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I am tempted to ask Elise, Marc, and Jeremiah to repeat the skit and then for all of us to  just sit in silence a few minutes. It would be a better sermon than what I have to offer. Today’s scripture is straightforward – the one with the most stuff at life’s end doesn’t win. What matters is what fills our hearts and our actions.

1 Corinthians 13 in a wonderfully poetic way says something similar. If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. Even if we give away all our possessions, and our hearts are void of love, we gain nothing. Our faith, our God, Jesus’ witness, tell us in no uncertain terms that accumulating stuff does not make us rich. Giving away our stuff or living frugally isn’t necessarily more righteous either. This is one of those lessons that when we think about it, we may well wonder why the Bible is called good news.

Greed gets a lot of attention in scripture. I wish it got as much in our society or even in our churches. Greed is a symptom of loving and or trusting something else more than God. Greed can be a symptom of insecurity. Greed can somehow rationalize that it is okay, even wise, to fill our barns while others cannot even fill their stomachs.

In yesterday’s New York Times there was a short article about a Silicone Valley millionaire. The quote that got my attention was this, “A few million doesn’t go as far as it used to.” No, probably not. I read on. This marketing executive, his house overlooking the Pacific Ocean, mortgage paid, did not feel rich. Accomplished, ambitious members of the digital elite do not think of themselves as particularly fortunate, in part because they are surrounded by people with more wealth, often a lot more. It reminds me of a quote that has stuck - having enough money means having a little more than you presently have.

It’s tempting to scoff at this guy, shake our heads in amazement. But, he is us. I remember clearly sitting in the living room of a parishioner in Minneapolis. It was a beautifully decorated home, pictures of winter ski vacations and sailing trips on the wall. Dinner had been plentiful, tastefully prepared and presented. We sat around sipping wine. Maybe we were talking about their recent remodeling project, I’m not sure. But when Steve said that they were not rich, I about choked. My self righteous, judgmental side was roaring, silently of course. Wow, what a skewed reality we have. No, this home was not in a luxury neighborhood. No, he wasn’t the company CEO. But get real – of course he was rich. We are all rich, those of us with homes, cars, decent jobs, paid vacations, and health insurance.

I don’t feel rich when I pay my bills or try to figure out how I might afford a modest house that has room for my mother to come live with us. I don’t feel monetarily rich when I ponder my pledge card and the needs of this church. And yet, the issues I weigh are issues of the rich. I have material and financial resources that allow me to make choices.

An economist named Robert Heilbroner came up with this illustration of American material wealth in comparison to the majority of the world.

1. Take out of your house all the furniture, computers, microwave, etc. except for one table and a couple of chairs. Use a blanket and pads for beds.
2. Take away all of your clothing except for your oldest dress or suit, shirt or blouse. Leave only a pair of shoes.
3. Empty the pantry and the refrigerator except for a small bag of flour, some sugar and salt, a few potatoes, some onions and a dish of dried beans.
4. Dismantle the bathroom, shut off the running water, and remove all the electrical wiring in your house.
5. Take away the house itself and move the family into the tool shed.
6. Place your “house” in a shantytown.
7. Cancel all subscriptions to newspapers, magazines, and book clubs. This is no great loss because now none of you can read anyway.
8. Leave only one radio for the whole shantytown.
9. Move the nearest hospital or clinic ten miles away and put a midwife in charge instead of a doctor.
10. Throw away your bankcards, stock certificates, pension plans and insurance policies. Leave the family a cash hoard of fifteen dollars.
11. Give the head of the family a few acres to cultivate on which he can raise a few hundred dollars of cash crops, of which one third will go to the landlord and one tenth to the money lenders.
12. Lop off twenty five or more years in life expectancy.

Are we in this sanctuary wealthy? Yes.
So, what does the Lord require? We need to complain less and share more.

In the same NY Times issue there was this editorial – “A Surer Way to Feed the Hungry.” Globally, about 800 million people are chronically hungry and the number rises every year. The U.S. is the world’s most generous provider of food aid, amounting to $2 billion annually. According to this article, much of this food aid is wasted in shipping costs and storage. The money could be better spent. We could strengthen the distant local economies and feed people by sending dollars rather than food. For example, Kenyan farmers receive lower prices when American surplus grain is shipped. In addition, food purchased from the States usually takes 4 months to reach its destination. If purchased locally it would take only days. It appears that farm lobbyists are reluctant to think outside of the box. The traditional approach prefers subsidizing farmers and the shipping industry. The current farm bill does not include the shift from goods to dollars.

We can do a better job feeding the hungry. There is enough when we share goods and dollars. But who wants less when we can have more? More typically begets more, and less gets stuck with less. It’s an ancient and timeless dilemma. “An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics.” Plato said that.

“Then the king will say to those on his right, Come, you that are blessed by the Creator, inherit the kingdom prepared for you; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me…the righteous will answer him, Lord when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? A stranger and welcomed you? And the king will answer them, Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Mt.25:34-40)

“Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist of the abundance of possessions.” It’s not the size of your barn that makes you rich. It’s the size of your heart.

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