The Hickory-Dickory-Dock of Capitalism ~ A Homily Based on Philippians 1-3

To be a Christian is to come up against Capitalism because Christianity runs counter-clockwise to the hickory-dickory-dock of conservative economics. For example, there is St. Paul's exhortation to the church at Philippi. Because King James butchers the translation, we will quote from the respectable New Revised Standard Version, but any reliable translation will be in accordance.

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit," Paul advises while acknowledging that some Christians even preach Christ in such a fashion. But, rather, "regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others." Not only is this a counter to capitalistic dogma, which depends upon and excites self-interest as its chief motivating factor, but, according to Paul, it comes reflects perfectly the mind of Jesus,

"who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptying himself,
took on the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of
death—
even death on a cross.”

One would have a very difficult time painting a more contradictory path of discipline than this is to Capitalism.

• We must set aside our own interest in preference to the interest of others.
• We must not exploit our own talents or the assets of those who we know and network with.
• We must empty our own coffers for the sake of those in need, doing so even to the point of death.

John the Baptist makes it clear that our own increase is not the point. “He must increase,” John says, speaking of Jesus, “but I must decrease.” How serious is this doctrine to Paul? He tells the Philippian saints to count every temporal gain as a loss within the Christian brotherhood and all things lost as rubbish or dung compared to this vision of what is in the mind of Christ. He wants to be like Christ, to be emptied of all things, and to share in his sufferings, that he might also know and share in his resurrection.

None of this is to say that Christians cannot be capitalists, only that insofar as they are they are greatly hindered thereby. “Some proclaim Christ from envy and rivalry,” Paul says, “out of selfish ambition. What does it matter? Just this, that Christ is proclaimed in every way, whether out of false motives or true; and in that I rejoice.” But if we are to do more than proclaim him—if we are to follow him—we must set our faces counter-clockwise, against the hickory-dickory-dock.