When the Homily is about Immunology

Money - True Confession Time

The love of it, it is said - and written, is the root of all evil. Well I love it...although not so much money per se, for I am all too willing to part with it, but rather the STUFF that money buys.

When I was approached with the opportunity to participate in a "class" on financial management I was EXTREMELY apprehensive - if for no other reason than the fact that I had to lay down cash in order to take the class and I really didn't see myself gaining some cool STUFF out of the deal. Plus, I guess, I just don't like to spend too much time thinking about money. One might consider that that last sentence there could be indicative of some sort of holiness (you know, sorta likes monks who we all assume don't like to talk about money)...but alas my reasoning for not liking to think about money is becaus I do a piss poor job of managing it.

These days it seems most people want to blame some external for their financial woes, whether that be the government, some crook, "the man", or the all too common "unforeseen circumstance." But, true confessions here: virtually without exception, my financial woes are a direct result of my sinful behavior. Only I (me and myself) choose to give into the pressure to "keep up with the Jones'" or to spend money I really do not have...because I am an idolator of STUFF!

While the presenter, one Dave Ramsey, is cheesy and "smells" like an evangelical and while once in a great while he'll say something that remotely makes my old "health and wealth gospel" ears cringe - he is by no means a proponent of "name it and claim it" or that inherent in Christ's salvific work is our fiscal well being. Far from it in fact...I think I just have these presuppositions that Christians shouldn't talk about being smart with their money. (Naw we should be stupid and continue giving it over to the ridiculously wealthy lenders as opposed to perhaps actually building wealth and doing real good with it!)

Much of what he says is down to earth and sprinkled with proverbs and such which surprisingly have a lot to say about money...one of my favorites being Proverbs 22:7:

The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

As I said, when I first started this course I thought: "Oh geez, this is just one of those guys who is making HIS wealth vai my money." Well, I was wrong. This is nothing at all like a "get rich quick" scam...rather it is about waking our stupid American butts up and realizing how we are being WILLINGLY taken for a ride by lenders, marketers, banks, and our "must have it now" culture. There are some frightening statistics in Ramsey's book about the borrowing habits of Americans today! (*raising hand* "Guilty as charged!")

When I was humble enough to admit that my finances were a mess (AND that I am to blame), then Dave Ramsey's cheesiness began to disappear and I began to see that he is really teaching me things that I should have learned LONG before I got a credit card at 18 years old. We have found that by applying a small number of the tools and methodologies he recommends that my wife and I really are already experiencing "financial peace" even though we are a long way from being where we need to be. We are working the problem instead of hoping it will magically just go away.

Indeed we have a long way to go (before we reach the goal of being debt-free, but for the first time in my life I believe that I am shining a bright light into a very scary and ugly problem that was in dire need of my attention, but that was easier to ignore. Facing the ugliness (like in confession) is really the beginning of healing. I'd say, unless you are really on top of your financial situation, you ought not make any judgements about Mr. Ransey's program. As for me...well I need the help.

As I think more and more about what I am learning in the class, I believe I can see how clearly this fits into my life as an Orthodox Christian, who in each and every confession has had to admit that he mishandles his money, spends it selfishlessly, spends more than he earns, and consequently is all too frequently unable to give (whether to the Church or to otrher charities) as he should.

It'd sure be nice to scratch those off my list. I feel like its possible.