Thirty-five years ago, the Berlin Wall came down, and the world collectively exhaled. The Cold War was over. Democracy had won. Francis Fukuyama famously declared it might be the “end of history,” as Western liberal democracy was destined to become the global standard.
Spoiler alert: it didn’t.
In fact, the world didn’t just fail to embrace democracy—it seems to have taken a hard left turn into authoritarianism. Russia, once a fledgling democracy, is now flexing its muscles as one of the most aggressive authoritarian regimes on Earth. China, instead of opening up, has doubled down on oppression and power. And let’s not forget the Western world, where a kind of thinking has crept into the Church that looks less like Jesus and more like a political strongman.
It’s called zero-sum thinking. And it’s a dangerous game.
What Is Zero-Sum Thinking?
Zero-sum thinking is the belief that life is a fixed pie. If someone else gets a bigger slice, it means your slice is smaller.
If immigrants come, they’re taking your jobs.
If the government helps someone else, it’s at your expense.
If another country succeeds, it’s because they’re stealing from you.
It’s the idea that every gain for someone else is a loss for you—and you better make sure you end up on top.
Contrast that with positive-sum thinking, which says cooperation creates more for everyone. The pie can grow. Free trade, protected rights, and goodwill can lead to flourishing—not just for you, but for your neighbor, too.
The postwar American order was built on positive-sum thinking. The Marshall Plan, NATO, the United Nations, and global trade led to decades of peace and prosperity.
But somewhere along the way, the story changed. Factories closed. Wages stagnated. People lost jobs, homes, and hope. And when hope dries up, zero-sum thinking thrives.
The Church’s Role in a Zero-Sum World
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: zero-sum thinking hasn’t just taken over politics and economics—it’s taken root in the Church.
It’s in the way some Christians talk about immigrants.
It’s in the way they vote for leaders who promise to “protect” them from others.
It’s in the way they see generosity as naïve, justice as a threat, and strongman politics as the solution.
This is not the gospel. It’s the opposite of the gospel.
Jesus didn’t preach a zero-sum Kingdom. He described a world where generosity multiplies, where mercy begets mercy, where loving your enemy doesn’t leave you empty but fills you with grace.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”
“Blessed are the peacemakers.”
“Give, and it will be given to you.”
That’s not zero-sum thinking. That’s a Kingdom where a handful of loaves feeds thousands, and there’s still enough left over to fill twelve baskets.
Philippians 2:4 puts it plainly: “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
Not, “Look to your own interests first, and then see if there’s anything left over for others.”
Not, “Protect what’s yours because someone else’s gain is your loss.”
Just — “Look to the interests of others.”
What Churches Can Do
So, what’s the Church’s role in a world that’s drowning in zero-sum thinking?
Here’s the thing: the solution isn’t just economic policy. It’s a better story.
Here’s how pastors and churches can start telling it:
- Preach generosity as a theological conviction, not a financial strategy.
God’s abundance isn’t threatened by your neighbor’s flourishing. Loving your enemy doesn’t leave you with less love to go around. Giving doesn’t empty you—it multiplies. - Call out zero-sum thinking when you see it.
When political rhetoric pits people against each other, when congregational conflict turns into turf wars, when fear drives people to resent rather than bless—name it. Don’t let it fester. - Model positive-sum community.
Make the Church a place where someone else’s blessing is celebrated, not resented. Where generosity is visible. Where people see that God’s Kingdom grows, not shrinks, when we love each other well. - Help people grieve honestly.
Zero-sum thinking often grows in the soil of real loss. Real pain. Real fear. People who’ve lost jobs, homes, or hope need space to grieve—and they need pastors who will sit with them in that grief, not dismiss it.
The Bottom Line
The Berlin Wall fell. Democracy didn’t win. And now, we’re living in a world where zero-sum thinking is everywhere—even in the pews.
But the Church has a story that’s bigger than zero-sum thinking.
It’s the story of a God who didn’t just make the pie bigger—He made a world where seeds buried in the ground produce a harvest, where a widow’s oil never runs dry, where the prodigal son comes home to find that there’s still more than enough welcome left for him.
That’s the story we need right now.
It’s still true.
And it’s the Church’s job to keep telling it—especially when the world has stopped believing it.
“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
— Philippians 2:4