hints of grace// wealth

One summer when I was home from college, I did a bible study with a few friends and our pastor. We met every week and walked through the gospel of Mark and had snacks. We called it "Mark and Munchies." I learned a ton during that summer and loved every second of it. I have always remembered this one passage that in retrospect seems really not enlightening, but was at the time. It's from Mark 12:41-44. It is stated like this in The Message: 

Sitting across from the offering box, he was observing how the crowd tossed money in for the collection. Many of the rich were making large contributions. One poor widow came up and put in two small coins—a measly two cents. Jesus called his disciples over and said, “The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. All the others gave what they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t afford—she gave her all."

I was reminded of this while I was reading Chittister's chapter on "Wealth." Wealth is a hard topic and particularly in this country where no one is "supposed to" talk about it, but those who have it do and those who don't have it, don't. Many kids who grow up poor often do not realize that was the case until they are exposed to a world of economic disparity.

The overwhelming theme of this chapter from Uncommon Gratitude seemed to be what I drew from the scripture passage about: We do the best we can with what we have. This is a reality I have yet to live into, but I know it is a mandate of the gospel. It is a way of living that Jesus calls us to and I am faced every day with the challenge to do more out of my wealth than I am currently doing.

Chittister quoted the chinese philosopher, Hsi-Tang, who said, "Although gold dust is precious, when it gets in your eyes it obstructs your vision." Rather than thinking of people for whom this is true, I immediately jump to private hospitals, insurance companies, banks, and other big institutions that continuously seek to make a profit over caring for people, institutions who lean into empire over creation, fear over love, and oppress rather than empower.

That is what having wealth is about: "...[I]t gives us the power to do good. It is not the amount of money a person has that determines her or his real power; it is what the person does with it that measures her or his lasting influence in a society" (23).

I invite your thoughts about this tricky topic of wealth.... Let's have a discussion.