Sometimes building ivory towers
Sometimes knocking castles down
Sometimes building you a stairway --
Lock you underground
Its that old-time religion
Its the kingdom they would rule
Its the fool on television
Getting paid to play the fool
Big Money
-Rush
How do we define avarice, or the colloquial term, greed? What separates a healthy desire to improve ones lot in life and a mind bending, life distorting pursuit of wealth or possessions? Is it amounts or percentages? Portfolios and account balances? As is usually the case, the obvious answer is no, but what lies beyond the obvious?
The real cost of greed may well have nothing to do with money, power or wealth, but with loss; and not the loss experienced by the one consumed with greed. To some extent, its not even the loss experienced by those around someone consumed by greed. There is a huge collective loss
in the fulfillment of that greed.
We try to pass off sleight of hand to create a reality that is not ours to have. We charge, lease, finance, mortgage, gamble, pawn, and steal what we cannot rightly own. Upon these, our economy has been laid, slowly supplanting pride of ownership with pride of possession. Then when we can no longer make the payments, we consolidate, start all over again and another foundation stone of our economy is replaced with a playing card. This process is repeated nationwide until we are all living in a teetering house of cards, that inevitably must fall. But even so, the damage goes deeper.
Because we all seem to play make believe with reality, our judgement of value and values are clouded. When nearly anything can be within what appears to be our grasp, nothing means anything any more. While that sounds like simple wordplay at first glance, it is true. We simply objectify everyone and everything, tangible or not, and put it down on our mental balance sheets. We try to buy love with money (real or fake) or possessions which are not really ours in the first place, and thus the object of our desires is devalued.
When nothing we possess is owned, it has no value. Ask any teenager with their first car. "A car, bought and paid for, is polished. A car given is driven and wrecked." We sub-contract our lawn mowing, because we work too much to mow the yard, because the yard is so big, we don't have the time, because the mortgage is too large. It's not our yard anymore. If we don't care for it, its not ours.
All that show is for naught, because the yard in front of the house we don't own, is just like every other yard on the street, that is mowed by the same landscaper, because everyone is at work on Saturday evening.
And the children are home.
Alone, with a babysitter.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
#3 - money is only paper and ink
The Seven Deadly Sins
Sin #3
Greed
This is a hard topic for me.
I am a woman who desires simplicity bordering poverty but is blessed by a nation which thrives on capitalism - so, I will address both - briefly.
Rich Mullins will forever be my modern example of...so much. He was a seemingly wealthy man. He sold millions of albums - and had for a decade. Yet, he chose to live in humble settings accepting only the average income for an American. All of his other money was given to the poor and to the church. He chose what to do with his wealth.
give me neither poverty nor riches....
I do not believe however, that this makes him a better man or less of a man. It is simply something I aspire to.
Then there are men like Bill Gates or Donald Trump, and perhaps we see those names or see them on the television and we think "greed." If a man or woman is wealthy does that make them greedy? Or does it mean they are hard workers who have had great ideas and produced great incomes for themselves? Is a company that hires thousand of Americans a greedy company, or are they simply successful? Who is the greedy one: the million-dollar corporation, or the individual who wants to see them limit production out of "fairness to smaller business?" They are simply men and women who, like Rich, choose what to do with their own wealth.
I have witnessed far more greed in the undeserving. Those looters who yap about how the big business they work for is the great evil of our time - how they should be shut down to give others a chance to succeed. Suck it up you big stinkin' crybabies. Work your ass off and let's see you make it. If you can't, maybe you will be so fortunate to be hired by one who can, but my guess is you couldn't stop sniveling long enough to make it through an interview.
Sin #3
Greed
This is a hard topic for me.
I am a woman who desires simplicity bordering poverty but is blessed by a nation which thrives on capitalism - so, I will address both - briefly.
Rich Mullins will forever be my modern example of...so much. He was a seemingly wealthy man. He sold millions of albums - and had for a decade. Yet, he chose to live in humble settings accepting only the average income for an American. All of his other money was given to the poor and to the church. He chose what to do with his wealth.
give me neither poverty nor riches....
I do not believe however, that this makes him a better man or less of a man. It is simply something I aspire to.
Then there are men like Bill Gates or Donald Trump, and perhaps we see those names or see them on the television and we think "greed." If a man or woman is wealthy does that make them greedy? Or does it mean they are hard workers who have had great ideas and produced great incomes for themselves? Is a company that hires thousand of Americans a greedy company, or are they simply successful? Who is the greedy one: the million-dollar corporation, or the individual who wants to see them limit production out of "fairness to smaller business?" They are simply men and women who, like Rich, choose what to do with their own wealth.
I have witnessed far more greed in the undeserving. Those looters who yap about how the big business they work for is the great evil of our time - how they should be shut down to give others a chance to succeed. Suck it up you big stinkin' crybabies. Work your ass off and let's see you make it. If you can't, maybe you will be so fortunate to be hired by one who can, but my guess is you couldn't stop sniveling long enough to make it through an interview.
Bread
There once was a king of an small dominion who took great pride in his frugality. He often boasted that unlike the rulers of neighboring kingdoms, he bought his food in person at the local market instead of hiring a royal cook.
One day he was making his rounds when he noticed something that had escaped his attention before. For years, there had been one man who'd been his favorite breadmaker, who made the most enormous loafs of bread so soft they could be used as a pillow. What the king had failed to realize until today was that this man was blind.
A sly thought crept into the king's mind. He looked around at his attendants with a grin and a wink, and placed the customary three coins in the tin sitting on the counter. However, instead of taking just the one loaf he had purchased, he quietly took a second. Then, in a moment of inspiration, he turned to the breadmaker and said, "My good man, allow me to give you an extra token of gratitude for all the years you've put good dough on my table." With that, he put another coin into the tin, dropping in from an exaggerated height to ensure it made the loudest noise possible. Speechless, the breadmaker smiled broadly and nodded in appreciation.
This deed quickly became habit for the monarch, and this habit became a new boast. At the royal table, the king would gleam over his bargain bread, anticipating the adoration of his wife, the queen, and his only son, the prince. The queen would listen and smile graciously, but the prince could see the pain in her eyes. He knew that this was not as he had been taught. The closer to manhood the prince grew, the more ill it would make him to eat the king's bread.
As things go, time marched forward, and the day came when the king passed away, and his only son, the prince, ascended to his throne. The new king continued his father's legacy of thrift, but not in his greed. One day he called upon the blind breadmaker.
"Kind sir," the new king said, "I brought you here to confess and make recompense for my father's sin toward you . . ." He told the man how his father would steal an extra loaf from him after paying for only one, and how after this his father would feign charity by dropping the extra coin. The breadmaker's face sunk as he listened, and by the time the confession was finished, he had broken into deep sobs.
Just as the ruler was ready to make a move to comfort his subject, the blind man quietly answered, "If I had known my king was in such great need, I'd have given him both loaves for free." Upon hearing this the king approached the man, put his hands on his shoulders, and pressed his cheek to the poor breadmaker's. For several minutes, the two men wept together.
"Have no worries, my good man," the king whispered. "Today, you have shown my family more generosity than we could ever repay."
One day he was making his rounds when he noticed something that had escaped his attention before. For years, there had been one man who'd been his favorite breadmaker, who made the most enormous loafs of bread so soft they could be used as a pillow. What the king had failed to realize until today was that this man was blind.
A sly thought crept into the king's mind. He looked around at his attendants with a grin and a wink, and placed the customary three coins in the tin sitting on the counter. However, instead of taking just the one loaf he had purchased, he quietly took a second. Then, in a moment of inspiration, he turned to the breadmaker and said, "My good man, allow me to give you an extra token of gratitude for all the years you've put good dough on my table." With that, he put another coin into the tin, dropping in from an exaggerated height to ensure it made the loudest noise possible. Speechless, the breadmaker smiled broadly and nodded in appreciation.
This deed quickly became habit for the monarch, and this habit became a new boast. At the royal table, the king would gleam over his bargain bread, anticipating the adoration of his wife, the queen, and his only son, the prince. The queen would listen and smile graciously, but the prince could see the pain in her eyes. He knew that this was not as he had been taught. The closer to manhood the prince grew, the more ill it would make him to eat the king's bread.
As things go, time marched forward, and the day came when the king passed away, and his only son, the prince, ascended to his throne. The new king continued his father's legacy of thrift, but not in his greed. One day he called upon the blind breadmaker.
"Kind sir," the new king said, "I brought you here to confess and make recompense for my father's sin toward you . . ." He told the man how his father would steal an extra loaf from him after paying for only one, and how after this his father would feign charity by dropping the extra coin. The breadmaker's face sunk as he listened, and by the time the confession was finished, he had broken into deep sobs.
Just as the ruler was ready to make a move to comfort his subject, the blind man quietly answered, "If I had known my king was in such great need, I'd have given him both loaves for free." Upon hearing this the king approached the man, put his hands on his shoulders, and pressed his cheek to the poor breadmaker's. For several minutes, the two men wept together.
"Have no worries, my good man," the king whispered. "Today, you have shown my family more generosity than we could ever repay."
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
#2 - I just can't get enough
The Seven Deadly Sins
Sin #2
Gluttony
I was a latchkey kid. I haven't heard the term in a decade or more, so some of you youngin's may not be familiar. Being a latchkey kid meant that from age 7 or so, I would walk home from school, remove a key from a "hiding place in our front yard" and let myself in the house. Once inside, I could not answer the door, answer the phone or watch TV. I was also very limited on what I could eat. From the time I was a toddler I was not allowed artificial colors, sugar, dyes, you name it - all in an attempt to control my "hyperactivity." In a way I was honored to be trusted with the responsibility of being left alone.
My mother was a fan of ice cream sandwiches. One day I decided to have one myself and removed it from the box, peeled off the thin paper surrounding it and took my first bite of that cool treat. I was enchanted. I was so enchanted I had another, then another, and another - until I had eaten all but one. I looked at the box - the lone sandwich lying on its side knowing mom was going to kill me when she found out. Still, I reached in and took the last one. It was as though I could not control myself. Regardless of the consequences, I was going to have what I wanted.
And I look around and I see it everywhere today. Americans deciding "to hell with it all, I'm having it my way" and eating themselves into the health care system.
We have a parent (GOD) who loves us, and wants us to be healthy- providing good things to eat and the knowledge necessary to be healthy - but also giving us the responsibility to look after ourselves. If we choose to eat the whole box of ice cream sandwiches - or super size ourselves - He won't stop us. But it isn't what is best. It isn't what is good.
If we allow ourselves to become sick as a result, we risk not being able to work.
He who does not work, does not eat.
That should motivate you.
Sin #2
Gluttony
I was a latchkey kid. I haven't heard the term in a decade or more, so some of you youngin's may not be familiar. Being a latchkey kid meant that from age 7 or so, I would walk home from school, remove a key from a "hiding place in our front yard" and let myself in the house. Once inside, I could not answer the door, answer the phone or watch TV. I was also very limited on what I could eat. From the time I was a toddler I was not allowed artificial colors, sugar, dyes, you name it - all in an attempt to control my "hyperactivity." In a way I was honored to be trusted with the responsibility of being left alone.
My mother was a fan of ice cream sandwiches. One day I decided to have one myself and removed it from the box, peeled off the thin paper surrounding it and took my first bite of that cool treat. I was enchanted. I was so enchanted I had another, then another, and another - until I had eaten all but one. I looked at the box - the lone sandwich lying on its side knowing mom was going to kill me when she found out. Still, I reached in and took the last one. It was as though I could not control myself. Regardless of the consequences, I was going to have what I wanted.
And I look around and I see it everywhere today. Americans deciding "to hell with it all, I'm having it my way" and eating themselves into the health care system.
We have a parent (GOD) who loves us, and wants us to be healthy- providing good things to eat and the knowledge necessary to be healthy - but also giving us the responsibility to look after ourselves. If we choose to eat the whole box of ice cream sandwiches - or super size ourselves - He won't stop us. But it isn't what is best. It isn't what is good.
If we allow ourselves to become sick as a result, we risk not being able to work.
He who does not work, does not eat.
That should motivate you.
Gula
"It is a fat nation, of fat people.."
T.E. Lawrence
I find it odd that we always seem to want an out. We want to participate in "The Exception That Proves The Rule", while still holding onto our ability to berate others for violations that are often little more than personal affronts. We seem so happy to call out others indulgences of excess, but only when we can heave ourselves away from the table, wipe the stray crumbs from our mouths, swallow the last of our drink and clear our throat.
As if the excess of calories and libations aren't enough we seem to make the worst of choices in what we consume. We graze our cupboards, looking for that morsel so satisfying, and as soon as our eyes light upon a "Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bomb" we tear into it, consuming the whole thing as a starving man; which it would appear indeed we are.
We are not starving for calories or nutrition, we are starving for content. We are starving for relevance. We are starving for substance. We self-medicate with food and drink, bloating our bodies and emptying our souls. How is that different from the addict on the street or the stranger in the bar, trolling for their next fix, be it drugs, alchohol or meaningless sex? Gluttony seems to be the "Acceptable Sin" in the church. Apparently it's alright to starve our lives of meaning, but pack our bodies with worthless or excess food and drink in the name of "Fellowship", then pray for healing from our diabetes and heart disease brought on by morbid obesity.
Would that we as an Evangelical Culture would develop the same appetite for filling our hearts and souls that we have for filling our stomachs; and for once be willing to let our bodies hunger just a bit.
T.E. Lawrence
I find it odd that we always seem to want an out. We want to participate in "The Exception That Proves The Rule", while still holding onto our ability to berate others for violations that are often little more than personal affronts. We seem so happy to call out others indulgences of excess, but only when we can heave ourselves away from the table, wipe the stray crumbs from our mouths, swallow the last of our drink and clear our throat.
As if the excess of calories and libations aren't enough we seem to make the worst of choices in what we consume. We graze our cupboards, looking for that morsel so satisfying, and as soon as our eyes light upon a "Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bomb" we tear into it, consuming the whole thing as a starving man; which it would appear indeed we are.
We are not starving for calories or nutrition, we are starving for content. We are starving for relevance. We are starving for substance. We self-medicate with food and drink, bloating our bodies and emptying our souls. How is that different from the addict on the street or the stranger in the bar, trolling for their next fix, be it drugs, alchohol or meaningless sex? Gluttony seems to be the "Acceptable Sin" in the church. Apparently it's alright to starve our lives of meaning, but pack our bodies with worthless or excess food and drink in the name of "Fellowship", then pray for healing from our diabetes and heart disease brought on by morbid obesity.
Would that we as an Evangelical Culture would develop the same appetite for filling our hearts and souls that we have for filling our stomachs; and for once be willing to let our bodies hunger just a bit.
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