Rich in God

Hans Holbein, The Dance of Death, 1538.
Death grabs the rich man’s money before stealing his soul.

The 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today’s Readings: [Click here]

I think that if we could come up with the simplest possible philosophy of life, it would be that we want to feel good—or at least feel better about ourselves.

And as you’d expect, we all have different ways that we try to get to that goal.

Some people really try to put God at the center of their lives. They pray, they study the Word of God, they do spiritual reading, they do their best to devote their lives to the service of God and others. What a blessing to be counted in this group! As Jesus says, if you are, you’re not far from the kingdom of God.

Sometimes, folks start out in this group but drift away—or are driven away.

You may feel, for example, that the Church condemns something about you or your past choices—and as a result, you no longer feel welcome. Think about politicians who try to reconcile their personal beliefs on issues of life or science versus the interests of the spectrum of people they’re trying to serve. Think about people who have made agonizing decisions about divorce or sterilization or end-of-life matters. Think about gay people trying to lead good lives yet are labeled an abomination.

And then there are the people who feel that they have been driven away not by a church teaching but by a human being representing the Church: the priest who insulted you or refused to baptize your child… the nun who humiliated you in class… the bishop who never answered your letter.

Regrettably, these kinds of situations often lead us to take it out on God. We think: if the Church doesn’t want me, then that means God doesn’t want me. And so when it comes to finding a way to feel good, or feel better, in life, we figure that we have to look someplace else—to lesser gods, we might say.

Some people become addicted to vices we are all aware of like drugs, alcohol or sex. But many turn to the more respectable “vices” of career, wealth and image that, even though are less destructive to the body, they are no less destructive to the soul.

This is the dilemma that Jesus speaks to in the parable of the rich fool in today’s gospel. The word “fool” sounds rather harsh, but Jesus directs it specifically at those people who purposely and willingly turn away from God—not those who have been driven away by the cruelty of others.

Nevertheless, the point Jesus makes is the same for everyone—being rich in God is the only type of wealth that matters in the end. Looking for comfort in anything besides God is a waste of time—whether that thing is a bottle or a bank account. Jesus’ warning here is not against wealth in and of itself, but against the false security that wealth and possessions can breed. Jesus says: One’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions (Lk 12:15b). We could replace money and possessions with anything besides God that we use to try to make ourselves feel good. The same futility is still present.

Our first reading from Ecclesiastes makes the same point. We hear that well-known opening line: Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity! (Eccl 1:2b). The meaning is simply that anything less than the richness of God will not and cannot satisfy the longing that we have for wholeness in our lives. “Vanity” means something is empty or valueless. The original Hebrew word is hebel, which literally means “breath” or “vapor.” Maybe we could use a modern expression and say that this verse means that all apart from God is just smoke and mirrors.

Therefore, our job as Christian believers has got to be to reprioritize the things in life.

If we know people—friends or family members—who have been hurt and don’t feel welcome any more, it is up to us to be reconcilers. The simple fact is that God loves all his children with a love that is present and inexhaustible. There is room in the pews, at the communion table, and in the kingdom for everybody. Sometimes we just have to say that.

If it’s us who have slipped away, or have been driven away—well, we have to remember exactly the same thing. Coming back to the Lord is so important—eternally important—that it is worth an arduous effort to get there… despite any spiritual scars we may have picked up along the way. So whether we need just some gentle nudging or a wake-up call in the form of a divine lightning bolt, God’s love is our source of strength… and the richness of God our goal.

The world is full of many things that distract us or divert us from maturing in our spiritual lives. We are driven to some by the cruelty and shunning of others. We are drawn to others because our own particular passions and insecurities. But in the end, to be rich in God is the only thing that will satisfy.