Traveling Journal: Costa Rica (Part 1)

Have you ever had the opportunity to travel and see how the rest of the world lives? It's a very eye-opening experience.

My wife, middle son and I spent the last week in Costa Rica for my son's graduation trip. This week I will be sharing some of my journal entries from that trip.

Day #1

The gap between the haves and the have nots is wide. There is a huge difference in how those who own the tree groves and those who work in the tree groves live. Now you may say, "Well that is the way it should be. The person who owns the grove is taking all the risk." And as of a week ago I would have agreed with you. I remember when I defended Jeff Bezos, creator of Amazon, buying a 500 million dollar yacht. I said something like: “Well, even though I think it is excessive, it’s his money and he can spend it how he likes.” Needless to say, I don’t think that any more.

It is morally reprehensible that the owner of a company can buy a 500 million dollar yacht when his employees are struggling to make ends meet. Now, I know what you are thinking, “But Paul, they chose that job, they have the freedom to leave it, or better yet, go start their own "Amazon” and buy their own “500 million dollar yacht; after all, this is America!” For the system we know to survive, there has to be those at the top and those at the bottom, that’s the way it work.

What I realized being here is that cheap labor is not cheap. The minimum wage in this country is $3 an hour. Now, most of us would believe that it is because it is much cheaper to live here than in the States. That is wrong. The cost of groceries is at least 2x higher than it is back home. People are literally living hand to mouth. So the question becomes, when does free market capitalism (profit is king) become oppression and slavery?

Now, the argument to that is always, capitalism is not perfect but it's better than the alternatives. And while I agree from a world economic standpoint, I simply want to ask the question, "Yes, but what about us as Christians?" In our worldview, profit is not king, Christ is king. How should our businesses run differently than the others in the world? What model of business could we practice that keeps the dignity and well fair of its employees in view?

It seems to me there is plenty of food, water, and resources to go around if people would stop hoarding it for themselves. Now, you might be saying, "Paul, that sounds a lot like socialism. You are not a socialist are you?" I don't think I am. I don't believe anyone should be forced to give money to the government for the government then to distribute the resources equitably. Why? Because we have seen throughout history that it simply doesn't happen.

But what about the church? Why couldn't we do something like that? What would it take for the church to create a system where the equitable distribution of wealth occurs? Where the haves are ok having a little less so that the have nots can have a little? My pessimism says that if that system was created it would somehow be exploited and mismanaged, but that shouldn’t stop of us dreaming, creating, and giving, right?

Lord, forgive me for my hoarding tendencies and for my champagne tastes. Forgive me for my $8 coffees when I have .10 cent coffee at home. Forgive me for my desire for bigger, better, and more and help me to remember that I live more comfortably than kings and queens of old. Give me contentment in what I have and give me a heart for people who don’t have anything. Amen.