27 December 2004

Our look at "A Passion for the Possible" continues



In the New Testament, wealthy people like Zacchaeus, Lazarus, and Joseph of Arimathea receive sympathetic treatment. Still Jesus doesn't hesitate to generalize that it is harder for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. To quote Helda Camara again, "I used to think when I was a child that Christ might have been exaggerating when he warned about the dangers of wealth. Today I know better. I know how hard it is to be rich and still keep the milk of human kindness. Money has a dangerous way of freezing people's hands, eyes, lips, and hearts."



At times, it can be easy for some folks to bash the rich. Coffin doesn't do that here. In fact, with the quote by Camara, there is more of a deep concern for the rich and the what the rich miss in life when they are consumed by their wealth. Jesus may have had more to say about the dangers of being rich than any other condition among us...but he had to...it can be such a monster in our lives. When I reach Camara's quote about losing the "milk of human kindness," I thought of the play "A Christmas Carol" and what a sad character Scrooge was...when he lacked the ability and the desire to be compassionate and kind. What is so unfortunate is that today we lack Jesus' firm approach and words to the rich. Instead, the overall policy toward the rich seems to be: don't disturb them, let's try to do what they will want, or let's play the way they want to play. In the end, our endowment fund might grow a bit and a few programs here and there may receive more money, but do we usually help them deepen their lives so that they are not merely known as the rich?



Connection: In our prayers today it would be good to include those who we know are rich. We don't have to say what we would like for them - that's a bit self-centered. We need only lift them up to God's care and power.



Benevolent Lord, for all the people of our world, the rich and the poor, let your Spirit be a guide into a life of creativity and compassion that makes them rich with the vision of your Reign. Amen.