Divine demonetisation
Arobber waylaid a politician at gunpoint: “Give me your money or I’ll shoot you!” The mantri cried: “Don’t you know I’m a great politician?” Unfazed, the robber said: “Yea? Then give me back my money!” Then, to a miser, the robber said: “Your money or your life!” The miser replied: “Take my life. I’m saving my money for my old age!”
A year after demonetisation, many bytes and barbs are circulating on cellphones and Internet about who robbed whom, who gained, and who lost, from this money matter. Money matters. But, will our hoarded wealth gain currency in heaven or suffer some “divine demonetisation”?
The Bible has diverse views on prosperity and poverty. Many wealthy evangelists preach a so-called “gospel of prosperity” claiming that riches indicate God’s favour towards the virtuous. Such thinking is often defended by quoting a psalm that says of good people: “In all that they do, they prosper.” Prosperity is also seen as the state of those who “get a good reward for their toil”. Wealth acquired through hard labour and just means is okay.
The Bible severely critiques those who make money by cheating the poor. Already in the 8th century BC, Amos — called “prophet of social justice” — echoes God’s voice condemning unjust practices like: (a) overcharging rents, (b) rendering the poor homeless, (c) depriving tenants of their dignity; (d) manipulating weights and measures; (e) using or abusing festivals for monetary gain. God warns those who earn “blood money” by exploiting the poor or “black money” by illegal means: “Never will I forget a single thing you have done.”
Jesus preaches detachment towards money: “You cannot serve both God and money.” A rich lawyer desired to follow Jesus but his wealth made him turnaround and desert him. By contrast, prosperous tax-collectors Zacchaeus and Matthew restored their ill-gotten wealth to those they had cheated and followed Jesus, respectively.
Jesus preaches: “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The “poor in spirit” are those unattached to worldly things that rust and rot; rather, they invest in loving and serving God and all people. This brings lasting peace, happiness and blessings.
We earn money by transforming Mother Earth’s resources into consumable commodities for all God’s children. Hence, everyone is entitled to equally enjoy the earth’s abundance and live a decent human life. We are but “stewards” or “trustees” of our cosmos — created to live freely and love fully — with great potentiality to enrich others.
“Make purses for yourself that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven,” says Jesus. Demonetisation could remind us that much of what we greedily accumulate will not be credited to any account in the afterlife.
Francis Gonsalves is a professor of theology. He can be contacted at fragons@gmail.com