Tag Archives: Greed

Fear of Wholeness

Lent

March 29, 2020

Scripture Reading:
John 11:1-45

When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, ‘The Teacher is here and is calling for you.’ And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’ But some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?’ –John 11:28-36

What indeed is it that we want? Do we want all that God has to offer and all that money has to offer tied up in a pretty package handed to us on a golden platter? Jesus said, ‘No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. (Matthew 6:24) It is an interesting conundrum the option to serve God who loves us completely, sustains us in a world designed to meet our needs, and hopes that we fulfill all the possibilities innate in our creation and still we want more. The scripture above ends with the words of those who want more. It reminds me of a scene from Jesus Christ Superstar where the crowds are clawing at Jesus as he walks through their world wanting more and more. He eventually gives his life for all. The real problem is our taking bits and pieces from God and from the world afraid to commit fully to either, hoping to pick and chose only the pieces that fulfill our present desires. Are we afraid of the wholeness God offers?

You can have anything you want
You can drift, you can dream, even walk on water
Anything you want
You can own everything you see
Sell your soul for complete control
Is that really what you need?
You can lose yourself this night
See inside there is nothing to hide
Turn and face the light*

Prayer: Lord, make us whole; make us one. Amen.

Excerpt from Pink Floyd song What do You Want from Me? Written by Dave Gilmour / Polly Samson / Rick Wright see at https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS852US852&sxsrf=ALeKk03WJKzRZXK9wxoqSK18vv606rfD7w%3A1585406974741&ei=_mN_XoXsLIG6sQXT56rgCA&q=what+do+you+want+from+me+lyrics&oq=what+do+you+want+f&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQARgCMgQIIxAnMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAOgQIABBHOgYIABAWEB5QgE1Y7lVgi2xoAHACeACAAVyIAesDkgEBN5gBAKABAaoBB2d3cy13aXo&sclient=psy-ab

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Screwtape Letters

Epiphany

February 4, 2020

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 58:1-9

Is not this the fast that I choose:
   to loose the bonds of injustice,
   to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
   and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
   and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
   and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
   and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator shall go before you,
   the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
   you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. –Isaiah 58:6-9

I thought this morning I need to reread The Screwtape Letters the story of a master devil training an intern. It has been several years since I read it. I did see it in play form at a theater a few years ago. The part that came to my mind this morning was the part where the master devil tells his intern not to worry about those folks who are observing their religious practices as that should keep them busy. What he did not want to happen is those same folks living their faith doing the things God required of them.

The Israelites never stop their religious practices all the way to exile. They lost their focus on what it meant to be a child of God, a participant in the covenant with God. They got more wrapped up in the benefits of wealth than either following God’s ways or being a blessing to other nations**. Sound familiar. Recently, I heard a citizen being interviewed about our upcoming election saying that her 401k was doing great and that is all that mattered to her. I guess she has never heard of the stock market crash of 1929 or the 1973 oil crisis or the 1979 energy crisis or the 2007 recession. Reread the above scripture and consider how that kind of mindset fits in God’s plan.

Prayer: God forgive us when we turn to lesser gods of greed and classism. Help us find our true vocation in sharing your love. Amen.

*It is actually online now at http://www.samizdat.qc.ca/arts/lit/PDFs/ScrewtapeLetters_CSL.pdf

**See Genesis 22:18

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

The Greatest Gift

Advent

December 1, 2019

Scripture Reading: Matthew 24:36-44

‘But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

Black Friday is aptly named but not because it is the one day in the year that retail businesses and now internet stores make the most money increasing their income, so they finish the financial year in the black rather than the red. It is a bit ironic that red with some green are the most prevalent colors decorating the shops and mails. I heard a report on the news recently that many are still paying the credit card debt for their purchases last year.

I once thought the Santa-based side of Christmas was innocent fun and I just wished it could be separated from the birth of Christ, a very sacred celebration. Watching the madness of Black Friday now makes me wonder, if Black Friday is just a mass celebration of greed one of the forces of evil taking over our world. I wonder how the prophet Amos would describe it.

I sat with a friend after her colonoscopy and heard the doctor advise her that even though she felt fine she should not drive or sign any legal documents or make any purchases for 24 hours because the anesthetic she had taken was still in her system and her thinking my be impaired. I wonder if greed acts as an anesthetic blinding us to the reality of our behavior.

I am not saying we should not give gifts or share in meals with friends and relatives. I am suggesting that we carefully consider the enticements of greed and avoid them at all cost. And I am saying there is deep joy in spending time in devotion and worship regarding the incarnation of God for indeed, it is the greatest gift anyone will ever receive.

Prayer: Lord, protect us from the enticements of greed as we once again prepare to celebrate your coming to be with us in human form. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Satisfied Mind

Kingdom Building

September 26, 2019

Scripture Reading:

1 Timothy 6:6-19

Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. –1 Timothy 6:6-19

I grew up with country music. My dad sang and played the guitar. He loved the songs of the blue yodeler, Jimmie Rogers. So, I am enjoying learning about country music history on the PBS Ken Burns country music documentary. The song that came to mind after reading this scripture from Timothy was A Satisfied Mind.

How many times have you heard someone say,
“If I had his money I’d do things my way.”
But little they know that it’s so hard to find
One rich man in ten with a satisfied mind*.

We are suffering from an epidemic of greed in our world that is plunging us into ruin and destruction. Riches is the idol of our times and idols only possess the illusion of satisfaction. Greed is an addiction worse than tobacco or heroin. When we were in college, my roommates and I had very limited funds. We pooled our resources to pay rent on a garage apartment that had one large room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. Hamburger was the most expensive food we bought, and we always bought the cheapest kind that was 20% fat, If I remember correctly. Since that experience, I observed that most of us live lives dedicated to obtaining more and better stuff, whether we need it or not, while some of our neighbors near or far do not have enough of the necessities of life. There is more to life than the pursuit of prime steak.

What we value in life matters from our food, clothing, and shelter to our work, education, and entertainment. Jesus calls us to value God first and people second. All material resources are only a means to the end of living within those values.

Prayer: God of Justice, forgive us when we turn to greed for our satisfaction. Open our eyes to the idols we worship and grant us the courage to resist their temptations. Amen.

*First verse of A Satisfied Mind by Red Hays, see at http://www.bobdylanroots.com/satisf.html

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Complacency and Greed

Kingdom Building

August 23, 2019

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 12:18-29

See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking; for if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject the one who warns from heaven! At that time his voice shook the earth; but now he has promised, ‘Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven.’ This phrase ‘Yet once more’ indicates the removal of what is shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; for indeed our God is a consuming fire. –Hebrews 12:25-29

Fire possesses a consuming finality that cannot be undone. I am not sure what we call our damaging fires in Oklahoma whether they are forest fires, as they are often the result of red cedar trees exploding and expanding the carnage, or prairie fires. We do have a lot of prairie. Such fires seem to destroy everything in sight. Grass turns into black sticks, farm machinery melts into quirky modern sculptures, and the smell of death hangs in the air from animals that could not escape.

Following a cold winter that looks bleaker against the blackened burnt earth, new grass grows, tiny green sprouts begin to pop out of the earth with the birth of new trees, and the songs of wild birds echo through the air as squirrels and rabbit begin to scamper about in search of food. God’s all-consuming fire is the source of renewal.

Complacency tied to greed may be our most prevalent act that separates us from God. Indeed, that is an apt description of white privilege or wealth privilege or any attitude that is so ingrained it becomes a part of us and we mistake it for God’s will when it is not. God calls us to constant and consistent work toward making a better world for all God’s children. Let me give you an example of such work gone awry. Insulin was first used to treat diabetes on January 11, 1922. Prior to that time type 1 diabetes was a death sentence. Today drug companies are exploiting that wonderful discovery to enrich their stockholders and themselves increasing the number of deaths among diabetics because they cannot afford to buy the insulin, that would save them.

God does not have a history of patience with such behavior. God sent warnings through the prophets, but God’s followers did not heed their messages. We can learn from their mistakes.

Prayer: God, forgive us for our complacency and greed burning them out of our being. Renew our hearts and minds to shape a world that matches your vision. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Tower of Babel

Eastertide

June 4, 2019

Scripture Reading: Genesis 11:1-9

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, ‘Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.’ And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.’ The Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which mortals had built. And the Lord said, ‘Look, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down, and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.’ So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore it was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

While this scripture is a puzzlement, I think it is trying to say what Lord Acton said a bit more succinctly in the mid-1800’s, “Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely.” It is frightening how easy it seems for humans to slip into taking advantage of others simply because they can. Our checks and balances form of government was designed specifically to deflect that from happening in the representative democracy that was formed. We test that premise when one or more of the three areas of government seeks to conquer the others. Combining lust for power with rampant greed can have devastating results with which our government is struggling now. The history of the world does not report good outcomes for other nations that have fallen prey to out-of-control lust for power and greed. Rome’s government disintegrated because it failed to address health issues like the plague and the weather-related challenges of draughts and earthquakes while it continued to grow the greatest and mightiest military in the world.

Lust for power and greed start in the hearts and minds of individuals. They grow exponentially when those individuals come together to maximize their individual wealth. Like a Ponzi scheme they eventually implode negatively impacting everyone and everything in their path.

As followers of Christ we are called to a oneness that is the opposite of lust for power and greed. We are called to find common ground for the common good and that is true of our individual lives, our spiritual lives, and our civic lives.

Prayer: Lord, open our hearts and minds to any lust for power or greed that is driving our ambitions. Show us how we can grow together as good stewards of your world and all that is in it. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Greed

Eastertide

May 27, 2019

Scripture Reading: Acts 16:16-34

One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, ‘These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.’ She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, ‘I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ And it came out that very hour.

 But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market-place before the authorities. When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, ‘These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe.’ The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. –Acts 16:16-24

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. (1 Timothy 6:10)

The United States of America perhaps the whole world is suffering from an epidemic of greed. If we do not overcome it, rampant greed will lead to our demise. From aircraft builders who shortcut safety inspections to make more money to thousands of lobbyists* trying to buy our government’s support, we are impacted in negative ways everyday by greed. Most of us have a touch of greed ourselves. We, also, want to have our cake and eat it too.

The evilest ramification of greed is that it demands layers of worth among people. A slave-girl suffering from a mental illness is only worth what her unusual behavior nets her owner in profit. Being healed resulted in the diminishment of her value to such an extent that her owner filed charges against Paul and Silas for robbing him of his cash cow. We have no idea what being made whole cost her.

The slavery we deal with today involves human trafficking. Similar challenges lie in our immigration issues. I totally believe that we do not have good and fair immigration laws because many individuals and businesses benefit financially from a readily available group of undocumented aliens who are willing to work for less than American citizens because that is better than life in their country of origin.

Greed is sin and we as followers of Christ need to recognize it for what it is, repent when we are directly involved in greed, and demand justice when we see it manifested in the lives of others.

Prayer: Lord, open our eyes to any situation where we are overtly or covertly practicing greed, forgive us and guide us in ways to defeat it. Amen.

*There were 11,444 registered federal lobbyists in 2018; there are 535 members of Congress. https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/01/drain-the-swamp-lobbyists-are-filling-it-up/

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Called to Break the Silence

Lent
April 14, 2019

Scripture Reading: Luke 19:28-40

As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying,
‘Blessed is the king
   who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,
   and glory in the highest heaven!’
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, order your disciples to stop.’ He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.’ –Luke 19:36-40

What happens when the stones seem silent? Prophets warned the Israelite of pending doom and few if any paid attention. Exile resulted. For many years, experts have warned of the impact of climate change and are ridiculed by political leaders, while coastal areas deal with rising water and we all deal with unusual weather. A policy of reducing taxes for the wealthiest with the idea that wealth would trickle down to the poor failed in the 1920’s resulting in the Great Depression, failed again in the 1980’s leading to a recession, failed again at the beginning of the 21st Century resulting in another recession, and was implemented once more in 2017. The result is the rich get richer, the poor get poorer and the stabilizing middle class shrinks. People with diabetes are dying because they cannot afford insulin. A patient with Type 1 diabetes incurred annual insulin costs of $5,705, on average, in 2016. The average cost was roughly half that, at $2,864 per patient, in 2012, according to a report released on Tuesday by the nonprofit Health Care Cost Institute*. This essentially is the same insulin produced a hundred years ago.

Greed lies at the heart of all these major problems we face. As followers of Christ made in the image of God, we are called to emulate Christ in loving God and loving one another. In the simplest of terms, love means wanting the very best for another. Greed is the antitheses of love.

Are we destined to find ourselves in exile because we have failed to listen to the prophets of today?  Are we unwilling to turn around from the greed that seeps into our every day life? Are we willing to speak for the voiceless? Is God waiting for a signal from us that we are ready to deal with the realities of our world? Christ followers in our story above raised their voices in celebration of this One sent by God. It is in that context that Christ said if you do not listen to these you will hear from God on their behalf.

God made the earth and all that is within it including us. God calls us into partnership to build a better world. When God sees we are ready to act God can and will bring the entire weight of and earth to complement our efforts evening to having those stones shout.

Prayer: Lord, empower our drooping hands and strengthen our weak knees** as we step forward in faith to love away greed. Amen.

*https://www.nbcnews.com/health/diabetes/u-s-insulin-costs-patient-nearly-doubled-2012-2016-study-n961296
**Derived from Hebrews 12:12

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

False Prophets

Jesus’ Ministry
February 20, 2019

Scripture Reading: Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40

Do not fret because of the wicked;
   do not be envious of wrongdoers,
for they will soon fade like the grass,
   and wither like the green herb. 

Trust in the Lord, and do good;
   so you will live in the land, and enjoy security.
Take delight in the Lord,
   and he will give you the desires of your heart.

 Commit your way to the Lord;
   trust in him, and he will act.
He will make your vindication shine like the light,
   and the justice of your cause like the noonday. –Psalm 37:1-6

If it were not so serious, the advent of the mighty “socialism” becoming the scourge of our land would be amusing. Socialism is defined as any of various theories or social and political movements advocating or aiming at collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and control of the distribution of goods*. Does that sound like health care for all or free and appropriate education? These are both services that provide the workforce for capitalism to thrive. What we are doing as a nation is using our tax dollars so corporations can make big profits that are not being reinvested in the Common Good.

Contrary to popular opinion, most non-elderly adults receiving food stamps, Medicaid, and child care subsidies work. Our tax dollars provide these subsidies for corporations who do not pay living wages but who do enjoy the fruits of their employee’s labor through the profits the business earns. Cities and states routinely provide corporations tax incentives to encourage companies to locate in their area. We denigrate the recipients of public assistance while we hold in high esteem the moguls of industry both living off the dole with the corporations the ultimate winners in both instances.

The average CEO-to-worker pay ratio for the 168 companies included in this report stands at about about 70-to-1, with some CEOs making more than 300 times the median salary of their employees – just in cash (base pay, bonuses, profit sharing, etc.). Many CEOs receive substantial stock/option grants and perks as part of their compensation, which can more than quadruple their total annual pay. But similar data for employees by company is not readily available, so we looked solely at cash compensation for both CEOs and workers to calculate ratios for this report**.

Prayer: Lord, create in us clean hearts so our doing justice is not blinded by false prophets of greed. Amen.

*http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/socialism
**CEO Pay: How Much Do CEOs Make Compared to Their Employees? See at https://www.payscale.com/data-packages/ceo-pay

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

False Prophets

Jesus’ Ministry
February 17, 2019

Scripture Reading: Luke 6:17-26

‘But woe to you who are rich,
   for you have received your consolation.
‘Woe to you who are full now,
   for you will be hungry.
‘Woe to you who are laughing now,
   for you will mourn and weep.

  ‘Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets. –Luke 6:24-26

I have read the entire Bible through a couple of times. Now, I am not suggesting that is the best way to study the Bible but when we first get started as young adults, we search for ways to understand our faith. It certainly was not a waste of time. I have continued to be a Bible student all my life using various means of study. That said, it never stops to amaze me how many times I read a scripture, a very familiar scripture like the one above, and see something I have never processed before. The last verse above was startling to me as I read it today. Perhaps it stood out because my software set it apart from the other section of the scripture.

We live in a world that speaks well of people because they are saying what we want to hear as the false prophets of old did. These people are very good at manipulating us as were the false prophets of old. They are the false prophets of our day. We ignore or rebuke people who speak the truth we do not want to hear.

Perhaps one of the greatest lies is the statement that, if the rich get richer the poor will eventually get rich too. It has never happened as far as I know in the history of the world, but it is one of the most common messages preached by false prophets. The very existence of wealth differences demands winners and losers. The other popular message is that cutting taxes puts more money back into the economy. When the truth is that all money spent goes back into the economy including our tax dollars. Most tax dollars are spent relatively quickly while many private dollars are invested and saved for later use.

In the scripture above, Jesus is encouraging us to recognize greed when it creeps into our hearts and minds and to fight against it before it destroys us.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we fall prey to the false prophets. Help us to see the better way of finding common ground for the Common Good. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.