December 8, 2008
More precious than diamonds
A full-page advertisement in the New York Times following Thanksgiving said, “Here’s to less.” Great come-on for people who are trying to cut back a bit, find a way to give a special gift to their child when times are hard, or maintain a standard of living. The ad continued:
Our lives are filled with things. We’re overwhelmed by possessions we own but do not treasure. Stuff we buy but never love. To be thrown away in weeks rather than passed down for generations. Perhaps it will be different now. Perhaps now is an opportunity to reassess what really matters.
What really matters is our faith in God, our love of family, friends, and that motley group of people with whom we attend church. Also what matters is that we’re making a difference in the world through our lives and faith, even (maybe especially) when everything seems to be in such chaos and need.
That's not the direction this ad took. It ended, “If everything you ever bought her disappeared overnight, what would she truly miss?” That was followed by a photo of two large, gleaming diamond earrings.
Evidently diamonds are what really matter, are what we love, are something that can be passed down for generations.
Let’s review our personal and spiritual investment portfolios, if you will.
The best investment we can make is to invest ourselves in our faith in Christ Jesus. The gift of Christmas is the promise of eternal life. We make this investment not only to hedge our bets on what happens to us after this life. We deeply invest ourselves in living each and every day in such a way that we reflect the love and grace of Jesus Christ.
If we don’t want to be “overwhelmed by possessions . . . stuff we buy but never love . . . thrown away in weeks rather than passed down for generations,” what is forever? I believe that we as Christians have the best message for these times and I challenge our faith communities to share the gospel and provide supportive fellowship for people in difficult times.
To invest in Jesus Christ and eternal life, we must also invest in what is most valuable and has potential in this life. Now is the time to invest heavily in our faith communities so that they can be strong and healthy in reaching out to people with spiritual, emotional, and even material help. What’s your investment plan for:
- Making your faith community healthy during this time of economic difficulty and crisis?
- Reaching out to people in need in your community? We need to invest in friends and family this Christmas in some intentional and creative ways:
- Instead of going to the mall, walk through the park or the neighborhood together, talking and enjoying the beauty of creation.
- Instead of obsessing with what is disappearing on your pension portfolio, spend time listening to others, sharing, and making memories.
- Instead of going out to eat, cook and enjoy a meal around the dinner table.
We also need to keep investing in children and youth in our lives, our churches, and our communities. While everyone, including me, gasps at the declining numbers on our pension fund reports, we must not be tempted to balance on children and youth the financial difficulties in our church, community, state, or federal budgets.
Parents are sacrificing their own wants and needs to make sure their kids get just the right Christmas gift. That’s admirable. But more than toys, trips, or trinkets that are “thrown away in weeks rather than passed down for generations,” children need time and attention from adults, opportunities to learn about the faith and serve those who are hungry or homeless. They need a strong faith community. Don’t let the children and youth in your church and community down. Now is the time to invest!
Children and youth also need an education that helps them to make good choices for themselves and society as the future leaders who must make sense of all the problems we have left them. They need health care so they grow up strong and healthy.
We’ve made a commitment to join other Minnesotans to eliminate poverty by 2020. In these economically difficult times, let's not abandon our sense of justice and compassion for the most vulnerable in our communities.
Christmas is a good time to review your investments: the investments that truly last forever in our faith, our communities, and our children and youth.
Bishop Sally Dyck
Bishop's Message Archives
"A covenant prayer in times of transition" (Nov. 13, 2008)
"Practicing bold trust in uncertain times" (Oct. 27, 2008)
"Faith means adapting to change" (Sept. 17, 2008)
"When it comes to churches, first impressions are lasting" (Aug. 22, 2008)
"Is your church a struggling airline or a hospitable B&B?" (July 8, 2008)
"With apologies to those not here" (June 12, 2008)
"Even in Conflict, We Have a Future With Hope" (May 18, 2008)
"Present Practices for a Future Hope" (March 28, 2008)
"Easter People, Then and Now" (March 14, 2008)
"The World God Loves" (Feb. 15, 2008)
"The Year of Living . . . Faithfully" (Jan. 2, 2008)
The Bishop's Message Archives for 2007
The Bishop's Message Archives for 2006
The Bishop's Message Archives for 2004-05