10-02-24

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
October 2, 2024
Though ten years old, there is an interesting study that looks at income and happiness/contentment. In 2010, two Nobel Prize winning economists looked at how happiness is affected by money. Of course, we must acknowledge that happiness is very subjective, as those interviewed were not given any sort of parameters beyond the question: Would you describe yourself as happy or unhappy? The study followed 450,000 people, following up with them, including tracking income. In the study, there was a definite increase in happiness as people moved to $75,000/year ($108,000 in today’s dollars), but then it began to level off. They concluded that under $75,000, people and families experience more stress, difficulty accessing good health care, and often work multiple jobs to make ends meet. There are, of course, many exceptions to these findings, as there are many people who find happiness in spite of economic difficulties. Some Christians will say, “Whether you are rich or poor, you can be happy with Jesus.” I do not wish to disagree with the underlying premise of the statement, but Jesus had a lot to say about poverty and the systems (both religious and political) that limited people’s capacity to rise out of poverty. He was deeply concerned about those who were hungry and were left feeling insecure. He invited people to embrace the abundant life, but he also understood that there were often extenuating circumstances that interfered with people being able to fully enjoy the abundant life he was offering. For that reason, Jesus had some high expectations of his disciples and the church when it came to removing obstacles that hinder people’s ability to live life to the fullest.

Holy God, Jesus taught us that money is not what life is about, but suffering brought about by poverty is also not your vision of life. Continue to encourage us in drawing people into an experience of a life lived in the abundance of your love and mercy. Amen.