Discovering A Spirit Of Wealth
An Open Heart Sees Abundance And Wealth
by Eric Elkin
“Jesus looked at him carefully and loved him. He said, “You are lacking one thing. Go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor. Then you will have treasure in heaven. And come, follow me.””
Kyrie Irving stands to lose $380,000 for every NBA home game he does not play this season. To play, he must get a vaccination shot. The city of New York enacted a mandate that anyone entering a gym must have at least one COVID-19 vaccination shot. This mandate includes Barclay Center, where Irving’s team, the Brooklyn Nets play, and Madison Square Garden.
$380,000 is only 1/91.6 of Kyrie’s salary. This percentage is what the NBA and the NBA Player’s Association agreed to penalize people who did not play because of local vaccine mandates. Irving could lose over $15 million this season if he continues not to get vaccinated. He is lacking one thing, but it is not money.
On the other end of the spectrum, the youth in our congregation assembled Bags of Blessing to hand out to people in need. Congregation members donated non-perishable items to go into the bags. They are intended to be given to people standing by intersections looking for help. The bags include socks, a toothbrush and toothpaste, and some snacks.
Obviously, people looking for a hand-out lack more than one thing. But do they lack everything? I have spent enough time observing the homeless to be amazed by the sense of community they possess. The people living in tents along the Mississippi River, for example, support each other more than most communities I know. They may lack wealth, but they do possess something of great value.
“The poverty in the West is a different kind of poverty — it is not only a poverty of loneliness but also of spirituality. There’s a hunger for love, as there is a hunger for God.”
I wonder if Kyrie Irving’s decision not to get vaccinated has nothing to do with COVID-19. I wonder if he has just lost a love for the game. Perhaps it is us, the fans, who are the foolish ones. We think extraordinary wealth can generate a sustaining spirit in one who is talented.
An NBA player making tons of money is an easy target. We can dissect their lives without examining our own. Yet, I believe there is a Kyrie Irving-like story dwelling in our own lives. Perhaps it is someone we know or, even, ourselves. This person is abundant in material things but lacks one thing - a spirit of wealth.
A spirit of wealth cannot be bought. This spirit, which dwells within us, is grateful for what it has and can experience. It can see even the smallest blessings and is open to sharing them with others. A spirit of wealth is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in love.
We, as a nation, are lacking in this spirit. The news bears witness to it all the time. Yet, at the same time, we are yearning for the thing we cannot seem to find. Today, I invite you not to walk away like the man who met Jesus on the road. Instead, lean into faith. Open your heart to the unseen possibilities flowing around all of us.
Click to read Mark 10: 17-31
Reflection Questions:
What do you lack?
Where do you find abundance in your life?
How able are you to see blessings in your life?
What would leaning into faith look like to you?
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