Three ladies from the gym took a trip to England back in May. This morning I actually had a chance to ask them what they liked and saw. One of their reactions was similar to my Mother's when we toured Montgomery: excessive waste.
I guess for some reason I expect governments to have large opulent buildings. It seems everywhere I've been they do: China, Ivory Coast, DC, Raleigh. Granted, some are more extravagant than others, but it seems the capitol and government buildings are always well crafted and ornate. My mother was mortified. Why are we wasting so much tax payer money on huge buildings when smaller ones would suffice? Why does the old capitol not used any more? And if we truly did outgrow, then why not use the empty spaces for offices or classrooms instead of building more schools? (At that one I could hear historians gasping and clutching their hearts.) I understand where she's coming from, but there's a small part of them that appreciates the fact we can have something nice to represent us.
Evidently, in London there is a Victorian Museum that showcases many of the royalty jewels. The ladies reaction was very similar to my Mother's. Why do they need so many diamonds and jewels? Wouldn't one or two tiara's suffice? Just how much jewelry and wealth does the royal family truly need? Don't they realize there are hungry people in their country?
Sell all you have and give to the poor. It was a command Christ gave to a seeker. Honestly and realistically, I'm not sure I could do it. I enjoy sharing much of what I have, but there are also times selfishness is not a problem for me. Why should I share with someone who doesn't work and forfeit a vacation? I watch people who are asking for handouts and assistance taking trips they can't afford and buying things they don't really need. And it makes me wonder, where some of those jewels or opulence of governmental leaders gifts from people? I wouldn't normally get rid of a gift someone gave me. Even if they sold the jewels or buildings and bought food or housing for the poor, how long would it be before the ones the benefacted be right back in the exact some spot? Or decided what they had been given or loaned, suddenly wasn't good enough for them?
I don't think I could live an excessively extravagant lifestyle (many people think I do because we eat out once a week and have a big house for 2 people). But I also struggle with knowing how much to share with the poor, and where the line is between enabling and helping. I remember clearly what it was like to get up at 5am to get ready for work in the school cafeteria, rush to class, then rush to be a nanny, then rush to Taco Bell to work another 3 hours, then study until midnight. Those were hard days I don't want to repeat again. I remember watching the girls who didn't have to work goofing off in the library or student center, and wondering what it would be like. I agree with Louisa Mae Alcott, that the poor are always with us, and just as Christ wasn't opposed to expensive perfume being poured on him, sometimes I think it's okay to splurge a little. Sometimes.
I guess for some reason I expect governments to have large opulent buildings. It seems everywhere I've been they do: China, Ivory Coast, DC, Raleigh. Granted, some are more extravagant than others, but it seems the capitol and government buildings are always well crafted and ornate. My mother was mortified. Why are we wasting so much tax payer money on huge buildings when smaller ones would suffice? Why does the old capitol not used any more? And if we truly did outgrow, then why not use the empty spaces for offices or classrooms instead of building more schools? (At that one I could hear historians gasping and clutching their hearts.) I understand where she's coming from, but there's a small part of them that appreciates the fact we can have something nice to represent us.
Evidently, in London there is a Victorian Museum that showcases many of the royalty jewels. The ladies reaction was very similar to my Mother's. Why do they need so many diamonds and jewels? Wouldn't one or two tiara's suffice? Just how much jewelry and wealth does the royal family truly need? Don't they realize there are hungry people in their country?
Sell all you have and give to the poor. It was a command Christ gave to a seeker. Honestly and realistically, I'm not sure I could do it. I enjoy sharing much of what I have, but there are also times selfishness is not a problem for me. Why should I share with someone who doesn't work and forfeit a vacation? I watch people who are asking for handouts and assistance taking trips they can't afford and buying things they don't really need. And it makes me wonder, where some of those jewels or opulence of governmental leaders gifts from people? I wouldn't normally get rid of a gift someone gave me. Even if they sold the jewels or buildings and bought food or housing for the poor, how long would it be before the ones the benefacted be right back in the exact some spot? Or decided what they had been given or loaned, suddenly wasn't good enough for them?
I don't think I could live an excessively extravagant lifestyle (many people think I do because we eat out once a week and have a big house for 2 people). But I also struggle with knowing how much to share with the poor, and where the line is between enabling and helping. I remember clearly what it was like to get up at 5am to get ready for work in the school cafeteria, rush to class, then rush to be a nanny, then rush to Taco Bell to work another 3 hours, then study until midnight. Those were hard days I don't want to repeat again. I remember watching the girls who didn't have to work goofing off in the library or student center, and wondering what it would be like. I agree with Louisa Mae Alcott, that the poor are always with us, and just as Christ wasn't opposed to expensive perfume being poured on him, sometimes I think it's okay to splurge a little. Sometimes.
Comments
For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. [Mt 26:11, also in Mk 14 & Jn 12]
;-)
And while God may ordain the governments and those in power, they are, for the most part, not Christian and therefor not concerned with the poor. Our founding fathers were in many respects godly men but even they understood the purpose of government and when they had the plans drawn up for our new nation's capitol, they made sure that any visiting foreign dignitary would be in awe of what we had accomplished, how great God has blessed us and that, even though young, were to be accepted as a world superpower.
Of course we mustn't forget that the governments of those you mentioned (the U.S, England, etc.) have given more to feed the poor nations of the world than all others combined. And at the same time we can't solve our own problems of hunger and homelessness. Strange that...
And Christ does not tell us to fret over how our governments are taking care of the poor or spending money. Christ did not give this charge to the government (only to punish evil and promote the peaceful welfare of society so that the Gospel could be furthered). That responsibility fell to the church and its saints.
And since the Western churches have done such a poor job of stewardship in this area, it has raised the need for governments to step in and take over. And the inevitable result, as we are all painfully aware, is more waste of money while not curing the ill. We get what we ask for (even though we may not directly ask for it).
PS- the american embassy in Ukraine is a hole in the wall, TINY boring modest building and it is surrounded by opulent displays from the other embassies. Interesting that:)