This was an international conference in San Antonio Texas. We met in bible study groups each morning to read Luke before the main business of the conference. One morning we read:
Then Jesus said to him, "Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, 'Come; for everything is ready now.' But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my regrets.' Another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my regrets.' Another said, 'I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come.' So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, 'Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.' And the slave said, 'Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.' Then the master said to the slave, 'Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.'"
Luke 14:16-24
We were sitting quietly mulling it over when soemone spoke. He was a black pastor from South Africa. Apartheid was still going strong. Mandella was still in prison. Our pastor friend (Christian Reformed) said, "I sometimes wonder if I'm poor enough, when I read this."
Gasp.
It of course left the rest of us stunned.
4 comments:
I often ask myself that question.
I ask it too and my answer is that I'm not poor enough :-(. I compare myself to the few Jesuit friends I have and wonder how they're able to give up as much as they have .... then I think that maybe that's where I'm going wrong - the way they see it, they aren't giving up stuff, they're getting stuff.
The Jesuits who have taken a vow of perpetual poverty are members of a religious order that will meet their basic needs and even pay for schooling.
That's the trade off. Intentional community makes vows of poverty possible. The Canadian government has a tax form just for Old Order Mennonites. They can waive deductions for social security if they swear an oath they will never try to collect. Again. They have a strong community behind them who will support them in their infirmity.
Yes,, and in the US, individual Jesuits don't pay taxes ... they work at their job if they have one, their pay goes to the order and they recieve a stipend. Some have credit cards. Their health insurance and taxes are paid by the order.
But still, the individual Jesuit's means are limited. He can't amass a fortune :-), can't spend frivolously, has given up the american dream of prospering.
Post a Comment