Cobalt, Capitalism, and Christianity

 As it is written, “The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little.” 2 Corinthians 8:15

These days there is economic and political turmoil in the Congo over the mining of cobalt.  Cobalt is a mineral which is one of the basic building blocks for batteries, essential elements for the wave of new electric vehicles which are destined to flood the market in developed countries.  As more prosperous countries compete for this resource, its value will increase, but not necessarily leading to the growth of wealth for the citizens of the Congo.  The flow of supply and demand is often at the mercy of the big players in global politics who are themselves frequent partners, maybe even at the service, of capitalist corporate interests.

Electric vehicles, hailed as an answer to global warming concerns, may in the long run do little to address international inequities in economic well-being, not to mention the dire consequences to the ecology of nations where mining takes place.  Not only does mining have catastrophic consequences for the environment, but what are we to make of the problems presented by the disposal of these batteries when their life span has run out?  The world has yet to come to terms with the long-lasting toxicity of the waste produced by the marvels of modern technological innovation.

Rainforests are being decimated, not only for agricultural reasons, but to create mines that extract nickel, another basic element of the growing demand for batteries to power our cars and other electronic devices.  So we are preparing to exchange one form of pollution for another.  The solution to one problem becomes the creation of another, and the effect on climate improvement may be negligible.  In other words, the slippery slope is getting slipperier, and the solutions are not simple.

The environmental cost, of course, is but one part of the equation.  The costs of advances in technology continue to benefit developed and developing countries at the expense of poorer nations who are often ill-governed and ill-equipped to negotiate with powerful corporations who exploit the available natural resources without regard to consequences to the people in undeveloped nations.  The profit motive is the driving force of capitalism and is generally regulated in developed nations - not so much in what once was known as the Third World.  Unregulated capitalism leads to ethical abuses, environmental destruction, and economic exploitation in the countries that can least afford it.

Against this bleak picture there is a Christian perspective that can offer a more hopeful way forward.  The apostle Paul offers guidelines for the followers of Jesus in the city of Corinth, encouraging equitable distribution of resources - the one who has much, does not have too much, the one who has little, does not have too little.  This guideline is similar to the description of the early church we find in Acts, Chapter 2:44-45, and 4:32-34, in which the people of God shared all things in common, and there was not a needy person among them.  Such a simple directive which historically has been difficult to live out.

Churches usually address these passages during the stewardship months of October and November, addressing the budgetary needs of the church for the ensuing year.  But these passages are intended to describe a way of life by which a Christian community is governed from day to day.  Unfortunately, church-goers in the United States are often more devout capitalists than we are Christians.  We are acquisitive by nature and we are never quite sure we have enough, so we are constantly seeking to accumulate more.  We are acquirers of property and overly concerned about protecting and insuring what we have so that “share, and share alike,” seems an impossible goal.  

What this suggests is a failure to trust our neighbor.  We do not have faith in the community to come to our aid in time of need so we surround ourselves with possessions as a hedge against the future.  And if we do not trust our community, we may find ourselves not trusting in God.  Against this tendency Christians would be wise to listen to the words we hear in 1 Timothy 6:17, “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”

The Christian ethic of “enough,” has a lot to offer to the world.  Our theology of creation assures us that God has made the world “very good,” and there is enough for all.  We hear so often that there are in fact more than enough resources - food, shelter, material goods (life’s necessities) - to provide for everyone on the planet.  The problem has always been not one of resource but of distribution, or in modern parlance, logistics. 

 

We may be fooling ourselves if we think the world will ever adopt an economic ethic of sharing all things in common so that everyone has enough.  But what might happen if the Christians of the world agreed that the one who had much, did not have too much, and the one who had little, did not have too little?  As followers of the One who said, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head,” perhaps we might find the willingness to explore a new way of living in this world so that no one might be in need.  Perhaps such a hope is naive in a world hardened by cruelty and cynicism, but perhaps such a hope is the only thing that will save us.