I've been thinking lately about all the stuff we have.
Now that I've crossed a life-threshold, and am at some point to start a family, the inevitable discussions arise - buying a house ("Now's a great time!", they say), life insurance, health insurance (uuggggghhhh), retirement, the future. And as I consider these things, the money, the stuff and planning and worry it entails, I wonder what the point is. I mean, we have one -only one - directive:
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
And that has nothing to do with preparing for the future. In fact, Christ guarantees that He has taken care of it [vs. 22-34].
So then I think about how Christians - the Church, the light of the world - live such safe, comfortable lives. Many Christians insist it is wise to invest, to save, to buy a house, to pay off debt, to vote, to give ten percent [no more], to plan retirement. And I doubt that wisdom. It's not a necessary draw on our attention and resources. Not when the fate of eternal souls rides on a terminator between brilliant light and everlasting darkness. Not when the Church is the source of that light.
16And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'
18"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." '
20"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'
21"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."
