(You can listen to this reflection here. Sunday's gospel reading is here.)
A few years ago, an organizing method swept the nation, popularized in the bestseller, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. I never read the book, but one practice it commended was to go through your accumulated stuff – clothes, books, files, CDs, electronics, exercise equipment, you name it – and ask, “Does this spark joy in me?” If the answer is no, gracefully toss it or help it find a new home. Asking, “Might I ever use this?” (my usual approach...) too often elicits a yes, and leaves us mired in our clutter.
Did Jesus have something like this in mind when he said to the man who came asking how he might inherit eternal life, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."
Certainly Jesus' suggestion was not so moderate. He told this man to render himself completely free of possessions, not just by shedding them, but actually selling them and giving the money to the poor. Jesus invited him to be completely unencumbered, totally available to the winds of the Spirit to bless and work through him. Lest we think this insane, remember that others have done it – St. Francis of Assisi, whose feast day we celebrated last week, was among the most notable, but many who enter religious orders, and denominations like the Mennonites, do the same thing. Is there something about our possessions that blocks the flow of God’s life in us?
Does Jesus ask the same of us? Or is this word given only to those who have great wealth and many possessions? Oh, that’s a dangerous road to start down; few of us self-describe as wealthy or think we have enough. But when we compare our standing to that of others, particularly most of the rest of the world (by a rough estimate, the poorest American is wealthier than 85% of the world’s population…), we start to see clearly just how much we have, and how much it may be standing in our way spiritually. It's not the wealth, it's where we put our security that saps our faith.
The biggest obstacle to faith is self-sufficiency. As we come to accept our dependence on God and inter-dependence upon one another, we grow in compassion and vulnerability as well as in faith. We more freely allow the Holy Spirit to flow through us; we more readily accept the power in community.
How do we start to divest ourselves? Can we do it incrementally, or must we tear off this bandaid all at once, as Jesus told the man in our story to do? He was unable to meet that challenge:
"When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions."
I fear I might have gone with him. I am not ready to tear off the bandaid. But I’m working to reposition myself relative to my goods and wealth, and allow God to move me to greater readiness. Starting with the things I have too much of, I ask not, “Does this bring me joy?” but “Does God have a use for this?”
Where that will lead me, I don’t know. God has a use for me, and God needs me free. How about you?
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