7-30-19 - Where Greed Can Breed

(You can listen to this reflection here.)

In this week’s story, Jesus tells a little parable about a man who felt he needed bigger barns. This was to illustrate a teaching: “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”

We (mostly) know that greed is unhealthy. Greed can be a powerful economic motivator, but is also corrosive, and when allowed to flourish with no inhibitors can be as destructive as an invasive species taking over your garden. No doubt that is one reason it is one of the “seven deadly sins.” But greed doesn’t come out of nowhere. Greed is a response to a deep-seated fear of not having enough – enough time, enough love, enough money, enough security, enough affirmation… that list could go on. "Not enough" is a condition reinforced by advertising and any number of cultural messages.

And to that list of “not enoughs” that many of us carry, Jesus responds with a radical message of “enough-ness.” The Good News to the poor of wallet and poor of spirit is that, in God’s economy, there is enough. He demonstrated this with bread and fish, water and wine, forgiveness and healing. Our invitation is to live into the unseen promises of God’s “enough,” which include the material as well as the spiritual, the peace, presence and power of God in every situation that confronts us.

Try making a list of things you worry about running out of. Include not only “things,” but intangibles, like time, good will, love, health.
Come into prayer and ask Jesus to release you from being preoccupied with those worries.
Ask God to show you where abundance lies in your life. If our lives do not consist in the abundance of our possessions, what abundance can we put our trust in?
See what words or images form in your imagination as you sit with your list and that question. 

If something comes up, write it down.

And give thanks. Every movement in our spiritual life starts with thanks. That’s how we move into greater trust in God, by recalling God’s nature as One who blesses, and giving thanks for all that we have and all that has been given into our care. We can treasure all that, but hold it lightly, not leaning on it. God alone is the source of “enough.” When that truth takes hold in us, greed has no place to breed.

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