Rich or Poor

by M.L. Smith

Several years ago, Harvard University invited Mother Theresa to fly to America to give a commencement address. The invitation stated that they desired “the most famous person in one of the world’s poorest nations, to address the world’s richest nation.” Mother Theresa took offense at the statement. “India is not a poor nation,” she responded. “India is a very rich nation. She has a wealth of riches, true spiritual riches. And America is not a rich nation, but a very poor nation—in fact, a desperately poor nation, for she slaughters her own unborn children.”

Through spiritual eyes, Mother Theresa was able to see the poverty of our Western society, a society that is considered rich and blessed by worldly standards but is in reality spiritually poor. How could a nation be thought rich when she fails to protect her own unborn, her most vulnerable, from murder? How could a nation be thought rich which not only permits such things but openly promotes and embraces them as acts of personal freedom? No, these are the symptoms of a society that is deeply spiritually impoverished.

When you look at North American society through worldly eyes, you may think we are rich; we are certainly blessed with material goods and riches, far more than in many other nations. But what good has that wealth brought us? Has our affluence drawn us closer to God? No. In fact, statistics suggest the opposite: the more affluent a society is, the less religious it is. Why? Well, our Lord Jesus tells us: we cannot serve two masters—God and money—“for either [we] will hate the one and love the other, or [we] will be devoted to the one and despise the other” (Matthew 6:24).

The more affluent a society becomes, the more tempted it is to serve the idol of money and worldly matters rather than God. How many of us are guilty of this sin? How many fail to do what God asks because of worldly distractions? How many place worldly matters first and neglect the needs of the Church? We are all guilty of this! We break not only the first commandment but also that other great commandment to love our neighbours as ourselves. At times, we have all failed to speak up for the vulnerable, the unborn, the weak, and downtrodden. We have failed to live as God has called us to. We are very poor indeed.

A few years ago, some of our Nicaraguan brethren told me they were envious of our culture’s material wealth. I replied that we should be envious of them for their spiritual wealth! Materially speaking, of course, Nicaragua is a desperately poor country. And yet it is also one of the most spiritually wealthy countries in the world. Nicaraguans understand what is truly important in life. Above all, they are a people of faith. Their devotion to our Lord Jesus, their hunger to grow in their knowledge of Christian teaching, and their eagerness to serve the Church are things we should all aspire to. Having experienced a taste of their culture, I understand Mother Theresa’s words better, for I see in Nicaragua what she saw in India: a culture of great spiritual wealth.

When we look at the fruits of our own culture, though, we see a people desperately poor in things of the spirit. And yet, God does not abandon us to our impoverishment. Despite our failures to serve God and neighbour, despite our spiritual poverty, Jesus is still at work here. He comes to us with the power of the cross—calling us to repent, to turn from the worldly things which distract us from loving Him and serving our neighbour, and to understand that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. He calls us to trust in Him— the One who came to proclaim good news to the poor and grant liberty to those held captive in sin. Wherever His Word is faithfully proclaimed and His Sacraments rightly administered, He promises to be with us always with His mercy and forgiveness.

We need to be reminded of this, both as individuals and as a Church, so that we do not forget where our true treasure, our true spiritual riches and wealth, are found. They are found in Christ Jesus—in the saving grace that He blesses us with, in His holy Word that awakens and strengthens our faith. Despite the spiritual poverty of our culture, Jesus blesses each of us, His Church, with true spiritual riches: with the gift of salvation, with the inheritance of eternal life, and with faith to see the world differently—through spiritual eyes.

St. Paul writes: “Look carefully as to how we walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17). And again: “Take no part in unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them” (5:11). I pray that the Holy Spirit will lead us to “look carefully” in this way, so that we may discern what is pleasing to the Lord—that we, like Mother Theresa, will look to boldly expose those sins that impoverish our society and guide people instead to the treasure of Christ Jesus.

Rev. M.L. Smith is Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC)'s Missions Director.