RELIGION, ETHNICITY AND MONEY
Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua
It appears that hunger, anger and danger have become tripletsthat can lead to death hence in a civilized society, the citizens have the right to demand answers for their predicaments and fight for their welfare. Hungry people are often victims and villain in the hands of those who worship money with the inordinate ambition for power. Like vampires, they starve the poor spiritually, psychologically, intellectually and physically.For instance, in Nigeria, most of the deprivations and exploitations are given the royal robes of religion and ethnicity that are very sensitive to human life. The way and manner religion, ethnicity and the use of power have been used to defraud the inner content of the human mind is visible in those who only care about money notwithstanding the suffering of the masses. One wonders if those who worship money understandthat the value of money is what money can buy. Life is a gift; no one should make it a valley of death and tears.
If you want to lift up somebody from the ground, you must bend low to lift up the person. In assisting somebody, the principle of subsidiarity and complementarity play a very serious role. If no one is an island, it follows that everybody needs somebody. The action of bowing to lift up in psychology is called empathy while in spiritual theology, it is called humility.
Rolf Lovland composed beautiful lines that Bredan Graham rendered as lyrics that speak to the human heart. “When I am down, and all my soul weary, when troubles come and my heart burdened be, then I am still and wait here in the silence until you come and sit awhile with me. You raise me up so I can stand on mountains. You raise me up to walk on stormy seas, I am strong when I am on your shoulders, you raise me up more than I can be” (https://en.m.wikepedia.org).
Genuine money put into good use, could be the root of all that is good. With money, you can show the world the contents of your heart by empowering others. Yes, with money you can raise somebody up. Those who believe that what they have and who they are comes from God are gifts to the world. They becomechannels of God’s love and grace. When others are blessed through your generosity, the goodness of God is revealed to those who would have perceived life as a mere walking shadow.These generous people control money and refuse to allow money to control them. They do not belong to the category of those the Psalmist says: “in his riches, man lacks wisdom (Psalm49:1). They are conscious that no person lives on earth forever. Because they are wise, they use their riches to serve God and humanity. They understand very clearly that the poverty in our world is the greed of a few people who do not store their treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19).
It is in an abnormal and unrealistic society that money defines the status of a person. A society that is not governed by ideas and principles is a hell on earth. Ideas makes an ideal personality that should define the status of a human person. Even in the antediluvian society, rewards and awards were based on merit and content of character. A world where money talks and influence decisions is heading for ruin. A society, community and institution where due process and statues are influenced by financial powers would forever remain anti-social with lack ofjustice, development and peace. Money is made for human beings and not human beings for money. Saint Paul instructed Timothy to “tell those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor put their hope in wealth which is so uncertain but to put their hope in God who richly provides us with everything for our needs. Tell them to do good, to be rich in good deeds and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life” (1 Timothy 5:17-19).
Some people who are rich by using the blood and sweat of innocent people are insecure. For fear of becoming poor again, they are erratic and violent in protecting their unconventional source of wealth. Some sell their souls to the devil and harden their heart to the demand of Jesus: “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys” (Luke 12:33). I doubt if theywould even listen to this command to the Jewish people: “If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or stingy toward them” (Deuteronomy 15:7). “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people who are eager for money have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1Timothy 6:10). “Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow” (Proverbs 13:11).
This is the time to “keep our lives free from the love of moneyand be content with what we have, because God has said, never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). This is the time for the religious preachers to preach salvation instead of extorting money from those who are looking for electoral prophesies and visions. This is the time to stop using scriptures to exploit the people. The preachers of prosperity should give correct interpretation to this their popular passage:” Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it (Malachi 3:10). The Preacher of prosperity must not also forget that “whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income (Ecclesiastes 5:10). Desire to use religion to make money is vanity and a serious obstacle to truth.
Salvation is not for sale. “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:8). “The contentment of the righteous is better than the wealth of the wicked” (Psalm 37:16-17). “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have” (Hebrews 13:5). “If you want to be perfect, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven” (Matthew 19:21). God is not for sale hence, Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling in God’s name (Matthew 21:12-13). Let us remember that our life on earth is a journey to eternity. We must not allow the things of this world to robe us of salvation. May we all work for peaceful co-existence to make the world a better place that is free from fear and fury.
Rev. Fr. Cornelius Omonokhua is the Executive Secretary of NIREC (nirec.ng@gmail.com)
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