiography provides a lens through which we examine how we manage money and how money manages us. It allows us the opportunity to wrestle   [Read More …]

NEEDED: STRONGER SAFETY NETS TO OVERCOME INEQUALITY

“And a little child shall lead them.” On a traditional eighth-grade trip to Washington, D.C., dozens of students from South Orange Middle School in New Jersey refused to be photographed with Congressman Paul Ryan. One of those students, Matthew Malespina, said in an interview “that he chose not to be photographed with Ryan because he disagreed with the policies the speaker and his party are   [Read More …]

INEQUALITY: THE GLOBAL PROBLEM CENTERED IN THE USA

Inequality isn’t a new problem, but the current administration seems determined to make it worse. The subtitle for Trump’s new budget might as well be: “The Rich Get Richer and The Poor Get Poorer.” The Prison of Privilege is a pamphlet written by William R. Miller, Ph.D. and published by the Faith & Money Network. In it he refers to a book titled, The Spirit Level which he says   [Read More …]

BANKS WITH A HEART AND A MISSION

Not all hunger problems are alike, but every child needs adequate nutrition to develop their brains and their bodies. Given the growing problem in our own country and the drastic cuts to nutrition programs in the President’s proposed 2018 budget, one wonders what it will take for Congress to say, “STOP IT MR. PRESIDENT. Our children deserve a healthy future.” Food security is a federal   [Read More …]

THE POPE AND THE ORACLE OF OMAHA

A few years ago my husband Dave and I attended the Berkshire-Hathaway annual stockholders meeting.   We went to watch Warren Buffet in action as we have always appreciated his values. He has continually said that the government needs to tax him at a higher rate, and he had been in the news a lot in the months before the meeting because of his complaints that his secretary was taxed at a higher   [Read More …]

NEVER DOUBT WHAT THIS GROUP CAN DO

When I read Elizabeth O’Connor’s book, Call to Commitment, I was deeply moved by it and shared it with my husband Dave, but only in retrospect have I realized how much it has affected our lives.   The book is about the Church of the Saviour in Washington, DC, which was founded as a single congregation in 1947 and is now a network of eight independent, ecumenical Christian faith communities. As   [Read More …]

LIVING LIFE LARGE IN UNCERTAIN TIMES

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States, guided our nation through the great depression. He frequently reminded us of our responsibility to care for the poor as when he said, “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.” It is important to remember his example   [Read More …]

FINDING HOPE IN THE MIDST OF CHAOS

When it seems like the world is in chaos and uncertainty is swirling all around us, it’s time for a Trip of Perspective. Block out June 23 – July 1, 2017, on your calendars, pack your bags, prepare for an extraordinary, life-changing experience, and head for Haiti with us. Need a little convincing? Here are some comments Susan Taylor made after returning from a trip there with Faith and Money   [Read More …]

DOING GOOD WITHOUT CREATING PROBLEMS

Sometimes you need to read the last chapter of a book first. I’m not talking about novels: that’s cheating and not nearly as much fun as trying to figure out what’s going to happen.   I’m talking about non-fiction books that tie all the loose ends together in the final chapter. If you don’t know ahead of time that everything was based on actual events, you might not bother finishing the book at   [Read More …]