Even money can be sacred and holy

Kevin Wood, pastor, First Southern Baptist Church of Eudora, 1103 Main St.:

We are told in the Gospel of Mark that the rich man “went away sad.” Presumably, he went away sad because he came to a moment of choice and realized, for all of his posturing, he loved money more than anything else. He loved money, more than even life itself.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with that, some might say. He made his choice, and at least he was honest. In reality, he was a man without guile. We know where he stands.

But what a place on which to stand! Can money suffice to please when nothing else is right? And what is all of this stuff about money or God? Can the two not peacefully coexist?

In reality, the wide divide between money and God is manmade. For every rich man who walks away sadly, there are those who know a different truth. These God lovers know that all things are a gift from God, even money. For them there is no wide gap between God and money. For them, even money is sacred and holy.

There is another person in the Gospels who we can look at as a guide to how money should be viewed by people of faith. This widow, we are told, gave “all she had to live on.” And for us, she becomes a picture of the joy of money given freely to God. For faith is not measured by the amount given. Rather, faith is measured by the one for whom it is given. Our love for God grows when money and faith stand together.

– Send e-mail to Kevin Wood at KWood50322@aol.com.

Actions, not words, best sign of values

The Rev. Jonathon Jensen, rector, Trinity Episcopal Church, 1011 Vt.:

Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart is also” (Matthew 6:21). It is important to note that he did not say it the other way around. The statement is descriptive more than it is prescriptive. That is, where or how we spend our money is indicative of what we value. Actions are a better indication of values than our words can ever be.

As a spiritual exercise, you might write down a list of all the things you value. Your list may include items such as family, freedom, friends, faith, security, recreation, education and so on. Next, rank your list in terms of your highest to lowest values. Then, get out your checkbook to see if your stated values match how you spend your money. What do you really value? You might be surprised at what you find. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

In my own Christian faith tradition, we talk about tithing or giving 10 percent of one’s income to God, normally through a church or outreach project. We often treat this as a duty or as a possible means to gain God’s favor, neither of which are the point.

The idea is to give of our first and best to God. This includes and often starts with money since it is such a powerful tool in our culture, but giving of ourselves includes everything we have and are. We tend to give God, however, not our best but our leftovers, or what we think we can afford after all the other values have been met.

Faith can remind us that all we have, including our money, is a gift from God and should be used as such. Faith calls us to reorient or re-evaluate what is truly important.

– Send e-mail to Jonathon Jensen at jwj@trinitylawrence.org.