The Rev. Canon Anne E. Kitch
Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23 Colossians 3:1-11 Luke 12:13-21
Once upon a time, there were three princesses. They lived in a marvelous castle in a country of plenty and they had an abundance of everything: food, clothes, toys and games, friends, and parties. But they weren’t particularly happy. One morning they woke up and said, “We’re bored.” They decided there was only one thing to do—what any princess who has everything must do. They needed to go on a quest.
The first princess decided to go on a quest for justice. She thought, “I like it when things are fair. If I bring justice to the world, the world will be a better place.” So she went out and became a fine arbitrator. She sat on many councils and people sought her out to make difficult decisions. With her everything was always fair and square. She dispensed justice with strict adherence to the rules, never letting her feelings get in the way. But she was not happy.
The second princess decided to go on a quest for wisdom. She thought, “Wisdom is a worthy pursuit. If I become really wise, I can teach people how to make the world a better place.” So went out and found the wise sages of the world and learned from them. She visited the famous libraries of the world. She studied hard and became widely known for her wisdom. Students sought her out and she filled their heads with all the knowledge she had gained. And she was constantly filling her own head with more. But she worried continually about what she did not know. She had no joy in her teaching, nor did her students enjoy learning.
The third princess couldn’t make up her mind about what would be the best kind of quest, so she decided to set out and see what she might discover along the way. But before she even left the palace grounds, she was distracted by the sound of crying. She found a small child who had no shoes because a bully had taken them. She knew there was an abundance of shoes in the palace, so she went back and got some for the child. But before she could get back to her quest, she wanted to make sure the child was cared for. One thing led to another as she tried to ensure that he had food to eat, a safe place to live, and kind people to care for him. Along the way she played with him, and listened to him, and together they wondered about many things, until one day she realized that she had forgotten all about her quest. But it didn’t matter anymore because in caring for the child she discovered her heart was full of love. They didn’t always have what they wanted, things in their lives were not always just, and they didn’t always make the wisest choices. But they loved each other. They were often, if not always, content and happy.
A man comes to Jesus and demands that Jesus arbitrate for him with the family inheritance. Jesus warns him and those within hearing to watch out for all kinds of greed. He tells them his own “once upon a time”: the parable of the rich man who endeavored to store up all his abundance. He spent time tearing down old barns and building new ones so he could keep all that extra. Once he was done he was pleased, because he had so much he would never have to work again. But he never got to enjoy it, because that was the night he died. God called him a fool. Not because he had so much and not because he wanted to enjoy life. But because he assumed that having and holding into such abundance was what life was all about. Jesus warns we will also be foolish if we are not rich toward God.
What does it mean to be rich toward God? Think of rich as an adjective meaning full, sumptuous, deep, and lush. Rich food, rich fabric, rich soil. Be rich toward God. Rich visions, rich life, rich story. Be rich toward God. Rich laughter, rich longing, rich relationship. Be rich toward God. To be rich toward God necessarily means to be in relationship with God—to be in love with God. Life with God is life with love. If we are not rich toward God, we are only going through the motions. This is what the Teacher of Ecclesiastes means by saying all is vanity. One of the headlines from the front page of today’s New York Times reads, “The Millionaires Who Don’t Feel Rich” and continues, “a few million doesn’t get as far as it used to.” The article goes on to describe the lives of folks in their late forties and early fifties who are worth 1.3, to 5 to 10 million dollars. But they are not content. They continue to strive for more, because there is at least someone who has more than they do. They do not believe they have enough. They work long hours to get ahead.
All is vanity, says the Teacher. Whether it is work, or wisdom, or justice we seek, if it is without love, without God as its center, it is meaningless and we are left empty.
I wonder what our quest would be like if God were our vision—both the vision we see with and the vision we see, the life we seek. I wonder what our lives would look like, if God were our wisdom, if we were abundant not in possessions, but in love. I wonder.
Copyright © 2007 Anne E. Kitch
