"No, we're not
poor, dear. Mom and Dad can provide you what you need."
I am a somewhat typical Presbyterian: I waiver between desiring
wealth and feeling uncomfortable with the wealth I have. I
would like the things that money affords, but I don't
want others to think I'm wealthy.
If you ask me if my goal is to be rich, the answer will come
quickly, "no." Nonetheless, I try to get paid as
much as my employer is willing to pay, I try to give my children
a good living, and I try to save for my retirement. By worldwide
standards I am filthy rich—but within our own culture
I feel financially squeezed. What I'd really like is to
have enough money to do whatever I find useful or enjoyable,
but to do so without anyone thinking I am rich.
I prosper because of this capitalist economy, yet I am aware
of inequalities that persist. As a Christian, how do I reconcile
the fact that capitalism has provided unparalleled wealth in
the United States and other places, but there are large gaps
growing between rich and poor? |
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