FIRST OF ALL-- i'm surprised by the lack of response to my last post. to me that quote as completely changed the way i do evangelism! it made me stop worrying about "shoving Jesus down peoples throats" and start getting it into them in any way that i can. and, i must add, it has been more effective than holding back when i am concerned about offending people.
if people didn't love the quote, i figured they'd hate it and disagree fully. ah well, maybe it doesn't stick out to all as it did to me.
just came back from a "National Philanthropy" luncheon thing. Danielle and i were representing the Salvation Army. it was all very formal, very delicious, and very...pointless. no offense to the philanthropists. i suppose i am one.
the speaker was Justin Trudeau, son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
my table mates (and possibly all 750 guests) were unimpressed.
most of what he said was wishy-washy, insubstantial, shallow, long winded, some might even say self-centered and arrogant. eek.
the Lord is convicting me a bit, however, of my prejudice against the wealthy. i found it hard to like the guy, simply because he is rich and doesn't seem to DO anything. i much prefer the poor who don't do anything. hm. the Lord speaks harshly against the rich in many many verses of Scripture, but i'm sure that it must be wrong of me to be disgusted by all wealthy. thoughts?
here is a though which he threw out, which i will gladly throw away--
we should all give as much as we can, because we gain from it
(is it really giving when you gain in return?)
but in these times of superficiality, it's fun to try and think of something worth preaching on in the midst. here's my best attempt:
"as citizens, we should stop thinking about rights, and start thinking about responsibilities."
okay, so i'm not a Canadian citizen, but i am a citizen of heaven. as a citizen of heaven, i ought not think only about what rights that gives me, but also about what responsibilities my citizenship gives me. that could preach, don't you think?
meh. it's the most i could find in between lines of filler and ramble.
so, is it wrong for me to be repulsed by the wealthy?
7 comments:
As for disliking the wealthy -- what's behind the dislike/disdain?Is it a sense of superiority even in your self-sacrifice? That the wealthy are not "doing" the Gospel as hard core as you are?
It is possible to have a haughty, prideful heart even while doing lowly things, ie. 1 Corinthians 13 -- if I give all I have to the poor, surrender my body to the flames, etc. + no love = nothing.
Gotta keep the heart low. He giveth more grace.
jm
ahh i think im not a fan of wealthy people, its frustrating how they usually hold themseves higher then others, i am ina social inequality class right now, and we have talked a lot about wealthy people versus poor people or not so poor people, and it gets me thinking to how wasteful they are and unloving and self centered they are, so the whole wealthy thing frustrates me a lot too, and im glad i won't ever be wealthy, i don't think its bad to be repulsed by being wealthy, but loving them is defintly important too.
A couple of things that have helped me along these lines (disliking the wealthy etc..):
1. If you live in the Western World - YOU ARE THE WEALTHY from a global perspective... helps for some perspective/humility
2. Jesus had tones of time for the seeker - didn't care about wealthy or poor... didn't define people by externals but saw their hearts... (think examples of wealthy seekers - roman leader, pharisee at night, rich young ruler, etc...)
3. what offends me about the Rich? (then apply those offenses to my own life towards the 'not as wealthy as me' people... do they feel the same way about my attitudes and actions towards them?
4. Get to know a 'rich person'. This is something that has helped me tones - the BARRIER breaker is relationship... I met some rich people and became friends (almost in spite of myself really) and then I started to empathize with them... it was amazing. The real truth that is exposed here is that we tend to 'categorize' people instead of love them. Relegating 'rich people' to a grouping is as bad as relegating 'poor people' to a containment area... let's not do it. People are people.
AFTER ALL THAT though Olivia - I gotta tell you that Justin was a very bad speaker... he did not represent many 'rich' philanthropists I know very well. His 'cultural' hogwash was the antithesis to the gospel I know and live... what you should have disdain for is not 'rich people' but people who live by and for the world and call it good - Romans 1 has some interesting things to say about it...
anyway, it was a very delicious free meal! :-) glad you were with me...
Danielle
To pose a dislike on a specific group is wrong. It doesn't matter what group you belong to, their will always be someone who thinks they are the best.
I think you already knew the answer to that question though.
Olivia, all I can say is that I found it gets easier as I get older, because I get to realise that while we often see something quite superficial about a person when we see signs of their wealth, there is a lot more going on than is obvious. I've listened long to one wealthy and successful businessman complain that he just didnt' have the 'brains' to become a minister in his community, so he is 'the bank' instead. While most people don't know this about him, countless people have been housed, fed, clothed, educated and given health care very quietly and discretely because of his and his wife's generosity. In fact, they turned the congregation around at one point by providing funding for a key program and it just otherwise wouldn't have happened.
Another individual put her own money into a project for learning disabled that kicked it off enough to get others to raise money as well, and from there grew a life-changing ministry. Sometimes a small amount given strategically can release the church into a new ministry that then gathers its own momentum. Wealthy people have the same spiritual needs we have, and as Christians they may - not always - feel ambivalent about what they have. Third Order Franciscans have to handle this in my Order, some are very wealthy. Poverty takes different forms. It can be in terms of spirituality, relationship, or any number of ways beyond food and shelter. Once we see everyone as having some form of poverty it is easier to be non-judgemental, and just cheerfully encourage those who have, to find key opportunities to help open up work amongst those who have not. Deep down, most people love to give, and you help them when you build the relaxed relationships and networks which empower them to put their money to work in a way which changes the world. Fundraising has its own spirituality!
(I think Henri Nouwen wrote a book about it, but I haven't read it!)
Blessings
Eleanor n/TSSF
we have to be careful about our disdain for others. Something very few evangelicals really consider is that Jesus as much as he came to help the poor, always had time for the tax collectors and religious leaders who were willing to give him the time of day.
that being said, I get where you're coming from totally. Working in a church even this summer I saw how much money was spent on things that don't matter while the bag lunch program was going into disrepair.
the thing that makes me most angry is the fact that world hunger could be solved for 13 billion dollars, which is the amount of money pet owners spend on pet food yearly. there is a serious problem of priority...however, I like what Danielle said and we are very rich in the West, and there's way more we can give.
that's my rant, i hope it makes sense
Joel
I dunno. I think Jesus was biased towards the poor. Maybe b/c those who are poor are also the openly broken and they are drawn to Him like He's drawn to them...
I liked what Danielle had to say. Good on ya Olivia. I esteem you in the Lord.
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