[Darris McNeely] In recent weeks we have seen around the world in a number of major cities protests. Thousands and thousands of people coming into the streets week after week, in some cases, protesting against some aspect of life in their particular country. It seemed to begin with France with the yellow vest coming out week after week on Sundays to protest what I think began as an increase in taxes and especially gasoline tax which affects you know, just about everybody, but it really hits the middle and lower classes harder. And it was almost too much for people.

In Chile recently, people have been protesting because of again, a number of financial matters triggered it seems by an increase in subway tolls. Again, the mass transit for people getting to and from work. Across the world, we have seen this, Hong Kong has been having protests for several months as well.

And across the Middle East, some feel that another revival of the Arab Spring of several years ago is coming on, as governments have begun to waver and topple and places again like Algeria, Tunisia, Sudan, Lebanon, where recently prime minister had to resign because of protest there, over what was interestingly an increase our attacks upon a social media tool called WhatsApp. And it was, again, just too much for people to take.

It's very interesting to watch all of this take place because of people just coming out in the streets. There are a lot of issues that are at play here. But they do lead to some cases, a toppling of a government, social change that triggers other events that get out of control and some of these regions, creating additional problems.

And looking at this, I was reminded of a scripture in the book of James, as you look at taxation and economic inequality, and what triggers people to begin to protest against their government is basic food, transportation, everyday items that impact all of us, and the tremendous distance between the wealthy or the very wealthy, the average person in the streets and certainly poor people. The Bible has something to tell us about that and whether it's a leader of a nation, but certainly, as we try to understand, put a context to all of this from the biblical perspective, James 5 has some very direct teaching for all of us, but especially those who have power and those who have wealth, and how they exercise all of that.

James says, beginning in verse 1, "Come now, you rich, weep, and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you." History shows that that's happened a great deal. It's gonna happen continuingly into our future. It goes on, "Your riches are corrupted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded and your corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire."Protests that erupt into the streets, social protest, economic protests become rather intense. And they do make changes. "You have heaped up treasure in the last days," it goes on. "Indeed, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud cry out, and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You've lived on earth in pleasure and luxury. You fatten your hearts as in a day of slaughter. You have condemned, you have murdered the just, he does not resist you."

This speaks to a lot of events in history. This is not a call for radical revolution, socialism, turning everything over to some radical human ideology or political idea. It is teaching from the scripture that you and I should look at it and recognize as we seek to understand what's happening with protests in the streets around the world right now, and what it does say about the culture of any nation, but all of us.

And regardless of where we stand and what our bank account might hold, let us look to the principles that God's word brings out in terms of how wealth is used to create justice, mercy and sound judgment among any peoples and certainly among the people of God.

That's BT Daily, join us next time.