Eric Johnson and friend
Justice and Peace Meditation for Pentecost 8 / 17th Sunday (c)
Luke 12: 13-21
It would be easy to blame Albert Lasker for my accumulation of stuff. Lasker was the advertising genius who designed the 1930’s-era radio commercials for Lucky Strike cigarettes, Palmolive soap and Pepsodent toothpaste and helped set us on the path towards our becoming a consumption society. At the same time, we often try to excuse our consumerism by claiming that we’re accumulating all this for our children and grandchildren. This problem of accumulation and inheritance was the issue from which sprang Jesus parable about the rich farmer. The parable revolves around the farmer’s plans to protect his surplus stuff (”I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones”), and God’s questioning response about who really can claim owenership of our stuff (”All the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?”). Jesus’ listeners already knew the answer to this question; God has made us stewards of his stuff, and we are to hold this in trust for the common good (Lev 25:23, Dt 8:17, 1 Chron 29:16).
Help me, Lord, to be a good steward of your bounty. Help me realize that my children probably don’t want or need much of my surplus stuff, and help me to discover a better way for this to serve the common good.
