Wallis proposes that we have a more generous outlook, which views every citizen as important and deserving of dignity. Here, he continues to shed light on facets of reality which often go unnoticed. This is where morality becomes scarily skewed, and those who are most in need of love, mercy and attention are discarded as people who have lost the favor of God through displeasing actions. It is belief that purports that “those who are wealthy are so because they are responsible and righteous, and those who are poor must be irresponsible or even immoral It is the belief that great physical riches indicate that God must be pleased with your actions and that poverty suggests God’s disfavor and even punishment” (Wallis 90).

Wallis also explores what he calls “the Great Lie,” which is a widespread cultural belief that many citizens adhere to without even realizing it. He lays down heavy conviction towards the crooked methods of the wealthy and the manipulation of public perception. He examines the corrupt redistribution method practiced between the rich even as unemployment and wage loss continue to rise: “Yet today, if anyone questions whether these bonuses are actually deserved and whether we, as taxpayers who financed all of this, should be able to share in any of the profits, they are accused of being a socialist, a communist, or worse” (Wallis 222). Wallis more than adequately portrays the dearth of morals and values by the chiefs of countless businesses, as well as dilemma of loss in wages and income inequality. In addition, he points to the Church’s embarrassingly egregious display of perhaps America’s most glaring vice of greed, as well as the CEO of Wal-Mart’s annual income of billions of dollars. Rather than simply present a staunch, ethical diatribe against the unforgiving narcissism of Wall Street, Wallis instead focuses most of his energy on signaling the unwise choices made by ordinary citizens, particularly in the way they view and handle their money.

Consequently, that particular leg of the stool has become excessively long, resulting in an imbalanced system that will soon topple over. Wallis points out that America-as well as the majority of the globe-has permitted the market sector to exercise too much power and influence. The three components consist of the market sector such as Wall Street, the public sector such as the government, and the civil sector such as churches. Wallis provides a metaphor about the current state of our nation in the form of a three-legged stool. Perhaps even more important than economic restoration is our own moral restoration. Yet Wallis reveals the gift veiled in the problem: the opportunity to reclaim our values, as individuals, as families, and as a society. At the outset, the 2008-2009 economic crisis seemed to be a devastating turn for most Americans.

Rediscovering Values by Jim Wallis