A Christian Perspective

“Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.”
—Genesis 3:17 (NIV)

And so it was, for many years.

But something changed. No matter how true this was in the beginning, it is clearly no longer true today. Most of us have no trouble finding enough food. And if we grow it ourselves, it’s usually because we enjoy it—because it’s fun, healthy, or fulfilling. Rarely because it’s necessary.

But for some of our neighbors, something has gone terribly wrong.

They don’t even have the option of working hard to make ends meet. We sometimes point to the verse, “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat,” as justification for withholding help—calling it tough love. But we should know better. People are working two, even three jobs—and still falling short.

If we want to honor the spirit of that message, we should apply it fairly. Because the truth is, the wealthy often eat without working, too.

We need a new approach.

Every week we pray, “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
But too often we settle for band-aids—temporary fixes—when what’s needed is faith, hope, and love in action. We’re not just called to be generous to the poor. We’re called to end poverty.

Wait, you might be thinking. What about this line:

“The poor you will always have with you.”
It’s often quoted to suggest poverty is inevitable.

But Jesus’ audience wouldn’t have misunderstood. He was referencing Deuteronomy 15—and they would have heard the full call:

“There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be open-handed…”

Open-handed.
Not a posture of pity—but of partnership.
A step even beyond UBI—and one the world sorely needs today.

🕰️ The Time We Broke

Time used to be the gift.
And for a long while, it was enough.

You could spend your time building a home, growing food, trading goods—and you’d survive. But with progress—with our tools, our systems, and our complexity—we broke that link.

Now, time alone isn’t enough. And so it’s on us to restore what we’ve disrupted: to make sure everyone has what’s needed to make it.

That might feel strange. Giving something away for free? With no strings attached?

But that’s not the model we were given.

“He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
—Matthew 5:45

That’s grace.
Provision not based on worthiness, but on need.
No red tape. No hoops. Just sun. Just rain.

💡 Grace First

If God gives like that, we can too.

Universal Basic Income isn’t a handout.
It’s a reflection of that kind of grace.

We don’t wait until someone earns it.
We give—because the need is real.
And we trust the giving itself will open hearts.

Grace comes first. Always.