Well....today is "Be a Millionaire Day."

 Good morning,

I pray the day finds you well.

Well....today is "Be a Millionaire Day."

Only in America would we have a special day to celebrate the top 1% of the wealth in the country, not to mention the world. When we think about wealth on a global scale, if you have change in your pocket, not to mention having a savings account or checking account with money in it, you are in the top 1% of the wealth in the world. If you can take the time to read a book, you are in the top 1% of the wealth in the world. In fact if you can even afford to buy a book, you are at the top of the 1% of the wealth in the world. 

Today is, "Be a Millionaire Day." Only in a first world country would we be so obsessed with money that we are willing to let people die just so we can keep more of it. 

I come from farm country and we like to say, "We feed the world." I guess that is true, as long as we get paid to do so. I have seen my share of mountains of wheat and corn rotting outside of grain elevators because there isn't a market for it; all the while people in 3rd world countries are staving to death. 

We just saw a billionaire spend $43,000,000,000 so he could have "Free Speech." You ever wonder what $43,000,000,000 could have done to mitigate hunger around the world. maybe he could have paid the farmers and they would have let their crops go. 

We use words like, "I deserve" or "I earned." We justify our behavior. We make excuses. We turn the channel when those commercials come on with a hungry kid so we don't have to see it. 

What is wrong with us? Do we really think we are making God happy, or we impress Him with our wealth? I am reminded of something Jesus once said:

A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered, “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘you shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’”

“All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me.”

When Jesus heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

I know you are probably thinking, "Boy Roger is really kicking on rich people." Well maybe I am, and you might say, "Boy Roger is really kicking on farmers." Well maybe I am, but only because I can use them as an example.  

When I think about this stuff, I always come right back around to me. How am I being that rich young ruler? I don't have to go any farther than my refrigerator and I see a rich young ruler. I have way too much food in there. I may have leftovers in the fridge, but I will make something new, simply because i don't feel like eating leftovers. 

I have been in third world countries where people would be forever grateful just to have leftovers. Here I am making something new simply because I can. 

I have been to third world countries where people don't have a refrigerator. 

Refrigerator, what a stupid name. I think it is right up there with "Walkie-Talkie" the military invented the walkie-talkie. Here is an organization that makes its living defending us. and they have Tanks, warplanes, assault rifles, hand grenades. But when they made a communication device it gets called "Walkie-Talkie? it is a silly name. Refrigerator is right there with it. Just what is a "friger" and why do we have "ator" it? for that matter what are we "re'ing" 

I was relaying my frustration with the English language and the word refrigerator to a friend and she said, "Well idiot the re'ing part is because it was cold when we bought it (Again a first world thing). I say back to that, "What if it wasn't cold in the first place?" 

She said, "Like what, name something?"

I replied, "Lettuce"

She said, "Name something else."

I once had a parishioner who liked to garden. She was complaining that the slugs were eating her lettuce.

I told her to buy some intertainu.

She said, "What is that?"

I looked at her shocked and said, "Haven't you ever heard of "Lettuce entertain you?" 

Another reason why I think I more pestered than pastored my churches.

I am going to ponder how I can be less of the problem and more of the solution.

Am I alone in these ponderings, or do you think about this as well?"

Something to ponder.

Blessings,

Roger