Lent Reflection – Friday 15th March 2019
The creation and distribution of wealth.
Whoever knew that there were so many definitions of wealth?
As I prepared for this reflection, I thought that it would be prudent at the outset to explain what I mean by wealth. An obvious starting point – although my daughter tells me it is not academically acceptable – is the dictionary definition which is:
An abundance of valuable possessions or money;
The state of being rich; material property; plentiful supplies of a resource.
It can be described as having a flashy lifestyle, financial freedom and lots of money in the bank.
However, another source revealed that the modern day definition revolves round 4 principles – emotional, time and location wealth and wealth of reciprocation. In addition, there are fundamental cultural differences on the definition of wealth. Although during the biblical period the rich had extensive land holdings and were obvious by their clothing – some similarities with the modern world. Another thing to remember is that wealth is relative – if you have nothing, very little will make you feel wealthy.
At this point I stared to panic – how can I possibly talk about wealth when I am struggling even to define the subject!! Then I remember – this is a reflection – I’m just putting some thoughts out there for us to consider and reflect upon. I must also add that this is neither a political or economic statement – I’m not qualified to in either.
There are so many references to wealth in the bible – one of them, Deuteronomy chapter 8 v 18 states ‘Remember that it is the Lord your God that gives you the power to become rich.’
That started me thinking – how do people become rich? Actually, ‘ve been trying to work that out for a long time.!! Many years ago, on long car journeys, once normal conversation had been exhausted, my husband and I would discuss what we would do if we won the jackpot on the lottery. It is in fact extremely difficult once you move on from paying the mortgage, buying a new car and ensuring the future of your children – not by giving them large amounts but enough for a property and a little bit more. What charities do you support? How would they cope with a large donation? How would we respond to letters from people in need? What are the worthiest causes – home or overseas? What about the rest of our family? What about the church? What seemed to be a fantastic opportunity suddenly became too overwhelming, too much responsibility and not something that we wanted after all. Maybe just a few thousand then……..
Apart from lottery wins – and I suppose the biblical equivalent may be the merchant who found a pearl - the ability to create wealth is largely determined by the country and society that you are born into. In Jesus’ time there was a widely held belief that being rich was a sign of God’s blessing – happily Jesus soon dispelled that thought with his teaching.
Some people inherit wealth – property, land and money. Some make money from developing property and flipping. Others make the most of their skills and talents and create vast wealth – film stars and footballers are good examples. In 2017 the minimum legal wage for an apprentice working 37.5 hours per week was £6825. At the same time Paul Pogba was earning £15.08 million a year to play football for Manchester United. Some work very hard, seize legitimate opportunities and become wealthy. Money can be self perpetuating – when they die, their children inherit, and the cycle continues. Although others will work just as hard but with fewer or no opportunities and never get above the bread line. And sadly, the craving for wealth and possessions can lead us into all kinds of temptation - some will make money through crime, exploitation, scamming, cybercrime, fraud, corruption. Largely we believe this to be wrong and sinful – but who can forget Jean Valjean in Les Misérables, stealing bread to feed his sister’s children who were starving? Was that wrong or sinful? Or is it sinful that in a world where there is enough food and resources to provide for all, a minority thrive and prosper whilst many more starve and die? This is not just a political responsibility – it is a responsibility for all -and I mean all – not just those with money that could – and many do – do something about it.
Of course, we all have choices as to how we spend any money we have. – and these are not always the most sensible. It can be invested, spent on lavish holidays and travel, put in trust funds, luxury cars and even if you have very little, you still have a choice as to how you spend it.
A friend teaches in a school in Halifax where many of the students are in low income families supported by Benefits. She explained that you can work out the parents who spend their money on the family and endeavour to provide food, clothing and shelter and those who opt to spend it on drink and drugs leaving the children hungry. I was dismayed to discover that there are students who dread school holidays as they won’t get a proper meal until school reconvenes. The Welfare Officer personally buys food and advised children to hide it from their parents so that they have something to eat. In the worst case scenario one or two pupils, who have their uniform provided by the school, change into and out of it at the beginning and end of the school day and leave it at school along with books, pens and any other essentials every night because if they took them home their parents would try and make money from them. These children arrive at school as some as they can and are the last to leave. This is the UK in the 21st century. These issues will not be resolved by better benefits and higher employment.
Redistribution of wealth is not only good for society, but you could argue that it is essential for a successful democracy. President Obama went viral when in reply to a plumber’s question about an increase in taxes he said “It’s not that I want to punish your success, I just want to make sure that everybody who is behind you, that they’ve got a chance at success too, I think when you spread the wealth around it's good for everybody.”
Perhaps we shouldn’t talk about redistribution of wealth but rather a correction of a flawed system that does not seem to provide for even the basic costs associated with living. For a society to consider itself successful, surely these basics need to be covered? Perhaps we’re looking more at reinvesting in infrastructure.
Regardless of what we call it there is no easy answer as to how this can be achieved. Taxation is a financial levy that is often used to fund public expenditure and drive the economy – should taxes, or thresholds be raised? Most large companies fund socially responsible initiatives – could these be expanded? There is a school of thought that proposes a limit on what high earners take home or that the lowest salaries in an organisation should be proportionate to the highest, that children should not inherit from their parents, rather that the money should be returned to benefit the society form which it was generated. Bill Gates has publicly stated that his children understand why they are not inheriting his £70 billion fortune. His decision is that they will have a great education that will help them kick start their own career – and inherit a small fraction of his fortune. The vast majority will go to the Gates’ foundation. Many share his view and think that the key to lasting income generation is education and family. We all know the story of the poor man – give him a fish and his family will eat for a day; give him a rod and teach him to fish and his family will eat every day.
There has always been a tension between the wealth of a Church and the wealth of its congregation from the Middle Ages to the present day.
We all remember the dire financial crisis in Greece in 2011 which threatened to impact on the global economy. The Greek Orthodox church came under a lot of pressure as, at the time, the reported value of Church property was up to 700 billion euros - more than double the country’s national debt. Yet the state paid the salaries and pension of the Orthodox clergy. Much has been written over the centuries about the wealth of the Roman Catholic Church and one of Henry VIII’s motives for breaking from Rome was to gain control of the church’s wealth in England. As an aside, in 2008, the Catholic Church listed excessive accumulation of wealth by a few as a mortal sin.
Jesus saw wealth as a gift from God to be used in his service. Those who have been blessed with it should share generously with the poor and avoid the sins of arrogance, dishonesty and greed.
During Lent we are reminded of one of the most well known examples of greed and an attempt to make money. Judas Iscariot, who was known to be a thief, hypocritically criticized Jesus for wasting oil and then went on to betray him for money. John tells us in chapter 12 that Judas asked ‘Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?’ This meditation, by Nick Fawcett, is written from Judas’ point of view.
All right, so my motives were mixed,
more about my pockets than the needs of the poor,
but I had a point, didn’t I – give me that.
Remember, that perfume of Mary’s was expensive stuff:
not just the price of a couple of days’ wages
but something you’d have to save up for over weeks,
even months.
Think of the difference it could have made to people’s lives –
the food it could have put on someone’s table,
clothes on a child’s back –
and there she was pouring it out in one sentimental gesture,
the whole lot wasted in an instant.
It was criminal,
profligate –
that’s how I saw it,
and if she saw no better use for it
then, believe me, I did!
But far from reprimanding her, as I expected,
Jesus turned on me as though I were the one in the wrong.
What was up with him?
Didn’t he care about the poor?
Of course, he did, more than anyone,
but he realised, even if no one else did,
that he had to face death to bring others life-
and Mary, even if unwittingly,
was anointing his body for burial.
He cared all right,
not just for the poor but for everyone,
even a worthless wretch like me;
enough to give his all to make real change
possible in our broken world.
What was I thinking of to send him to his death?
I must have been mad!
But, you see, despite the rumours of me thieving,
I genuinely wanted to help my people,
and I foolishly believed Jesus was leading them astray –
only, of course, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
He offered his life to give hope to all,
no price too high to pay.
So, if you care,
really care,
about those in need,
how much are you willing to give in turn?
I want to give you two thoughts – one on the creation of wealth and one on its redistribution.
Joke
Today, when you arrived, you will have been given an envelope. Some of them will contain money. Like the circumstances of our birth whether or not you got money was completely random . There is absolutely nothing you could have done to enhance your chance of getting some. A little bit of wealth has been redistributed. What you do with it is up to you.
Let us pray:
Loving Lord
teach us to give generously,
to others and to you;
to use the resources you put at our disposal in your service,
striving in some small way to build a better world,
bringing your kingdom closer here on earth.
Help us to love you more truly
and to show that love in both our worship and service,
reaching out where we can to those in need.
Through responding to them
may we respond also to you.
Amen
The creation and distribution of wealth.
Whoever knew that there were so many definitions of wealth?
As I prepared for this reflection, I thought that it would be prudent at the outset to explain what I mean by wealth. An obvious starting point – although my daughter tells me it is not academically acceptable – is the dictionary definition which is:
An abundance of valuable possessions or money;
The state of being rich; material property; plentiful supplies of a resource.
It can be described as having a flashy lifestyle, financial freedom and lots of money in the bank.
However, another source revealed that the modern day definition revolves round 4 principles – emotional, time and location wealth and wealth of reciprocation. In addition, there are fundamental cultural differences on the definition of wealth. Although during the biblical period the rich had extensive land holdings and were obvious by their clothing – some similarities with the modern world. Another thing to remember is that wealth is relative – if you have nothing, very little will make you feel wealthy.
At this point I stared to panic – how can I possibly talk about wealth when I am struggling even to define the subject!! Then I remember – this is a reflection – I’m just putting some thoughts out there for us to consider and reflect upon. I must also add that this is neither a political or economic statement – I’m not qualified to in either.
There are so many references to wealth in the bible – one of them, Deuteronomy chapter 8 v 18 states ‘Remember that it is the Lord your God that gives you the power to become rich.’
That started me thinking – how do people become rich? Actually, ‘ve been trying to work that out for a long time.!! Many years ago, on long car journeys, once normal conversation had been exhausted, my husband and I would discuss what we would do if we won the jackpot on the lottery. It is in fact extremely difficult once you move on from paying the mortgage, buying a new car and ensuring the future of your children – not by giving them large amounts but enough for a property and a little bit more. What charities do you support? How would they cope with a large donation? How would we respond to letters from people in need? What are the worthiest causes – home or overseas? What about the rest of our family? What about the church? What seemed to be a fantastic opportunity suddenly became too overwhelming, too much responsibility and not something that we wanted after all. Maybe just a few thousand then……..
Apart from lottery wins – and I suppose the biblical equivalent may be the merchant who found a pearl - the ability to create wealth is largely determined by the country and society that you are born into. In Jesus’ time there was a widely held belief that being rich was a sign of God’s blessing – happily Jesus soon dispelled that thought with his teaching.
Some people inherit wealth – property, land and money. Some make money from developing property and flipping. Others make the most of their skills and talents and create vast wealth – film stars and footballers are good examples. In 2017 the minimum legal wage for an apprentice working 37.5 hours per week was £6825. At the same time Paul Pogba was earning £15.08 million a year to play football for Manchester United. Some work very hard, seize legitimate opportunities and become wealthy. Money can be self perpetuating – when they die, their children inherit, and the cycle continues. Although others will work just as hard but with fewer or no opportunities and never get above the bread line. And sadly, the craving for wealth and possessions can lead us into all kinds of temptation - some will make money through crime, exploitation, scamming, cybercrime, fraud, corruption. Largely we believe this to be wrong and sinful – but who can forget Jean Valjean in Les Misérables, stealing bread to feed his sister’s children who were starving? Was that wrong or sinful? Or is it sinful that in a world where there is enough food and resources to provide for all, a minority thrive and prosper whilst many more starve and die? This is not just a political responsibility – it is a responsibility for all -and I mean all – not just those with money that could – and many do – do something about it.
Of course, we all have choices as to how we spend any money we have. – and these are not always the most sensible. It can be invested, spent on lavish holidays and travel, put in trust funds, luxury cars and even if you have very little, you still have a choice as to how you spend it.
A friend teaches in a school in Halifax where many of the students are in low income families supported by Benefits. She explained that you can work out the parents who spend their money on the family and endeavour to provide food, clothing and shelter and those who opt to spend it on drink and drugs leaving the children hungry. I was dismayed to discover that there are students who dread school holidays as they won’t get a proper meal until school reconvenes. The Welfare Officer personally buys food and advised children to hide it from their parents so that they have something to eat. In the worst case scenario one or two pupils, who have their uniform provided by the school, change into and out of it at the beginning and end of the school day and leave it at school along with books, pens and any other essentials every night because if they took them home their parents would try and make money from them. These children arrive at school as some as they can and are the last to leave. This is the UK in the 21st century. These issues will not be resolved by better benefits and higher employment.
Redistribution of wealth is not only good for society, but you could argue that it is essential for a successful democracy. President Obama went viral when in reply to a plumber’s question about an increase in taxes he said “It’s not that I want to punish your success, I just want to make sure that everybody who is behind you, that they’ve got a chance at success too, I think when you spread the wealth around it's good for everybody.”
Perhaps we shouldn’t talk about redistribution of wealth but rather a correction of a flawed system that does not seem to provide for even the basic costs associated with living. For a society to consider itself successful, surely these basics need to be covered? Perhaps we’re looking more at reinvesting in infrastructure.
Regardless of what we call it there is no easy answer as to how this can be achieved. Taxation is a financial levy that is often used to fund public expenditure and drive the economy – should taxes, or thresholds be raised? Most large companies fund socially responsible initiatives – could these be expanded? There is a school of thought that proposes a limit on what high earners take home or that the lowest salaries in an organisation should be proportionate to the highest, that children should not inherit from their parents, rather that the money should be returned to benefit the society form which it was generated. Bill Gates has publicly stated that his children understand why they are not inheriting his £70 billion fortune. His decision is that they will have a great education that will help them kick start their own career – and inherit a small fraction of his fortune. The vast majority will go to the Gates’ foundation. Many share his view and think that the key to lasting income generation is education and family. We all know the story of the poor man – give him a fish and his family will eat for a day; give him a rod and teach him to fish and his family will eat every day.
There has always been a tension between the wealth of a Church and the wealth of its congregation from the Middle Ages to the present day.
We all remember the dire financial crisis in Greece in 2011 which threatened to impact on the global economy. The Greek Orthodox church came under a lot of pressure as, at the time, the reported value of Church property was up to 700 billion euros - more than double the country’s national debt. Yet the state paid the salaries and pension of the Orthodox clergy. Much has been written over the centuries about the wealth of the Roman Catholic Church and one of Henry VIII’s motives for breaking from Rome was to gain control of the church’s wealth in England. As an aside, in 2008, the Catholic Church listed excessive accumulation of wealth by a few as a mortal sin.
Jesus saw wealth as a gift from God to be used in his service. Those who have been blessed with it should share generously with the poor and avoid the sins of arrogance, dishonesty and greed.
During Lent we are reminded of one of the most well known examples of greed and an attempt to make money. Judas Iscariot, who was known to be a thief, hypocritically criticized Jesus for wasting oil and then went on to betray him for money. John tells us in chapter 12 that Judas asked ‘Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?’ This meditation, by Nick Fawcett, is written from Judas’ point of view.
All right, so my motives were mixed,
more about my pockets than the needs of the poor,
but I had a point, didn’t I – give me that.
Remember, that perfume of Mary’s was expensive stuff:
not just the price of a couple of days’ wages
but something you’d have to save up for over weeks,
even months.
Think of the difference it could have made to people’s lives –
the food it could have put on someone’s table,
clothes on a child’s back –
and there she was pouring it out in one sentimental gesture,
the whole lot wasted in an instant.
It was criminal,
profligate –
that’s how I saw it,
and if she saw no better use for it
then, believe me, I did!
But far from reprimanding her, as I expected,
Jesus turned on me as though I were the one in the wrong.
What was up with him?
Didn’t he care about the poor?
Of course, he did, more than anyone,
but he realised, even if no one else did,
that he had to face death to bring others life-
and Mary, even if unwittingly,
was anointing his body for burial.
He cared all right,
not just for the poor but for everyone,
even a worthless wretch like me;
enough to give his all to make real change
possible in our broken world.
What was I thinking of to send him to his death?
I must have been mad!
But, you see, despite the rumours of me thieving,
I genuinely wanted to help my people,
and I foolishly believed Jesus was leading them astray –
only, of course, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
He offered his life to give hope to all,
no price too high to pay.
So, if you care,
really care,
about those in need,
how much are you willing to give in turn?
I want to give you two thoughts – one on the creation of wealth and one on its redistribution.
Joke
Today, when you arrived, you will have been given an envelope. Some of them will contain money. Like the circumstances of our birth whether or not you got money was completely random . There is absolutely nothing you could have done to enhance your chance of getting some. A little bit of wealth has been redistributed. What you do with it is up to you.
Let us pray:
Loving Lord
teach us to give generously,
to others and to you;
to use the resources you put at our disposal in your service,
striving in some small way to build a better world,
bringing your kingdom closer here on earth.
Help us to love you more truly
and to show that love in both our worship and service,
reaching out where we can to those in need.
Through responding to them
may we respond also to you.
Amen