Money -- Master or Servant?

November -- the time of the harvest, gathering in the fruits of the earth, and the bounty of God’s blessings. No wonder this is the month we celebrate Thanksgiving. Living in the one of the wealthiest communities in the wealthiest nation in the world should mean that we have lots to be thankful for -- especially if we consider material wealth to be the primary source of our thankfulness. But sometimes material wealth can be revealing as to what our true motivations and desires are.

Jesus and his brothers associated themselves with a specific community when they started their ministry. That community was known as “The Poor.” In the Acts of the Apostles, it is simply called “The Way.”

Acts (4:32, 34-35) describes that community:

Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

That description came to mind on Sunday, October 17, as I read the morning edition of the Journal News -- specifically, an article about how the current flu shot fiasco was revealing the true nature of our health care system. The point that stood out for me was the claim that the shortage of vaccine this year could be attributed to the fact that the shots are too inexpensive. By this logic, if we only made the shots more expensive, more pharmaceutical corporations would be encouraged to produce the vaccine.

There’s a Catch-22 here, though. If the vaccine is more expensive, then the elderly and needy (including a large percentage of children from single-parent families) probably won’t be able to afford it and they are the ones who need it. Compare this kind of society to that early community that gathered around Jesus, James, Symeon, Thomas, and Judas (not Iscariot). Which one expresses more fully the Great Commandment?

In this month of Thanksgiving, it is important for us to recognize the proper priorities in life. The early community that gathered around Jesus and his brothers gave thanks out of the bounty that God provided for them in common. They were thankful because their wealth served them and their needs. Can the same be said of our community or nation?

The crucial question about money is, Who is in charge? Jesus had a clear agenda regarding money. He said, you cannot serve God and money--choose one or the other. That choice will determine whether money is our servant or we are enslaved to the whims of money.

The article in the Journal News reveals a tyrant that is trying to get us to rank the needs of young children and elderly people below those of corporations in search of an extra buck. How many bucks are enough? How many hungry children are enough? How many sick and dying people are enough?

I yearn to be thankful for a country where health needs are met regardless of color, economic status, gender, or age. I yearn to be thankful for a country where corporations are held accountable for meeting their fair share of the common needs. I yearn to be thankful for a country that wages peace before war, a country where concern for one another breaks the bonds of enslavement to the almighty dollar.

These are the real issues that people of faith are called to struggle with even as we give thanks for the bounty God has bestowed upon us. Don’t let these trinkets seduce you! They are but dust. Jesus and his brothers recognized what was truly lasting and worth more than the purest gold – the love we can exhibit for loved one, friend, and stranger.

For the wonderful bounty of love let us all be thankful.

Joel t