The following is from an email sent to me (the webmaster of this site)
as well as the 3 primary clergy members at our church, from the auther
Paul following a phone conversation Paul and I had in February 2004:
I hope this better explains what we were talking about last
night. I am sorry for the length of the letter, but now that I put
my thoughts into writing to clarify as this the length - no more no
less. I thought I would let (name withheld), (name withheld) and (name withheld) in on the conversation
since you and I had honed in on it and brought the idea of material
goods and false idolatry into a cohesive conversation.
Permit me to share with you a personal experience. This is not from
a text book or someone else's story; just plain ole me the Bozo. The
first year I came to (church name withheld), Father (clergy
name withheld) thought I should say something on stewardship as a young
person (26 years old), to engage a large singles and doubles crowded
that had found its way back into Mother Church . Father (clergy
name withheld), knew
my commitment
as a recent convert, a native Atlantan from old Atlanta families; and,
as he tells it, he researched me to make sure I was for real. I guess
I checked out cause he asked me if I would say a few words on Homecoming
Sunday. Anyway, I reluctantly agreed and agonized for two weeks over
what to say. I loathed public speaking at the time. I wrote all kinds
of drafts to get people to give the church
money to operate and grow. Coincidently this week is World Mission
Conference week ending on Sunday February 22nd at (church name
withheld), where we will be asked again to reach deep in our pockets
to continue missionary work at (church) and abroad. So I had to go
back and look up what I said since I could not remember it. I finally
found it in the attic in box, and again coincidently it is on point
with our conversation Sunday night. Here is what I found:
"The people I've met who are most faithful with
their money are also the most free of its entanglements. They are
the ones I admire the most, because they understand that if you don't
serve God with your money, you will serve your money. At its simplest
it is not your money, but God's to which you are returning the loan
with the interest paid by the lender in blood on a cross."
It was one of those rare moments for me to be sincere, honest, toot
my horn but it worked and the church raised 1.9 million (way over budget
for 1986). Church built a new school, and I am still the Bozo - and
these idiots are about to hand me a stethoscope and a scalpel.
I have been privileged to grow up surrounded by money and some wealth
(although the truth is that we spent most of it in the 1960's, and
lost it). My unfortunate experience has been that
many people use people's money, or lack thereof, to make value judgments
over the person or their heritage (i.e., they are lazy, they
don't know real work, etc.). The truth is this is all of us. Everyone
I know and try to associate any real time with are hard workers and
we are all lazy, depending on the day, time, and mood. I have
tried to stand alone as "my own man" - made it for quite some time
then financially finally needed help. This was especially true when
(wife name withheld) and I had (child name withheld), and I was set
in some of my old inflexible, tired worn out ways. I couldn't see all
the fun, or all I saw was fun. There was little in between and as you
correctly pointed out "balance" was
something I could not get. Now you have been over to my house many
times and know the simple truth I live by: "The Kingdom of God is about
and all around you, it is not to be found here or there, The Kingdom
is Here and men are too blind to see it (Gospel of Phillip 63:31)." I
don't care whether Jesus said it, (name withheld) said, Nathan said
it, St. Phillip said it, neo-Nazi's said it, or Bozo here said it.
It is a ray of truth.
Most importantly, the story I was trying to relate on the telephone
about the young rich Roman in the New Testament approaching Jesus and
asking him how can he get in the Kingdom of Heaven (Luke 18:18-30),
has been unfortunately, bastardized and misused by many to guilt people
into charity work through attrition and giving up money they don't
have or in some cases even own. It is a famous bible story and widely
known because it is a deep parable in how we all fit in to the trap
and prison of money and how God views the issue. Money is mentioned
over 150 times in New Testament. Let me say right out the evangelists
are mistaken. Mark's version in the Gospels is slightly different than
Luke's, but basically they say, The young man asks the Lord, "Good
Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" After a dialogue,
it ends with Jesus telling the young man "There is still one thing
lacking, you must sell all that you own and distribute the money to
the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come follow me." All
three synoptic Gospel writers, Mathew, Mark and Luke, inform us that
the young rich ruler man left and sulked off because he had much wealth,
and he could not do what Jesus asked of him - give up his money. I
have always been interested in Jesus' response and, as a lawyer, where
Christ put His emphasis. The young man would have "treasure in heaven" by
giving up his wealth and aiding the poor and not by simply
following Jesus. Why is this? Then Jesus offers one of His most familiar
teachings in all of history "How hard it is for those who have wealth
to enter the Kingdom of God ! Indeed it is easier for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle than fro someone who is rich to enter the
Kingdom of God ."
What does he mean? Does he mean I have to sell all my stuff and be
a missionary. What about the criminal defendants I represent, who is
to tend to them. What about the corporations I represent. What about
my patients at (hospital name withheld). What about my cop friends
who need a divorce but are cash strapped. For years while sick I pondered
this. Is Jesus teaching me that I must reject financial success to
have eternal life. If my only hope for salvation, now that I am so
damn ill, found in poverty? Of course not. This is not what Jesus meant
at all. The trust contained here is that the gift of eternal life,
your relationship with Jesus Christ, and each person who you see when
you look into their heart. It has nothing to do with wealth, talent,
looks, education, intelligence, power, politics, career, age, gender,
nationality, ethnicity, religious denomination or anything else of
this world. What He clearly means is that you must completely abandon
the earthy things you trust most, love most, and trust Jesus. Will
you give up that which you most treasure (Mark 8:34-35). Will you give
up your collectibles, your wife, your children, your job, your home,
your friends your life. If you will do this then you are ready; and,
paradoxically the world is yours because it no longer offers
you anything of value outside of love and friendship.
Let us now return to where we started, and the point Bozo Paul is
trying to make. The rich young man assumed he had a relationship with
God. But an inheritance cannot be earned. An inheritance is a gift
from one person to another . . . a gift to receive, not a prize to
be earned or labored over. It is love wrapped in a material object.
When the rich young man wanted to know what he had to do to earn his
inheritance, Jesus affirmed that he, indeed, had an inheritance, it
was already earned, it was free, a gift from his heavenly Father.
The same applies to you, ask you shall receive. Whatever you pray in
my name shall be given. (Mark 11:24).
I wanted to tie the ministers at (church name withheld). into this
conversation because it is really sad that so few Christians who profess
to be believers really take the 10 Commandments seriously. I know so
many find people who do not keep the Sabbath holy because they fear
going to church, and have had a negative experience with it. They gave
mega reasons and distractions for not going and all of them sound reasonable.
There are so many distractions pulling on people, and folks are afraid
they will have to give more money to the church which is absolutely
correct if they are siphoning off its assets for their use. Ten years
ago some Bozo asked this Bozo to cook the turkey for Thanksgiving.
Well, you know what happened. It was raw, raw, raw at 5:30 p.m. and
I "RUINED" Thanksgiving.
Well, just because I ruined Thanksgiving doesn't mean we quit celebrating
Thanksgiving every year, or have quit eating turkey (Although I am
on rolls now). I hope and pray that those who have had a bad experience
with Church in the past, can give it another shot so our children can
grow up with the same or better opportunities than we had.
In summary, you see ourselves at http://gospelofpaul.tripod.com this
is you, this is me. I have not been feeling well at all and I wanted
to get my thoughts down on paper in case I became bed ridden again.
As I write, (company name withheld)
is attempting to 'paper-work' disability compensation again so I don't
have to work and can focus only on getting well. Without sounding like
too much of a whiner, my body is bleeding everyday and my immune system
is destroyed. I have a weight spread everyday of 10 pounds from morning
till night, and without the drugs Dr. (name withheld) says I will simply
die. Funny how these drugs kill people abusing them, but give me another
day and chance at life. I hope they approve the disability soon, I
don't know how much longer I can continue to go into work feeling like
this. Everyone is trying to do the best they can for me in strained
circumstances that seem to be completely beyond our control.
I closing, my family loves you like you are a member of this family
and you are. There is nothing you can do about this so get used to
it. That is how much we love you. Till the stars burn out of the heavens,
I remain Servus Servorum Dei,
Paul
