book report

I recently finished reading "The Israel Test" by George Gilder.
I cannot help but see familiar themes and ideas, and a few new ideas to pursue. Part of this is due to my religious instruction.

I see themes about the scattering and regathering of the House of Israel as prophesied and partially chronicled in the Old Testament and history in general.
I see aspects of the New Testament expression/symbols drawn from Old Testament ones: the Bride being the covenant people of God/the church/the House of Israel as represented by any of its constituent tribes; the Whore Of All The Earth being those who fight against the Bride, who Israel 'went a whoring after' in the Old Testament.
I see how God worked through remnants of His covenant people, wherever in the world they had gone to, to push civilization forward.

Gilder starts the book addressing an idea that is very much a subtext of my religious training. "The real issue is between the rule of law and the rule of leveler egalitarianism, between creative excellence and covetous "fairness," between admiration of achievement versus envy and resentment of it." (The Israel Test, pg 3, pp2)

I do not believe God has a problem with men prospering. I do believe He and has problem with man giving in to the temptations of the flesh and forgetting his fellows. I do not count the 'Seven Deadly Sins' as doctrine, yet they are profitable for study, and as a good demarcation of which side of above the argument you are on.

Gilder asks a few questions in his thesis as he start the book, to wit:
"What is your attitude toward people who excel you in the creation of wealth or in other accomplishment?
"Do you aspire to their excellence, or do you seethe at it?
"Do you admire and celebrate exceptional achievement, or do you impugn it and seek to tear it down?"
 (The Israel Test, pg 3, pp4)

In his summary of his conclusions at the end of the book, Gilder ties the future of Israel and the United States together, saying in so many words, that as one goes, so goes the other.

As I look around, I see that there are many who have been instructed to seethe and demand 'fairness' from those who prosper. "From each according to his means to each according to their needs." They say that is fair.
I say two points in response, but since neither would make a good sound bite it is nearly impossible to say them. First: I believe God is more concerned with Justice and Mercy, than he is with 'fair.' I will do my best to stand with and echo God in my own concerns that way. But since I am only a single puny man, I will resort to the prayer summarized as 'strength to change what I can, serenity to accept what I can not, wisdom to know the difference' and then let God handle the rest.
Second: to those who do not want to accept God's involvement, don't worry. He has a heaven set aside for you, where he will not be involved. '...In my fathers house are many mansions...' and all that, from The Savior. And from Paul on that same subject, '...one glory of the sun, and one glory of the moon, and one glory of the stars...' Though I believe we are saved from death and hell by the grace of Christ and will be resurrected, we are assigned to our mansions of glory by our works, for just as one person is more faithful than another, so also does God in his justice have a more glorious mansion for the more faithful. Those worried about 'fair' will get their fair share; if they want more, they will seek for more. I would hope they would abandon their childishness and demands for fairness, and start to work to improve themselves, while at the same time encouraging others to the same. "...the greatest of all will be the servant of all..."