Submitted to the Red Rock News for 11/22/24
- Rev. Dona Johnson |November 17, 2024
Greed is a vice that distorts the natural desires that, when unchecked, lead to significant personal and communal harm writes author Rebecca DeYoung. Greed deals with the compulsive consumption of material wealth. A good example, you may have a huge nest egg of financial investments stored away, but there is always this nagging voice that says, “Oh if I could have just a little bit more.” We accumulate because of an underlying insecurity. We fear that we will run out of money before leave this world. And this is surely a legitimate fear. And yet the more we have seems to create more anxiety and dissatisfaction, a vicious cycle.
Henri Nouwen makes an interesting point; the two main enemies of the spiritual life are anger and greed. “Greed and anger are brother and sister of the false self—the self we fabricate by the compulsions of an unredeemed world.” Maybe deep down, we are angry because we are not the people we want to be. So we keep accumulating more of just about everything in hopes that we will quell the unspoken dissatisfaction we have with ourselves. Nouwen continues, “Anger paralyzes a generous heart.”
So what do we do with this dilemma? Turning to Scripture, it’s surprising to learn that out of Jesus’ 38 parables, in 16 of them he mentions money and possessions more than faith and prayer (Matt. 18:23-25; 25:14-30; Mark 10:17-30…). Why? He knew all too well the weakness of the human heart. We want eternity but we also want the worldly benefits of what money can buy for us right now! But Jesus’ concern was not about our having money per se, but our obsession with it. And to be overly focused on money endangers our spiritual lives.
If greed is the vice, then generosity is its virtue. Generosity is a fruit of the spiritual life. Christians among all people, are called to be over-the-top generous with their money and possessions towards the church, other Christians and all who suffer. Looking back centuries ago, several of the early church fathers who fled the distractions of ecclesiastical life, made pilgrimages to the desert to be closer with God. They intentionally took vows of poverty, lived meagerly to get away from the earthly compulsions of greed, money and living a false Christian witness. St. Basil the Great came out of his desert experience after twenty years so transformed by the voice of the God, that he vowed to use his life, his God-given natural abilities and resources to help the suffering, to care for the orphans and widows. In 386 A.D. he built one of the first hospitals. He also went on to build orphanages and homes for the elderly.
Chris Hall, author of the video series “Desert Spirituality” asks: If Basil were to sit with us in our living rooms right now, what advice or spiritual practice might he suggest that we undertake to become more generous? I believe he would suggest the spiritual practice of ‘proximity.’ Proximity, to be close to and not distant from people who suffer. In other words, to be so deeply moved by the suffering of others that you feel it in your bones. It opens your heart and opens your purse strings. When you truly take in the suffering and poverty of people, animals and creation, you can’t help but give, and give generously. When you understand that their suffering by the grace of God is not yours—it moves you to radical action. Reformer Martin Luther was on point when he said, “People go through three conversions: The conversion of their head, their heart, and their pocketbook. Unfortunately, not all at the same time.”
Thanksgiving is almost upon us. What is the Lord asking you to see that you are not seeing? Each of us can become a more generous person, holding what we possess lightly. The result of which is freedom— freedom from the sin of our own greed and abundance for others.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are so extremely generous, you hold nothing back. Lord make me a generous person, if there is any greed within me, cleanse me and make me whole. Amen.
- Rev. Dona Johnson |November 17, 2024