To interpret scripture, we must first recognize the “thing” of which it speaks: the incarnation understood through the commandments of love for God and neighbor. Scripture consists of “signs” that disclose that message. Interpreting the signs and communicating their meaning are dynamic processes that engage the “unquiet” of the human condition.

The early church did not provide us with any normative statement on wealth and poverty, but it did give us clear witness to the hazards of wealth and to the abiding necessity of alms for the poor.