Jamin Bradley

“That’s not how I want my taxes being spent,” is an expression I’ve heard a lot lately. As a pacifist, I understand this sentiment, as I’ve never wanted any of my money going to the massive budget we invest into violence. But year after year I’ve come to understand that I have no choice but to pay my federal taxes and little control over how they’re used outside of voting. The government is not a non-profit I get to choose to give to based on their principles.

When the topic of taxes was brought to Jesus, he told everyone to notice the emperor’s likeness engraved on the coin. He then gave a simple response: “Give Caesar his things and give God his things.” Perhaps Jesus was more bluntly saying, “The emperor can have his petty coins with his likeness. God, on the other hand, should have all of you, because you’re made in his likeness.”

This isn’t to say that we shouldn’t care about where our taxes go or that we shouldn’t petition that they be used differently. Jesus partially kept his reply short and general because the people asking him the question were trying to trap him by making him say something controversial on a hot topic. By all means, create some holy ruckus when money is used to oppress instead of support. But the idea that a government better spend our money as we see fit is little more than a pipe dream. From the start of its creation, it’s always been the government’s money, and very rarely (if ever) do matters of great wealth give way to matters of great health.

And so the question becomes: When you can’t change the world with the likeness of taxes, how might you change it with the likeness of God? If violence will always exist no matter how taxes are allocated, how can the likeness of God in us bring healing to the lives of the oppressed and their oppressors right where we’re at?