Part 8: Social and Economic Ethics
Opening Reflection
Christian morality is not confined to private life; it reaches outward
into every aspect of the world we live in. How we engage with society, use
wealth, perform our work, and care for others reveals the depth of our faith
and the genuineness of our love for God. In the Orthodox tradition, justice
(ፍትሕ), mercy (ምሕረት), and stewardship (በኃላፊነት
ማገልገል) are not merely noble ideals—they are sacred duties and visible
fruits of holiness in everyday life.
1. Justice, Mercy, and Social
Responsibility
- Justice: In Christian
ethics, justice means giving to each what is rightly theirs — to God,
true devotion and obedience; to neighbor, respect,
honesty, and charity. Are you doing these?. Living this way brings
balance to life and honors both God and every person.
“ሰው ሆይ፥ መልካሙን ነግሮሃል፤ እግዚአብሔርም ከአንተ ዘንድ የሚሻው ምንድር ነው? ፍርድን ታደርግ ዘንድ፥ ምሕረትንም ትወድድ ዘንድ፥ ከአምላክህም ጋር በትሕትና ትሄድ ዘንድ አይደለምን?” (Micah 6:8)
Romans 13:7 writes :
“ለሁሉ የሚገባውን አስረክቡ፤ ግብር ለሚገባው ግብርን፥ ቀረጥ ለሚገባው ቀረጥን፥ መፈራት ለሚገባው መፈራትን፥ ክብር ለሚገባው ክብርን ስጡ።”
This verse teaches that we must give each person what
they rightfully deserve. Respect is not selective. It should not depend on
whether someone shares your faith, is older or younger, or whether they are a
man or a woman. Offer to everyone the honor and respect that is due to them — this
is the central teaching of this verse.
- Mercy: refers to acting with compassion (ርኅራኄ) and forgiveness (ይቅርታ), toward those
who are vulnerable (ተጋላጭ ወገኖች)
“የሚምሩ ብፁዓን ናቸው፥ ይማራሉና።” (Matthew 5:7). When
we forgive others, God also forgives us.
- Social
Responsibility: Christians are called to live out their faith through active love
and moral courage — caring for the poor and marginalized, upholding
truth and justice, and advocating for righteousness in society.
True discipleship extends beyond personal holiness to the
transformation of communities through mercy and integrity (ታማኝነት).
“መልካም መሥራትን ተማሩ፥ ፍርድን ፈልጉ፥ የተገፋውን አድኑ፥ ለድሀ አደጉ ፍረዱለት ስለ መበለቲቱም ተምዋገቱ።”
(Isaiah 1:17)
Patristic Insight:
“Love of neighbor is the highest expression of our love
for God.” — St. John Chrysostom
Practical reflection: How do my actions
at work, in my community, and in society reflect justice and mercy?
2. Wealth and Poverty in the Orthodox
Perspective
- Wealth is a gift
from God, meant for blessing, stewardship (generosity), and service.
“በአሁኑ ዘመን ባለ ጠጎች የሆኑት የትዕቢትን ነገር እንዳያስቡ፥ ደስም እንዲለን ሁሉን አትርፎ በሚሰጠን በሕያው እግዚአብሔር እንጂ በሚያልፍ ባለ ጠግነት ተስፋ እንዳያደርጉ እዘዛቸው።” (1 Timothy
6:17–19).
- Poverty is not merely
economic; it is also spiritual, inviting a self to humility and
reliance on God.
- The Orthodox
Church emphasizes almsgiving (ምጽዋት), charity, and voluntary simplicity as ways to
participate in God’s justice.
Practical application: Examine your
resources—how can they serve God, help others, and foster virtue rather than
pride or greed?
3. Work, Stewardship, and the
Environment
- Work is a
sacred vocation (ሙያ) and an act of
service to God, not merely to men.
“ለሰው ሳይሆን ለጌታ እንደምታደርጉ፥ የምታደርጉትን ሁሉ በትጋት አድርጉት፥ ከጌታ የርስትን ብድራት እንድትቀበሉ ታውቃላችሁና፤ የምታገለግሉት ጌታ ክርስቶስ ነውና።”(Colossians 3:23–24)
Work, therefore, is not simply labor for survival but a
means of glorifying God through diligence (ትጋት), honesty, and
stewardship (service) to His creation. Through our vocations, we participate in
God’s ongoing work of sustaining and caring for the world.
- Stewardship
(service) involves responsibility for creation, care for the earth,
and ethical use of resources.
“እግዚአብሔር አምላክም ሰውን ወስዶ ያበጃትም ይጠብቃትም ዘንድ በዔድን ገነት አኖረው።” (Genesis 2:15).
This passage illustrates that human beings were given
the responsibility of stewardship over creation—to cultivate and protect
the earth. It emphasizes the ethical and spiritual duty of human beings to
manage God’s creation wisely and responsibly.
- Orthodox ethics
calls for balance: honest labor(በሐቅ መሥራት), care for
creation, and generosity toward others.
Patristic Insight:
“Man is the steward(ጠባቂ) of God’s creation;
he will be held accountable for how he manages it.” — St. John of Damascus.
Practical reflection: Do the way I work,
what I consume, and how I care for the environment reflect obedience to God and
love for my neighbor?
Conclusion
Orthodox social and economic ethics connect personal holiness with active
responsibility in the world. Justice, mercy, stewardship, and the ethical use
of wealth and labor are not abstract ideals—they are tangible expressions of
the Christian moral life. Faithfulness (ታማኝነት) in society, care
for the poor and vulnerable, and responsible management of creation are
essential aspects of the journey toward theosis, demonstrating that true
morality manifests both inwardly in the heart and outwardly in our actions.
Reflection Question
How can I actively practice justice, mercy, and responsible stewardship
in my workplace, community, and environment? How does my approach to wealth and
labor reflect my faith in Christ?
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we
thank You for the gift of life, work, and creation. Guide our hearts to live
with justice, mercy, and love in all that we do. Teach us to use the resources
You have entrusted to us wisely, to serve others with humility, and to care for
Your creation as faithful stewards. Strengthen us to reflect Your holiness in
our workplaces, communities, and families. May our actions bear witness to Your
truth and grace, and may we grow ever closer to You on the path of Theosis.
Through the prayers of the Theotokos, and all Your saints, Amen.
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