RELIGION, ETHNICITY
AND MONEY
Cornelius
Afebu Omonokhua
It appears that hunger, anger and
danger have become triplets that 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 understand that the value of money is
what money can buy. Life is a gift; no
one should make it a valley of death and tears.
To make this world a happy place, our
love and care for one another must transcend religious and ethnic affiliation. Humanity
is endowed with the natural gifts to support one another. Human beings have the
potentials to be happy in a conducive space and environment. Robert Kelly used
to think that he could not go on. He thought that life was nothing but an awful
song until he discovered his inner strength to be happy and the support true
love can offer to give meaning to life. He discovered his capacity to fly and
soar like the eagle to touch the sky. Just listen to his lyrics: “I believe I
can fly, I believe I can touch the sky, I think about it every night and day.
Spread my wings and fly away, I believe I can soar (https://www.bing.com/search?q=Row+Kelly).
Spread my wings and fly away, I believe I can soar (https://www.bing.com/search?q=Row+Kelly).
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 become channels 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 (Psalm
49:1). 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 ruined. A society, community and
institution where due process and statues are influenced by financial powers
would forever remain anti-social with lack of justice, 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 they would 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 money and
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.
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