Reflection: I have heard it said: wherever you see poverty, someone has been playing God.
The reality of sin is such that, though the Christian will be deeply grieved by the injustice and suffering she sees in the world, she cannot be surprised. Still, it is dispiriting to perceive the webs of corruption and self-interest that ensnare the powerless.
There is a (perhaps apocryphal) story that a journalist once asked the American industrialist and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, “How much money is enough money?” His response? “Just a little bit more.”
It is right to condemn the greed we see in the world, and the damage it does to others. But is the desire for more power, for more money, absent from our own hearts?
Question: What wealth do you have? What power do you have? Are you aware of the place they hold in your heart?
Prayer: Lord of all, while many play God, we know that you – the true and living and merciful God – are active in your world and in our hearts. Defend the oppressed and displace the love of money and power with love of you and your ways. Amen.