Danny ChaiI was listening to a conversation the other day that kind of made me sad. This person was just saying how in her law school, there are bunch of people into public interest, and they make a lot of material sacrifices to pursue that. Then she goes to church and she sees a bunch of BMWs and Mercedes in the parking lot. And she feels like, where is the sacrificial concern for other people that she sees in her non Christian friends? Or if she invited those friends to church, how would they feel about it? When they look at the parking lot, where would they think the congregation’s treasure is?
I dunno, that cut me to the quick. There are some like I think Tony Campolo who are totally bold about it and say flat out that for a Christian to own a BMW is sin. I wouldn’t go that far, I dunno if there’s anything inherently wrong with it. But I do worry about the impression it might make to the community we’re trying to reach out to. Just, where is our treasure?
At Promise Keepers they were big on warning against loving money. Like, you cannot experience spiritual growth if you love money, something bold like that. I dunno, I think I agree. I don’t think it’s possible for a group to grow if it’s too comfortable in material things. It’s not a matter of having things. It’s a matter of being too comfortable in them. And it’s something I worry about in myself.
Anyway, it’s just an offhand comment she made but I’ve been chewing on it a lot. When the world sees me, where do they see me finding my treasure? I really don’t know the answer, and that’s sad.