Day 115: Seeing God

"He who oppresses the poor provokes his Maker, but he who honors Him has mercy upon a poor man." Proverbs 14:32

Here's an important message for all of us to take.

In our society, we can get around just fine with a certain amount of wealth.  Usually, the type of clothes we wear and the kinds of things we bring around will show what our general wealth bracket is.  If we are lucky, we might be able to pass for someone higher up with some cheap knockoffs.  Even if one doesn't make that much, he can still try to make himself appear to be much better off by investing the little money he has into a fancy car, a pair of shoes, or some accessory that would cause many eyes to turn.  The bottom line, though, is that we need to show off a certain amount in order to be considered a "normal" person.

To go even further, imagine that we ourselves are really just buying a certain plating to put around our body, as if we were coins.  Chocolate coins can be covered in gold foil.  The outside is very shiny, but the inside chocolate, as delicious as it might be, is still not worth that same weight in a precious metal.  Look at the coins we have in circulation.  They shine and have certain colors, but they are not completely made of precious metals, if they have anything precious in them at all (except for our complete faith in money).

On the other hand, those who do not make that much money cannot cover themselves up.  They are living on what they need.  They eat the food that will sustain them.  They wear the clothes that will allow them to go about without being charged with indecent exposure or the like.  In other words, they are entirely expressions of themselves.  Whereas those of us who have enough to clothe ourselves with enough coating so that we can hide all our imperfections and/or rough edges, those who are less fortunate cannot.  And that's what came to mind when I read this proverb.  If we are going to treat all those around us, those living by stretching the truth - the politician who claims to be the savior when they are raping children, the priest who stands in front of congregations with full garb but who is promiscuous and breaking vows left and right, or even the one who has robbed many people of their money but still dresses in a coat and tie and shakes your hand as if he were handing you bars of gold - with utter respect, but look down upon the poor, who are we?  If we can't accept the truth that is placed before us in the form of humans struggling to make ends meet, then how can we even accept the higher truths about life and salvation?  How can we curse the work of the Creator while we tout the work of our lying hands and filthy money?

We need to see Jesus everywhere we are, even if we are presented with a picture we deem ugly or dirty.  We need to accept the whole truth that God presents us everyday as opposed to living off the crumbs of truth we deem most satisfying.

Day 069: Giving

"But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work."  2 Corinthians 9:6-8

God provides.  It's as simple as that.  God provides us a means to live our lives, but God also gives us a means by which we can give.

Receiving something to give is something we don't think about that often.  We want all the goodness that comes our way just to benefit ourselves, yet we are called to give.  In fact, the notion of giving can seem quite difficult for many of us, especially if we don't have the highest paying job or the most flexible hours.  But this passage above states the contrary: God provides us with ways to give.

So what the next step?  In order to give, it takes discernment.  From another perspective, we can think of our giving in the way that we might give a gift at a birthday party or for any other holiday.  We take time to think about what we will give, usually having many reasons behind our gifts.  In the same way, we should consider how we are going to give to our neighbors and/or our church.  The above says that God calls us to be cheerful givers, and in the Old Testament, we are told that we need to give thoughtfully to God - we are to give the very best to God.  In that case, we can see that we won't all give the same gift.  In fact, it is the diversity of the gifts that we can give that makes this a rewarding experience.

Think about all the different things that a church does.  It provides a space for worship, which requires funding for the electricity (air conditioning/heating) and water.  It provides for the community that serves there, which requires not only funding for the different staff members, but also requires many who are willing to work and volunteers.  It provides methods of worship, which require things from musicians, to books, to teachers, to speakers, and to many other sorts of people.  In this description of a church, we can see that there are already many ways to give.  If those aren't enough, pray to God to help you discern what your best way to give is.

If one doesn't feel comfortable teaching, however, she shouldn't donate her time as a teacher.  If one doesn't feel comfortable cooking, he shouldn't donate his time as a cook.  All of these things require lots of prayer and meditations so that the giving can be beneficial for both you and the receiver.  In the end, you as a giver will be a receiver, for the one who sows abundantly will reap abundantly.

This Lent, direct your thoughts and prayers towards discerning how you can give to your community, church, and/or your friends and family.

Day 008: The Price

“Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!" Acts 8:20

These words are more pertinent today than ever before.
In this specific instance, Peter shouts this to Simon because this would make all the work of God be just for his own glory, not that of God or even of the growing church.  I do feel, though, that this response speaks even louder on a broader context: God is not restricted to a single social class.

In today's society, there are lots of things that cost money.  Higher education, particularly for my generation, is quite expensive, and sometimes can seem to be reserved for people belonging to a certain pay bracket.  Housing is another expense.  And, still, healthcare here in the United States is terribly expensive, even with these controversial aids to make it more affordable,  There are even churches - yes, you read correctly, churches - that demand so much money just to become a member, or at least to be in a supposed communion with God: pay this amount, and God will bless you.  But, we have this situation where Peter says that God cannot be bought.

Another issue we face is the fact that money speaks louder than ever.  We have politics that are driven by the flow of money, from corporate sponsoring to individual spending.  The richest nations dictate which way the money flows and which policies are correct and not.  We even have churches that can only be heard when they have the money to spend on a radio station, TV station, or even a megaphone.

I find all of this to be scary, because I am not a person of wealth.  I know that I am by no means the poorest guy out there, but I still feel somewhat powerless against this wind that money blows.  However, when I read that God cannot be bought, I find comfort, because I know that God is reaching out just for me, for free.