Source: The Washington Post

By Ryan McAnnally-Linz and Miroslav Volf

Finding things that Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump agree on is no easy task. ISIS is bad. New York is great. And, a bit more surprisingly: The next president ought to focus on supporting America’s middle class.

Clinton’s campaign claims the middle class “needs a raise” and promises that she would deliver one. Trump has declared his desire to “save the middle class.”

Clinton and Trump have plenty of company. Seemingly without exception, American politicians claim to prioritize the middle class. But Christians who seek to let their faith shape their public engagement must recognize that the Bible does not.

To see the disconnect between the American scene and the biblical witness, try substituting “the middle class” where the Bible says “the poor.” The results tend to fit much more neatly on the American campaign trail.

“May the president defend the cause of the middle class of the people, give them deliverance and crush the oppressor” is nowhere in the Bible. “May the king defend the cause of the poor …” is Psalm 72:4.

“If a president judges the middle class with equity, his legacy will be established forever” is nowhere in the Bible. “If a king judges the poor with equity, his throne will be established forever” is Proverbs 29:14.

“Blessed are you who are middle class, for yours is the country of America” is nowhere in the Bible. “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God” are Jesus’s words in Luke 6:20.

Read more