Rich Towards God

8/4/19

ready for worship

This is one of those mornings when the subway once more subverted me and even though I left an hour and a half ago for an hour trip, I am going to be late and there is nothing I can do about it. I'm not running the half mile from the station, that's for sure.

As I walk up the street from the subway station to Beverly Church this morning, My thoughts are completely occupied by yesterday's shooting in El Paso. Life is hard enough for my friends in this little church, but how can I not speak about it?  

I enter the church sweaty and a bit out of breath. Geraldine tells me to take a minute. So I catch my breath and we begin. And soon its time for my reflection.....


Good morning. So I went to a baseball game with a friend from Presbytery last night. Red Sox-Yankees. Summer. What could be better? Then before the national anthem, an announcement:  a moment of silence for El Paso. And even though I didn't know the story, I knew the story. And I was like, what again? How many times do we have to go through this?

And then I read more. About a manifesto. About an "Hispanic invasion of the US." The shooter had driven 10 hours to get to the border city. And 20 people dead and at least 26 wounded. The Red Cross calling for blood donations. 

And of course the President tweeted a condemnation.  But ... who has called Hispanic immigrants "bad hombres...murderers...and thieves"...who has called on elected women of color to "go back from where they came"....and called a whole city "rat infested..." Words have consequences. We supposedly need a wall to defend ourselves,  but according the FBI since 9/11 more Americans have been killed by domestic terrorists than international ones. How do we build a wall to defend ourselves from ourselves?

(And as I am saying this, Geraldine holds up her hand and says, there's been another one...this morning...in Dayton, Ohio...)

And I feel staggered. Think of my family connections there. They're undoubtedly fine. But still...I feel like just stopping....about to transition into another part of my reflection...

I sometimes think Sunday mornings should be a time of comfort and peace from the struggles of the week. And it should be. But when our hearts are troubled, we have to try and make sense of the world with our  faith. To see the world around us as Jesus would. And truth be told, that can be troubling sometimes. 

Our gospel this morning is one of those.  Someone in the crowd has a family inheritance issue he wants Jesus' help on, And after making clear that's not his job, Jesus doesn't mince words...
"Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions."

And he goes on to share a parable where a rich man is never satisfied, wants to tear down his storehouses and build BIGGER ones. How much is ever enough? 

Income inequality has been growing for 30 years...its not even 1%...the richest 0.1% take home 188 times the bottom 90%. 
While the top 1% have doubled their share of national income, 43.5 % of Americans are either poor or low income. It's the worst it's been since the 1920's. 

And you know white and Asian Americans make 30% more than Black and brown Americans. 

Back to the ball park. When I went to Yankee games in the 70s, the cheapest seats were $1 and the most expensive $4. When the new stadium opened, it was $5 and $2500. From 4 to 1 to 500 to 1. And a concrete moat now separates the expensive seats from everyone else. How much is enough?

I just flew to Germany to be with my grandchildren. I finally found a cheap ticket...but....oh, you want to check a bag, that's more. Oh, you want an  aisle or window seat? That's more. you want to eat something? You have to go to the restroom and there's one three rows ahead  but not for your class. Yours is 30 rows back and a line...Enough.....

 This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' 21So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God."


I doubt any one here is in danger of storing up too many treasures. BUT...what if tonight our life was "demanded of us..."? How rich are we toward God? What does that even mean?

When do I feel rich? When I look at the faces of my grandchildren....I feel blessed beyond belief...I feel like I now understand more than  ever what Jesus meant when he said  "Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." I watch my 8 month old grand daughter discovering the world. The look on her face of wonder and awe at each new discovery. 

reaching out for the world....

And I want to be clear. Not every one is ...or should be...a parent or grandparent. But I ask you, when was the last time you looked at something with awe and wonder? That's what God wants of us. To see what we have been given and to understand just how amazing it is. To look into the face of any one of us here and see infinite beauty in what God has created, that is being rich toward God. To really know and feel that we belong, that there is a place for us, that we are already in the kindom, that is being rich toward God. Yes we are called on to work to change the inequity, the violence, around us, to make the world we love in more just, humane and sustainable. But a big part of what gives us the courage to do that us to understand how rich  we already are. Rich towards God. 

As always, we share communion. And go downstairs for the breaking of bread. Even with the sharing of grandchildren pictures, there's a muted feeling to the conversation. I will be depressed for the rest of the afternoon. For a moment, I wonder why. I try not to let these shootings that   have become a constant part of our life get to me. But they do, they do....



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Gospel Luke 12:13-21

13Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." 14But he said to him, "Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?" 15And he said to them, "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." 16Then he told them a parable: "The land of a rich man produced abundantly. 17And he thought to himself, 'What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?' 18Then he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry." 20But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' 21So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God."