by Ely Smith
Today, April 15, is Tax Day.
Working for H&R Block, I have helped hundreds of Americans render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s.
I have never had a client who wasn’t happy to get a refund. But occasionally, I see someone who complains nonstop and feels that taxes are a burden that shouldn’t be placed on them. It is then that I silently wish that they could travel to another county to see just how their life would be elsewhere.
Perhaps they would prefer to live in the colonias of Mexico with no electricity, water or sanitation. Perhaps they should go to one of the remote areas of Africa and be grateful for even a jug of water each day. Perhaps they would prefer to live in China where even speaking against the government is still dangerous.
Our government is not perfect. Some days we learn that it is far, far from perfect; but life in America is still a dream that many of the people in the world couldn’t even imagine.
Pray for our country. Pray for its leaders and vote for laws that promote justice and equality.
Ely Smith served two terms as treasurer for Women of the ELCA’s executive board. She lives in Fircrest, Wash., a small city on the edge of Tacoma and attends Trinity Lutheran Church in Tacoma.
A version of this blog first appeared on the Women of the ELCA website in April 2016.