Oh, the arguments we get into when our faith starts to impact the economic reality of our world! This is one of the times when the near-riot of "the people" calling for the blood of the members of the early church makes the most sense to me. While before some beliefs were threatened - in our multi-cultural world we have become better at living alongside those with different beliefs (not that we are really good at this - our socio-political discourse can still be pretty intolerant). In this story it is economic well-being that is threatened - and the riots that come out of that seem more applicable to today's society.
I was part of a church in my early 20s where members of the congregation wanted to start discussing homosexuality and the church's stance. There was an alterior motive and putting one or two people on the spot was their aim. The pastor suggested that such a discussion could happen - but since the Bible talks much more about the use of wealth than it does of sexuality, we should first have an honest discussion about how we use our wealth. Everyone interested in these 2 discussions should show up on Wednesday with his/her checkbook register in hand and be prepared for open and honest discussion. No one showed.
Faith becomes real when it starts to touch on our economic choices. It becomes more daily, more pedestrian, more concrete - and more substantial.
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Remember Jesus, the demons, and the herd of pigs? The swine owners were so angry about their bottom line, which had just charged down the hill and drown, that they couldn't even see the man who had been set free.
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