what is hanging in the balance now?

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, a criminal, or even as a mischief maker. Yet if any of you suffers as a Christian, do not consider it a disgrace, but glorify God because you bear this name. For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; if it begins with us, what will be the end for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And

“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

Therefore, let those suffering in accordance with God’s will entrust their lives to a faithful Creator, while continuing to do good.

1 Peter 4:12-19; NRSVue

Wherever you are as an American on the political spectrum here, you’ll have grave concerns about the past, present and future. We have lived in a privileged existence, and it looks like that is under great stress at this time. One thing most Americans agree on is that democracy itself is at stake here. There is even a so-called Christian disdain against democracy, aligned to some extent with the Christendom of the past, focused on implementing a “Christian” order. That is another subject in itself.

Another matter is just where our priorities should lie as followers of Christ, Christians in that sense. We now live in a different setting in America compared to those who lived at the time of Peter’s writing. Rome was then in charge with no ands, ifs or buts about it. In the rule of Caesar, there was no representation of the people. Now we have that, and as Christians we do well to advocate for what we consider to be good. We still have that freedom at the moment, but the problem now is that everything seems more than less partisan in the limited two-party system here.

What has happened in my lifetime since the 1960s and gaining momentum from the 1980s and 90s up to the present day is a culture war which initially was a reaction to the government telling a Christian institution that it could no longer bar Blacks from its spaces. That was the basis of the founding for the “Moral Majority.” After a few years abortion became the issue which they found united and gave momentum to their cause. The fallout from this race based, abortion, religious freedom platform has been great. There is little to no incentive to work with the other side on issues like abortion, and all kinds of other issues. We’re at a place now where there’s one side spurred on by Christians who want to take over entirely, be the ones in charge, with others in line according to that. So it’s a challenging time since there are a host of Jesus-followers and others who are opposed to that.

What is hanging in the balance now? I think for us as Christ-followers, it’s a time of purging, salvation for us in that sense. What does our faith tell us about the good we ought to be doing? Where do our priorities lie? Is it about our own protection and freedom? Or is it with the values which Jesus taught us: to love our neighbor, to be the neighbor when anyone is in need. To welcome the stranger, the refugee. To advocate for fairness for all. To stand against racial and gender discrimination, particularly right now against the transgender community. To stand against war and the destruction of innocents such as is happening in Gaza, both Israel and Hamas utterly failing in their use of horrific violence.

So all of that and more are important to us as Christ-followers. We won’t be uniform exactly in how we think and approach such matters. But there are certain things that forever should mark us. We don’t advocate force of any kind. We rather appeal by words, and mainly by works, by what we do. We are willing to stand with those who are considered the dredge of society, in the way, a nuisance or even danger which needs to be pushed to the side, cancelled, even eliminated. We stand for the humanity of all. We look for solutions to problems, not imagining there will be perfection in such in this life but pushing toward that ideal.

With that, what do people see in us? Democrats? Republicans? MAGA followers? Patriotic Americans? You fill in the blank. Rather, shouldn’t they be seeing people who are not known as any such, but rather as Christians in the sense of which Peter talks about above? Followers of Jesus, as Jesus taught and lived in the four gospel accounts? Yes, that. That alone is our identity from which we live. There’s no doubt that we all have our opinions on political matters of this world. But we are in allegiance to one Lord, Jesus. Our following of him means that all peoples are embraced as those whom God loves. We continue on in that way, expecting difficulty, maybe even suffering. But the only way we’re to live in this life as followers of Jesus.

perspective on poverty and wealth

Let the brother or sister of humble means boast in having a high position and the rich in having been humbled, because the rich will disappear like a flower in the field. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the field; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. It is the same way with the rich; in the midst of a busy life, they will wither away.

James 1:9-11; NRSVue

It doesn’t matter where you live, whether in a war torn, famine ravaged place in Africa, with little to nothing to make it through during a North Korea winter, or not having enough to eat with no affordable healthcare in the wealthiest nation in the world, the United States. Abject poverty is bad. With that we see homelessness, totally unnecessary, but part and parcel of capitalism, which prioritizes money over people so that it’s almost like a contest to see who can get the most at the expense of many others.

For most of us, we’re somewhere in between. Many struggle from week to week and month to month to make ends meet with little set aside in the case of an emergency. They are then subject to predatory lending, just another staple of the “rugged capitalism” which is more and more taking its toll. The stock market continues to rise (at this point), stockholders are happy, but workers on whose backs the money is made often don’t have a living wage and so try to work two or more jobs, and add to that, not affordable healthcare being the case for many as well, unless they press through the complicated hoops of the US health system, even after that, tough. A mockery of neighbor love, of justice.

But again, to try to speak of people in between, many will have to watch their money all the time, while some live in relative comfort, with a cushion and along with that tax breaks the poor don’t have, to make life predictable and aside from its normal stresses, manageable. Then the very few who have more than they could ever spend at least on themselves. And all such people meeting together in the name of Jesus as church. Or even those who do not. It seems like James in the above passage is speaking to all.

The poor should rejoice because they are rich as God’s children, God’s loved ones. Ironically with less money, they have less concerns of others stealing them blind. After all, what will the thieves get? But like the poor widow Jesus referred to, they can still give more than all the rich people together, as they trust in God to provide.

On the other hand, the rich can rejoice because they are merely stewards of all that God has given them. They know their time is limited, that they exist to love their neighbor, that while they’re to take care of their own, they’re also to watch out for the poor, for those in need, to help wisely where they can along with others. To try to get to the root of the problem which is inevitably systemic, not stop at giving handouts which too are important.

Rich and poor together can rejoice and glory in the God who gives life to all. Naked they came from their mother’s womb and naked they’ll return. They brought nothing into the world and they’ll take nothing out. The wise remember this, and pray, think, plan and act accordingly.

More to meditate and act on from the book of James.

how one’s condition affects one’s reading and understanding of Scripture

Let the brother or sister of humble means boast in having a high position and the rich in having been humbled, because the rich will disappear like a flower in the field. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the field; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. It is the same way with the rich; in the midst of a busy life, they will wither away.

James 1:9-11; NRSVue

Brothers and sisters who are poor should find satisfaction in their high status. Those who are wealthy should find satisfaction in their low status, because they will die off like wildflowers. The sun rises with its scorching heat and dries up the grass so that its flowers fall and its beauty is lost. Just like that, in the midst of their daily lives, the wealthy will waste away.

James 1:9-11; CEB

I’m wondering what the difference was in the reading and understanding of Scripture and in theology, pre and post-Constantinian. Also, the difference between slaves and masters in the US south. For that matter, the difference everywhere between the haves and the have-nots, those in the lap of luxury or with no real economic concerns and those who are struggling to survive or perhaps out in the streets.

It seems to me that the Bible is written largely to peoples who are struggling: in exile, poor, marginalized, definitely not among the world’s elite or celebrated. Naturally when those read it who are well off on earth, they’ll think of heaven, and that’s it, maybe also thinking they’re among the blessed of God because of their status on earth. Of course, the Bible talks of heaven. Those who are not well off on earth will think about heaven, yes, but they’ll also think about earth in terms of justice, God’s care. They will see themes like the exodus and redemption not just in terms of the life to come, but of this life as well. It’s interesting that a good portion of the Bible, a large part of the Old Testament and carried on into the New Testament is written from the perspective of exile.

There are theologies which have either downplayed or all but ignored life in the present on earth. Everything is about heaven, a heavenly existence. Early dispensationalism is one example in which the church was considered heavenly but not earthly in any way that mattered. That kind of thinking would tell those in apartheid, or peoples like the Palestinians or any other oppressed people that God’s good news means nothing at all with reference to their present plight. Not directly, but by implication, since it would say next to nothing about it, except to give gifts so that such can hear the gospel, believe and go to heaven someday.

The point of this post is something of what James is getting at. Those who are struggling to make ends meet in this world will naturally read the Bible from that perspective, within that experience. And that’s largely the viewpoint of its writing. Jesus blesses the poor and warns the rich. Yes, there’s great comfort in the promise of a better, just, flourishing life to come. But if the Bible has nothing to say about the here and now, then it needs to be seen as a different book than what it actually is. Something perhaps more akin to a spirituality or mentality which brushes off reality and the material world for some kind of spirituality which actually is foreign to Scripture. Spirituality is concerned with materiality in Scripture.

A difference is that the poor, oppressed, marginalized, despised will see things in Scripture that those in power and privilege will not. Those on top need to learn to see the perspective of those on the bottom. And somehow learn to live more from that standpoint.

God wants all at Christ’s table: the poor along with the rich, the haves and the have-nots, the supposed power brokers and those who are denied such. But at that table an equity will be emerging, that of the life to come breaking into the present life.

the failure of spiritualizing passages, like the rich man and Lazarus

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus in like manner evil things, but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.’ Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”

Luke 16:19-31; NRSVue

The moral character of Lazarus is passed over to illustrate the fatal deficiency in the life of the indifferent rich man and the impossibility of altering his condemnation.

The New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha, New Revised Standard Version, 1861

I remember when I was a young Christian and visiting various churches, that when visiting what I supposed to be a liberal (maybe quite liberal in my mind) either United Church of Christ or I think United Methodist rural church, I confronted the pastor afterwards concerning his message on the above passage. I was bringing out the cross, the need for faith in Christ, something to that effect, asking him how the cross fit into his message. As I recall, he was fairly young, and my recollection is that he was polite and had nothing to say. But actually, the passage itself has nothing to say about hitting the sawdust trail to receive Christ.

Yes, there are liberal traditions which to this day see the Bible as an important religious book but not in any way, the Word of God. And even while they may accept that it has something important to say to us today, usually an emphasis on faith in Christ is all but lost to find universal axioms everyone would agree with.

But then there’s the Evangelical tradition of which I was a part of for many years. You can’t lump them all together, but by and large, the popular understanding of the above passage is that, while it may be a parable, and not to be taken completely literally, though undoubtedly some would, and question that it is a parable, by and large like so many passages, it will be spiritualized.

What I mean by spiritualized is something like the following. The details or specifics are more or less completely set aside to get to the ever-main point: Jesus died for our sins, we can do nothing at all except accept that provision of God, believe and receive eternal life. Something to that effect.

But what is Jesus telling us from that passage? The same thing he has been saying elsewhere in different ways. We can’t serve God and Mammon/money. That money matters, whether we love it and see it as something to hoard to protect us, maybe to live in the lap of luxury, or something to help others along with meeting our own needs.

To take the actual teeth out of this passage is to make it something it isn’t as well as failing to understand the context in which Jesus was speaking. Yes, he had no intention of being the Bread-King (John 6) and they and us need indeed to learn to feed on him by faith. That is not to be taken literally, but spiritually, but yes, we take it in all seriousness.

But that doesn’t for a moment put into question Jesus’s warnings to the rich and blessing to the poor (Luke 6). Jesus* is the answer, but in that answer, we see a completely different economy than what the world practices. What was going on in Jesus’s day with the Romans and Palestine is no different than what is going on in the United States today. But in part, because so many of us have spiritualized such passages, even though we name the name of Christ, don’t we end up participating in something of the same as the rich man in Jesus’s story?

*And God’s reign and dominion in him.

seeing the plight of the poor

Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing,
but one who turns a blind eye will get many a curse.

Proverbs 28:27; NRSVue

Speak out; judge righteously;
defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Proverbs 31:9; NRSV

Proverbs has quite a bit to say about the poor. The way I have often heard it, the poor are poor for a reason. They are unwilling to work or to work hard enough, evidently unwilling to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, etc., etc., etc. And I’m sure it’s thought that Proverbs would make this point over and over again about poverty, laziness, and the like. While Proverbs touches on that, Proverbs over and over again honors the poor and takes society and especially the rich to task for dishonoring, neglecting and mistreating the poor (see these two pages, “poor” 35 times in NRSVue).

Poverty abounds in the world. Even in the United States where I live, poverty is a serious issue, undermining the health and wellbeing of too many people. The US along with the rest of the world in the global economy is tied to a capitalism in which money takes priority over everything else, certainly people included. Except for the rich and the stockholders. And the system of moneymaking has an overriding tendency or default to push people further and further down, so that the possibility of poverty is only one step away for the vast majority, and not that terribly far from most others.

So even when ordinary workers can plug into 401-K’s and the like, to what expense and what system are we contributing to? I take it that everyone should be included in such investments, but that financial services overseeing such should look for the most beneficial and humane ways money is made, doing the best they can to exclude all that’s contrary to that.

The poor do need handouts and help, even that being difficult in a world often dominated by wars and ruthless authoritarian rule which cares nothing about people. Thankfully there are good agencies trying to do this work, but often in a dangerous uphill battle. But even more than that, the poor needs a system which is no longer predatory, but helps them to live, really live, so that they too can enjoy life and not have to give their lives to a relentless grind in which they can barely if at all make it.

We need to seek to understand the plight of the poor beginning where we live. We need to hold ourselves accountable to do that, to do something about it as little as that might seem, hold local governments accountable, the state and the federal, and seek to hold nations accountable. It’s not only a matter of poverty, but of not caring about people, using and abusing them. We see this over and over again in the world. Just as real in the US as in other places.

If our gospel is only about getting people to heaven someday, and giving handouts so that we can witness to them, then we miss the mark, and really fail to understand the gospel and its implications. Such is spelled out much more for and about this life than about the world to come. Yes, thank God for the world to come, for that hope in Christ, indeed. But our passion should be about feeding and caring for the hungry and poor now. And proclaiming to them and to the world the good news of God’s rule in Christ, that all the poor and marginalized are not only fully accepted by God but are welcome to the table of life in all of its abundance.

Jesus on money and wealth (what really matters?)

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“No one can serve two masters, for a slave will either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.“

Matthew 6:19-21, 24; NRSVue

Jesus’s words here are just part of his teaching on money, wealth, the poor and the rich. If we take the gospel accounts seriously (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), we’ll have to take seriously what Jesus says about wealth and money. Yes, as it says elsewhere, it’s not money that is a root of evil, but the love of money. Strictly speaking money is not the enemy. But when it occupies our thoughts day and night, and we think that if only we had more, if only we would hit the jackpot and then everything would be okay, we’ve crossed the line already. It is a ready and eager idol, waiting to control us, and make us live a lie, even if it’s a religious one.

Jesus makes it clear: We can’t serve both God and wealth. What wealth we receive from God is a part of God’s good gifts, but we’re to be stewards of such gifts. Yes, we’ve been given richly all things to enjoy, but as that passage in Timothy goes on to say, to do good, to be generous in sharing with others, in those words addressed to the rich. But back to Jesus again.

Are we willing to have less money, or do we think our future, our lives depend on money? Whatever we trust and make the priority is our god, whatever that may be. Yes, we should not be reckless with money, we ought to invest for the future. At the same time, in following Christ, we will want to make generosity the priority. To grow in that. Yes, to apply wisdom in it all. Proverbs has plenty to say about money and wealth. And as followers of Christ we major on what he said and what follows in the New Testament.

God will help us. If we are loaded with money in the end, that being our god, what good will that be? How we got there, mostly hoarding it, is how we’ll end: high and dry. Instead, yes, we give money, we meet expenses, we save some for future needs of ourselves and others, and in all of that we seek to grow in our trust in God alone. That the Father and mothering God will see us through come what may. While we thank God for the gifts God gives us, including money, we treat money as a blessed yet dangerous commodity. And we seek always to trust and serve God with our lives and what wealth we have.

simple living

Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it, but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.

As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches but rather on God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.

1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19; NRSVue

A staple of Anabaptist, Mennonite teaching is simplicity, to live what’s called “the simple life.” Within this tradition, the Amish are at least among the ones that have this practice down the best. When you consider the American context, it’s expensive to live because there’s so much money and space in the mix. And much of the economy depends on people buying what they can’t afford and actually don’t need.

Those who don’t have to worry the rest of their lives about having enough money still can only eat so much food. Yes, they can take in all kinds of expensive entertainment or whatever and eat whatever cuisine they want. But they really can use and enjoy only so much. Oftentimes these folks have way more than they either need or will use. While so much of the rest of the world does not have sufficient food or water.

Simple living involves an enjoyment of the ordinary things, seeing everything as a gift from God. And instead of wanting more and more and never being happy with what one has, learning to gratefully receive anything and everything that is good as a gift from God. And seeing that as enough. As Paul actually put it here, if we have what we need, food and clothes, we should be content with that.

While most of us many not be wealthy according to the American dream, we indeed are compared to the rest of the world. But that doesn’t exactly include everyone in the United States. There are too many who have to work more than one job and even then, can hardly make ends meet. And whose health care coverage is dismal in a nation with the best medical know how and one of if not the worst accessibility to it of all first world nations. Of course, the rich will get all they need and more.

When we have extra, we’re to be generous and help others who don’t have enough or are struggling or could use some help.

Our lives are supposed to be lived in simplicity because the essence of life for us is relationship with God through Christ and relationships with each other. As well as receiving every good thing as a gift from God and enjoying as well as seeking to be good stewards of all such gifts.

We’re to seek to do this together. In and through Jesus.

in praise of being lowly (and my change in my main Bible translation)

Let the believer who is lowly boast in being raised up, and the rich in being brought low, because the rich will disappear like a flower in the field. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the field; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. It is the same way with the rich; in the midst of a busy life, they will wither away.

James 1:9-11; NRSV

At first when reading this from the NRSV, I disliked the rendering “lowly.” I preferred the NIV‘s “the believer in humble circumstances” which after all, I’m quite used to. And a side note here: I am switching for the time being anyhow, to the NRSV as my own main translation. All of my opinions are gathered from experts. And I especially appreciate discernment formed within community. The NIV is great at what it does, both accurate and clear, good English basically accessible to all. The NRSV seems to be very good at what it does. But not good English and that’s because it gives us more exactly the way it was said, maybe the more precise meaning without trying to put it into the way we might say it today like the NIV attempts to do and I think does quite well. The NIV has been my main Bible the vast majority of my years (now decades) as a Christian. So I do grieve over the change, though I still always can and will at times refer to it. The NIV and especially the 2011 revision (in part from the TNIV, which used to be my favorite) is quite good. This seems to me to be a good take on a few current Bible translations: Choosing a Bible Translation.  We surely have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to English Bible translations. But now back to the main point of this post.

Lowly at first came across to me poorly, like an outcast within different cultures. It’s not necessarily more accurate than “in humble circumstances,” or the way the CEB translates it, “Brothers and sisters who are poor…” Maybe the last two more precisely catch what the issue is: those in need compared to those who have more than enough. But lowly also captures something of the twist James makes, that such are raised up or exalted. It is interesting how many of the poor have faith, whereas many of the rich struggle with faith, or so it seems. We see this in life, and it’s noted on the pages of Scripture, our Lord himself making that clear. So lowly here probably does mean those who struggle in this life, either not having enough, or just scraping through to make it day after day.

I like the term “lowly” because it seems to me that this can be a benefit for those of us who for one reason or another, probably a number of reasons are not well set compared to others. When compared with the rest of the world, like someone wisely said, those of us living here, at least the vast majority of us have won the lottery. So it’s relative of course. But the sense of being lowly is surely a blessing. It speaks of dependence on God, healthy interdependence in a give and take relationship with others, and the realization that all is a gift from God. In and through Jesus.

blessed are you poor

Looking at his disciples, he said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man.

“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

“But woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.
Woe to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

Luke 6:20-26

Jesus’s words have to be understood in the context of their times, and the gospel accounts. Not a few times he got after religious leaders who loved money and even took advantage of poor widows. The calling to his disciples was to follow Jesus, which meant total trust in the Father for their provisions. But in terms of the world, relative poverty. Not that many in Jesus’s day didn’t struggle to make ends meet. Roman taxation imposed a heavy burden and most of the Jews were not considered wealthy.

A close reading of the gospel accounts: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John along with the rest of the New Testament indicates that having wealth is not really the issue. It seems more like an issue of everything being at God’s disposal, and doing good with the wealth one has. And a big part of that is helping the poor, which when we turn the pages of all of Scripture, we’ll find again and again is one of God’s major concerns, and especially how the rich treat the poor, God often leveling judgment because of their mistreatment in being pillaged by the rich, or not helped.

It does seem to be a common theme that Jesus’s disciples are to live simply, not at all to accumulate material possessions, but in view of God’s coming kingdom in Jesus, and the true riches that are essentially spiritual. In terms of one’s relationship with God and others in the communion and community of Jesus. In following Jesus, people find that their true life is in God, and want to share that same life with others.

But that doesn’t mean material things don’t matter. Humans are not just spiritual, but physical beings as well. Food, clothing, and shelter are considered the basic essentials it seems, according to Jesus’s words. And yet Jesus had no home of his own. And Paul tells us that poverty can’t separate us from God’s love. It seems like this period of time in between Christ’s first and second coming is one that isn’t normal. God’s kingdom is present, but not fully in place, one might say. So that now, followers of Christ who are part of that kingdom live in a world that is at odds with it. Which is why we see Christians living in relative poverty in countries where they are more or less persecuted, and indeed marginalized.

Jesus’s woes are to those who fail to help the poor, who have not obeyed his call. It’s essentially a gospel, good news mission for all, particularly for those who see their needs ultimately fulfilled in and by God. Who are not sufficient in themselves, and see themselves as completely God’s both in terms of devotion and mission. Who can enjoy God’s provisions, but are generous in sharing that wealth with others, particularly those in need, and in so doing are rich toward God. In and through Jesus.

blessed routine

This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20

There is something it seems like our society wants to get away from, to escape as much as possible, which I actually should be appreciated, if it was recognized for the blessing it is. That is, routine. I’m thinking in terms of regular responsibility, which actually is a privilege to be involved in, and carry on. Instead nowadays, it seems like people want as much freedom and free time as possible. I’m not at all suggesting that there might be better ways to do work, or that we always have to do things the same way. Or that we should work long hours and long weeks, with little time off. No. And there may be new approaches to work that are different and fresh, indeed, helpful.

Usually trouble follows us wherever we go, not just because we’re creating it ourselves hopefully, though that reality exists from which we can learn, even if just from being finite beings. But simply because we live in a broken, fallen world. It seems like if something can “so south,” it will, being hard to keep everything pointed to “the true north” (these sayings from the compass). Due to imperfections everywhere, from nearly every direction, there will be trouble. And that simply becomes a part of the normal routine we have to work on, and live with.

We’re to find satisfaction in all of that, no less, and even, no more. Ecclesiastes suggests that if wealth is added to that, then that’s all well and good, people occupied with gladness of heart, I suppose being able to do this and that, to enjoy life. Whereas those financially strapped, or living in relative poverty may be limited, yet hopefully blessed with a job to make ends meet. Though sadly here in the United States, a living wage is not guaranteed for any forty hour job. One should be able to live in humble quarters, and provide well enough for themselves with a full time job. Life isn’t easy, although some pieces are dropping in to many places, for example in Africa, to help societies and families have work, and provide for their own. The free enterprise system and capitalism are regularly beaten up by many progressives, but in my opinion, are not evil in and of themselves. Any system can become wrong, or more accurately have many wrongs because of the people who are in charge and in place in them.

Continuing on in the blessed routine, in whatever God gives us, should be something we learn to appreciate. For some of us, retirement age is approaching. If God gives us health, that can be a step into another blessed routine, of day in and day out, doing much the same things, hopefully to our own enjoyment, and even delight, and for the blessing of others. As we continue on as witnesses in all of this, to the truth and power of the good news of God in Jesus.