There is a story told of an abbot who lived so luxuriously that the king accused him of plotting against the throne - and said that he must die! The abbot protested his innocence and the king, in a magnanimous mood, gave him an opportunity to save his life. He told him that if he could answer three questions that the king would put to him, his life would be spared.
The abbot agreed and so the king asked him: 1.How quickly may I ride round the world? 2. How much am I worth? and 3. What am I thinking right now? The abbot was perplexed, and asked for time to think. He was given three weeks!
Having consulted - to no avail - with learned professors, and fellow-religious, he was making his way home to prepare himself for death when he met a poor shepherd. The shepherd enquired as to why the abbot was looking so downcast, and was told the story. "Fear not, father abbot," he said. Lend me your clothes, and I will answer your questions for the king." Not knowing what else to do, the abbot agreed, and the shepherd duly presented himself before the king to give him his answers.
The king repeated his first question: “How quickly may I ride around the world?” The shepherd said, “Your Majesty, you must rise with the Sun, and ride with it the whole day and night. In this way, you will be able to go round the world in twenty-four hours.” The king, who had a sense of humour, laughed. "Very well", he said, "but what am I worth? I am the king.” “Your Majesty,” replied the shepherd, “according to the Bible, Jesus, the King of Heaven and Earth, was sold for thirty pence. Your worth must be at least one penny less. It should be twenty-nine pence.” Once again, the king laughed, and commended the abbot for his wisdom.
Then he looked very serious and said, “Tell me quickly. What am I thinking now?” “Sire, you are thinking I am the abbot. But I am not the abbot. I am only a poor shepherd. I have come to ask pardon for the abbot and for myself.” Then he quickly removed the abbot’s clothes. Now he looked like a shepherd. He knelt down before the king for pardon which, as you might have guessed, was readily granted.
That little story - especially the second of the king's questions - came to mind this morning as I read, and listened to, the news. Two items concerned the perceived worth of a man. The footballer, Wayne Rooney is to be paid - allegedly - a total of some £230,000 by Manchester United, including various bonuses and payments for 'image' (!!) rights. Oh, and that's not for each of the years of his 5-year contract. It's for each week! Almost £12 million per year for kicking a ball around a field - and, I understand, currently not even doing so particularly well! The other story was about Scotland's most senior Judge, who lambasted some
"... lawyers for allowing a 'straightforward' case to turn into' protracted' proceedings, with 52 days of evidence earning lawyers £1 million in fees." (The Herald), most of which would be paid for by the public purse through legal aid. These stories, of course, came hard on the heels of the person(s) who won £113 million in a lottery.
There is, in my opinion, only one word for these situations -
GREED! I know that bank interest rates for savers are not very high at the moment. However, I could probably get a 5% return on these kind of deposits. That would mean that Mr Rooney could net almost £600,000 per year in interest alone - more than enough for even anyone with expensive tastes. The lawyers wouldn't do quite as well with a mere £50,000 per year - and divided among a team. But that was for only 52 days plus preparation time. The lottery winner(s) could bring in almost £6 million per year in interest alone!
Around the world, millions are starving; within the so-called 'western' nations, there is a severe tightening of the belt - unless, of course, one is part of the EU bureaucracy (but that's a possible topic for another post!); but Mr Rooney and a team of lawyers are out to feather their own nests, regardless. Even the lottery winner(s) didn't buy the ticket simply in order to support some charities!
The early Christian leader Paul did
not say, as he is often accused of having done, that "money is the root of all evil". What he
did say is that "...
the love of money is the root of all evils;" (I Tim 6:10; RSV; my emphasis). We, in the west, live in what is referred to as a 'post-Christian, materialistic, humanistic, society'. We have, in the main, turned our backs on God. We reject His influence in our lives - and then complain when He allows us to reap what we sow! (see Gal.6:7 ff)
I trust that, in spite of the example set by so many of those who are in the public eye, most of us will heed those other words of Paul, and claim them for ourselves, when he says "
Not that I complain of want; for I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want. I can do all things in Him Who strengthens me." (Phil 4:11-13; RSV).
