Greed and George MacDonald

Due to our vacation last week and Monday morning's early departure, I didn't get to follow up with some further reflections from the message on Sunday. I had talked about greed, the third sin in our Lenten series on the seven deadly sins.  

Towards the end of the message I made the comment that one of the reasons we give money to the poor and to the church is because it lessens the power that Mammon (the spiritual entity we worship when greed is at work) has on us. Greed is so much about possession - having possessions, possessing our possessions, being possessed by our possessions. Gratitude and generosity effects in us a declaration of independence, of defiance and rebellion against the fear and idolatry that greed leverages in our lives. Gratitude and generosity act to exorcise the false god Mammon, reminding us that all we have is the blessing of a gracious and generous God. When that becomes our orientation, we stop seeing giving as sacrifice or a loss to our bottom line and see it instead as a way to joyfully participate in the life of God as He himself lives it - graciously and generously self-giving.

Following the worship gathering Sunday night, I returned to my office and found that someone had placed a note in my door. On the 3x5 card, there was written a wonderful quote from George MacDonald that I would like to share with you. While it doesn't address greed specifically, it gets at the heart of what I was trying to communicate. Thanks to whoever left this for me.

"Love of thy neighbor is the only way out of the dungeon of self."

Yes.