Paul states that he as an apostle was:
poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything (2 Cor 6:10).
Quite an apostolic worldview. He is not Mr. Successful but certainly he cannot be accused of a poverty mind-set. There is an incredible re-valuation taking place. How can one be poor yet make many rich? How can one have nothing yet possess everything? There is not a book on finance that can give that answer, and however it outworked practically it must have begun as a way of seeing.
I have a good friend who is an extraordinary example. He does not have a poverty mindset and so many assume he is wealthy. He has a remarkable gift to see money transferred from one place to another without profiting personally and many times the money never comes via his bank account. The money shifts and there is often an assumption he has great resources (he does but not simply ‘natural’ resources, he knows how to connect with heaven’s resources). He is not rich but makes many rich.
I have been wrestling with these Scriptures over the past 10 years and am probably not much further on today than 10 years ago in understanding them. I am also interested in turning them on their head. I can be critical of the top 1%, but am almost certainly in the top 5% globally in terms of wealth. The top 1% are filthy rich and oppressors, the top 5% are OK!! If Paul owned nothing but possessed everything, what about those like me who owns ‘everything’ (OK not quite…)? I think the challenge for some of us who are ‘rich’ and own ‘everything’ is to do so in a way that we possesses nothing. That of course was the result of the outpouring of the Spirit.
All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had (Acts 4:32).
How feeble sometimes our attempts to live in a different economy. But I am encouraged that small feeble attempts are where everything begins. We have taken some steps with our friends (neighbours) where they have opportunity to ‘possess’ what we ‘own’. Now whenever the husband sees something of ours he (in good humour) says – ‘this then is for me too?’ And the answer has to be ‘yes’.
A short post as I am pretty ignorant on the outworking of the Scriptures and the turned on their head versions.
I’ve been musing on another of Paul’s statements lately – Philippians 2:17. I believe this should apply to all baby boomers. We need to go out with a bang. Many baby boomers (in the US those born between 1946 and 1964) are preoccupied now with retirement and the funds for that and leaving an inheritance to their children. Why? If any of the climate science we read is true, and we have ample reason to believe it is, then planning for that kind of future is a waste of time.
Baby boomers intentionally or inadvertently fueled the hyper-consumption of the last 40 years leading to the collapse of biodiversity and the climate crisis which may well mean their offspring have little or no future.
As a baby boomer I say let’s toss it all away. Let’s leave this party in the best way possible by pouring out what remains of our lives to ensure a great future for those generations we leave behind. Let’s worry less about ample retirement funds and cushy travel arrangements and more about reforesting old agricultural land, or creating not net zero housing but net positive housing (it sequesters carbon for decades), or enabling entrepreneurs by investing in those trying to build social enterprises that will care for people and the environment. There is a lot we can do yet. There is so much to be done. Most of the world’s wealth is held by those over the age of 65. Let’s spend it all before we go, not on entertaining ourselves in our elder years, but rather in an investment into the future of this planet, human beings and all other species. Let’s leave having poured ourselves out like a drink offering to all those who will have to cope with the mess we leave behind.
Time for the baby boomers to buck tradition one last time.