Who is Truly Rich?

My thought for this week comes from the Lectionary reading for the Old Testament, Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23

Our author has the big priorities in order. The things of this world do not matter so much. What is really important is a life lived with love for God and for others. It is to have a life lived with integrity and honor. The motto for the Marine Corps, "Semper Fidelis", exemplifies the striving for honor, for the motto, which is in Latin, means in English, "always faithful", usually shortened with the greeting of one marine to another, "semper fi". Verse 1 is an equally good motto or code of conduct to live by: "A good name is to be chosen more than riches, and favor (particularly God's favor, I presume) is better than silver or gold." Any yahoo on God's green earth can become rich through inheritance or winning the lottery, but only a life lived with deliberate concern for integrity and helping others can achieve a good name. Such a name, such honor, is to be valued more than other things, certainly more than riches. The only thing perhaps to be treasured more is a good relationship with God, and usually these two, honor and love of God, will go together.

Next our author shows humility and concern for the poor. There is an acknowledgment that God "is the maker" of both rich and poor. This says two things to me: 1) The poor have this in common with the rich, that God is our maker, and we ought all to give thanks to God for our creation, the gift of life; 2) The rich need not to be too proud, for they are just creatures, created beings, like the poor in every other respect except money. Those who share of their wealth with the poor will be blessed, for all are God's creatures, and He loves us all. Only when the children of Israel were wandering in the wilderness did God send bread down from heaven, which they gathered each morning as the manna. Beyond this period of history, God has relied on his human children to give bread to the poor. We are to have generous hearts so as to want to help one another along life's journey, and if we will but remember how generous God is with all of us, we should be glad to help one another.

One final thought from our author. "Do not rob the poor just because they are poor." The poor are not only just poor, but often powerless. No one speaks for them in the courts of our nation because they have no influence on the wheels of government. They are easily victimized. We have a good friend, the Rev. Milo Thornberry, who befriended a number of years ago a homeless fellow named Clarence. This poor and homeless fellow finally landed a job and had a little money in his pocket, when one day his body was discovered near a MARTA station in Atlanta, beaten, robbed, and murdered. It is a tragedy that the poor are often easy targets for crime, and what little they have is taken away from them.

Let us resolve to help the poor where and when we can. We are not unlike them. We are them, in almost every way. It is only a little money that separates us, that separates one social class from another. Let us not be separated in spiritual ways. Let us all realize that true riches come from above, that a good name is to be more desired than silver or gold, and that to love God and one another is the way to live one's life, not to live a life of pride, greed, and lording it over others.

Terry