For these things I weep

What would you buy if you won a million dollars?

That was one of the questions in our conversation at dinner tonight. The answers varied but it either fell on a house, car, or just investing it. And each of those answers is funny isn't it?

If you think about a million dollars in Vancouver terms, it's not that much. It's kind of nice to have around and quite a bit of money but you are far from being set for life. And so what do we do with the money? We buy small things or put it away for a rainy day but I've begun to see how wrong these things are.

I use to give these answers in terms of how I would manage my money in life but I've begun to see how you could categorize each of these items.

1) Car: A car has always represented a status symbol. Ferraris and Pontiacs (RIP) can get you to the same place at the same time due to the speed limitations. However, each step up offers more luxuries and gadgets. One can never say that each step up is insignificant because every minor detail makes all the difference. Cars, especially expensive ones, are a luxury.

2) House: We get a downpayment or buy a house thinking that we will be set and be secure for the rest of our lives. We can live our lives out in these houses and be secure from many ups and downs in life. Houses are security.

3) Investments: We think that the money is not enough so we put it away to make more money in hopes that a few years later we will have even more money so we can buy the things we want and invest more to make more. I've heard most people say that investments are smart and I will agree but part of me (a reluctant part) knows that it is wrong to hoard this money so I'm going to say what I say very carefully; Investments are greed.

So what do I propose to do with the money?

1) Sufficiency: Scriptures speak not of wealth in the early church. They speak of everyone sharing everything that they owned. There is no luxury because luxury is built on the idea that there are things worse than what you own and therefore, what you own is called luxury

2) Eschaton: We need to be consistently reminded that the Lord is coming soon and we should anticipate his return WHILE working to bring heaven on earth. Will we really be secure if we have property? Will we really think more of the poor and help them more when we get our house and are secure ourselves?

3) Eucharist: Everything is a gift. Investments and time are not what make us rich. Everything was given to us and we live in the abundance that he has provided. Some of us (myself) live in more abundance than others and I need to be reminded that what is 'mine' actually belongs to everyone and God has given it to me so that I may give it out and bless others.

I could go on and on about how we are to live in this world but that's not the point of this because part of me will always resist bringing the kingdom of God and look to secure a good life.

And that part of me often wins and plays itself out in life.

And for these things I weep.

As much as we celebrate the presence of God's kingdom on earth, we must also mourn it's absence.