38 5.3 THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS We believe that the current state of the economy in Zimbabwe is not what God intended any part of this world to be. The first Biblical account of creation is concluded with the words “God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good” (Gen. 1:31). As stated earlier, God wants us to be happy and to live fulfilling lives. When God created the world he gave to human beings everything that they needed to live well. The earth was endowed with all the means needed to live a life of happiness. Human beings were endowed with the brains to be co-creators with God as testified in advances in all areas of human development. The earth itself was created with a great deal of wealth, minerals, plants, animals, birds of the air, fish of the sea, etc. All these were entrusted to human beings to sustain their lives so that they can live happily for ever. The intervention of sin in Genesis 2 brought all the misery and greed that has impoverished other human beings while others became very rich. In the New Testament Jesus testified that he came not to kill or destroy but that God’s people “may have life and have it in its fullness” (John 10:10). His was a holistic approach to life. Our social and economic life was equally a major concern to him, and not just the spiritual life, hence the preferential option for the poor and disadvantaged. Where there is poverty or any form of suffering there is no fullness of life. The same holistic approach continued in the early Church. The early Christians cared for one another. They even went to the extent of selling their lands and houses and shared the proceeds to ensure that the needs of the entire community are met (Acts 2:44-45; 4:34-35). Special collections in congregations were made for the poor in order to improve the quality of their lives as well. The prophets in the Old Testament were not afraid to denounce any socio-economic injustices. The message of love which is central to the Gospel of Christ negates any unjust economic system and demands prudent economic policies that ensure an equitable sharing of the resources available to sustain life. It demands equal opportunity and access to the means of production, to jobs, to health and education facilities, the absence of which negates the individual’s participation in life in its fullness. From a theological perspective this is what we see as the challenge faced by our nation: How do we create a socio economic environment that will enable every individual to look forward to a new day with every hope for a fulfilling life with food to eat and ability to send ones your child to school and be able to provide for one’s other physical and spiritual needs? As we search for a solution to our economic hardships, let us do it in humility and in the spirit of God’s love for us and for one another, and in the light of the core values that we have identified in order to build the Zimbabwe we want.