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It would appear a truism: more equals success.
- The more academic qualifications we have, the more successful we will be
- The more money we have the better we have been at doing our job or work, and the more comfortable our lives will be
- If we’re single, then a life partner will add to our well-being
- The more children we have, then abundant blessing has fallen upon us
- And, of course, the number of people who attend our church each week, shows that we have got everything sorted out spiritually and God is well and truly in the house
Or is there another side to things?
The world has lurched from one crisis to another as national and individual debt has soared. Debt is now such a social issue that even the Archbishop of Canterbury has begun to wage financial ‘war on Wonga’. Unfortunately, as he later admitted, there was an embarrassing skeleton in the cupboard.
- The more population grows and the more food it demands, the more famine is an ever-present spectre on the horizon
- The more political power we enjoy, the easier a political dictatorship can arise
- The more resources we need, the easier war becomes an option to feed our desire
- The spiral to all sorts of addiction, begins with wanting more
Less is best?
If you scan the Internet you’ll find there is a growing movement toward Minimalism. This, as always, is taken to extreme by some, however the basic tenet is often that we should only have what we need to survive and live. It may be the growth of the minimalist movement is a backlash against the current excesses, but I like to hope that it is something more.
More of a fool
The Gospel reading this Sunday is Luke 12:13-21. Jesus is asked to sort something out and answers with a parable. A rich man has a successful harvest. He has too much for himself and so builds a bigger barn to store all he has. But as we know, he dies and God calls him a fool.
In biblical wisdom literature, the fool, is someone who is foolish toward their relationship to God. And Jesus ends this passage, with the comment that despite all the riches the man had, he wasn’t rich toward God.
This links well with the letter reading from Colossians 3:1-11. This is all about how, being in relationship with Christ changes us. We’re raised with Christ, therefore we put on Christ, and put off the bad stuff, which Paul lists. It isn’t about what we do or don't have, but about our attitude to God in the first place. Our relationship to God, will change how we feel about our stuff, or lack of it. Before attempting to get ‘more’ we should discuss the ‘why’ with God.
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And most of all, be rich toward God.