Prize Linked Savings - Great economics, poor theology

I came into contact with the idea of "Prize Linked Savings" (PLS) through a Freakonomics podcast. The PLS is an idea that invites people to put money into a savings account with a slightly smaller interest rate (say .5% smaller than a traditional savings account). The bank then pools together all these .5% interests from many accounts in order to generate cash prizes for the participants. So it functions like a raffle that in order to play you have to save money. The beauty is that even if you do not win the raffle, you still get to keep the money in the savings account. So damn brilliant that it has to be illegal, right?

Right. The PLS is illegal for banks (with some rare exceptions) to do because it 'cuts into' the monopoly of the state run lottery.

This aside, All  I can think about is how the UMC can use our connectional system to create a financial institution to help establish an economic floor. Why the UMC is not creating a KIVA like gig or why we are not set up to work as credit unions I am not sure and I hope one day my dream of the "Jubilee Bank" will be realized. PLS is another option the connectional UMC might consider creating real change for peoples' lives if we were focused on helping repair the world.

Beyond the legality of the PLS and what the UMC could do to help fight for the legality of such a program, it dawned on me that many of my Christian brothers and sisters view religion as a PLS for the afterlife.

If we are Christian in order to "win" a prize down the road (heaven), if we are choosing a religion based on which one we think gives us the greater chance to get this prize, if we are religious in order to save up crowns in heaven in order to reap rewards in the afterlife - then I wonder if we are not just viewing religion as an elaborate PLS.

Saving/Blessing theology

The book “Biblical Foundations of Spirituality” is a good read and I encourage anyone to read it, however I just ran across chapter four again and it is helpful for me to frame my own frustrations very well.

The author argues there are two overarching perspectives in the Biblical story which seem to dominate all other perspectives: “saving theology” and “blessing theology”. Both are true but often times we tend to focus in on one to the exclusion of the other.

“Saving theology” is described as seeing God as one working on behalf of Israel to save and redeem them throughout history. “It is almost as though God’s very name for them is hyphenated as the ‘God-who-brought-us-from-the-land-of-Egypt’.” The savior God comes from nowhere to intervene for those in need. God is surprising and unpredictable in this image but it can also lead to seeing God as a miracle worker or a superhero. This view recognizes humanity as radically in need of God’s saving grace, and the goal of human existence is liberation and freedom from that which oppresses.

“Blessing theology” is described as experiencing God as the source of blessing and providential care. This is the time when we see the world as hospitable and our lives are marked with success and satisfaction. God becomes the constant protector and provider of all good things. God established cosmic order and holds existence at every moment. God is creator and sustainer who does not intervene but is ever present in the midst of the world, creating and sustaining it. This view recognizes humanity as co-creator and sharing with God, and the goal of human existence is the fullness of life understood as the rightful exercise shared of power and privilege.

While I identify both are critical to a fuller understanding of God, I find myself primarily located in “Blessing theology”. This is a good thing, however, I feel guilty about this because I know there is so much suffering in the world and I am very luck to be where I am. I tend to idealize “Saving theology” and become frustrated when others (like myself) defend “Blessing theology”. I need to remember BOTH ARE CRITICAL TO GOD.

What story of God is dominate in your theology; God of saving or God of blessing? I imagine it is a rare thing to find a person who gives each story equal footing.