This was a question my "soon-to-be-11" year old asked me on the way home today from school. He asked was it right for the Christian private school they are going to, to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a new wing when so many are poor and suffering in Myanmar. They had a chapel this morning on the theme "Thanksgiving" where the host related that when so many are underpriviledged in this world, they are blessed to have the money to build this new wing to accomidate their growth. To at least 2 of my sons, this sounded contradictory and for my part, it did to me too. So launching into hollow-sounding reasons they may have for a new wing....I seemed to be painting myself into a corner. I finally said, perhaps they could've helped others reach a better standard first, and then think about expanding themselves. Nate piped up again, would you have told them that it was wrong to spend all that money on themselves? Honestly????? Would I? He was expecting an answer, so as I said that seeing all those people (many are very well to do) may make my courage find the first exit out of there! I said I would hope I would voice this hard question, and that staying in God's word and prayer would build me up to confront in the hard places.
I'm not sure if you all have kept up with the "Occupy New York" movement the past three weeks. These people, 700 now, are speaking up along with many thousands across the States and now Canada. We are the 99%!! The decisions on Wall Street and in tucked away board rooms are now coming home and sweeping jobs, life savings and struggling people off in a financial tsunami. I have a hard question for the church in this all, how much have we become part of this problem? How many off-base and selfish or neglectful "deals" have we cut to keep up the status quo and show to people a sucessful and progressing side of Christianity? While many go hungry, ignored and struggle in life and death issues. Something I want to see is a "Occupy Christian Church", sitting on the steps of the churches..."Wake Up"...don't let money make zombies out of you! Jesus even said, we choose what controls us money or God. Let's take the coin out of the fish's mouth and pay our obligations and get on with the real work of trusting God, serving the poor and speaking out the Truth of the Gospel of peace and justice.
