Worldly Riches

What has the pandemic taught us about riches?

I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven on account of his name. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young people, because you have conquered the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you are strong and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; for all that is in the world the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches comes not from the Father but from the world. And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever. - 1 John 2:12-17

Last night in Bible Study, we were drawing parallel lines between the death of Jesus and the pandemic.

During those final hours, the apostles who had been with Jesus all along, and believed in him, vanished.  They went into hiding, afraid for their own lives.  Some believe they went back to the lives they led before.

Then, suddenly, Jesus was back. How did the experience change them? 

We have just begun to emerge from our hiding places, after removing ourselves from the world in fear for our lives and the lives of those we love.

We have lived for a year with less.  Now as we reemerge, we realize we don't need all those things we desired before to be happy.  We just need to be alive.

I think that is what John is getting at here.

We are not designed to fall in love with this world.  In fact, it is a challenge for us to survive it, with its temptations and desires.

But when we leave it for a while, all those things matter less.

Worldly riches are not what we longed for in our solitude.  We just wanted to be safe.

So, maybe, just maybe, we can emerge with a new perspective on what is important for us in this world.  And maybe, our focus could be on loving God, and loving one another.

For the world and its desire will pass away, but we won't.

More to come...