Lasting Treasure
When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don’t make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity, but it won’t make you a saint. If you ‘go into training’ inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face. God doesn’t require attention-getting devices. He won’t overlook what you are doing; he’ll reward you well.
Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being. - Matthew 6:16-21 (MSG)
I had a friend who took the above verse quite literally. He thought that when he did good things on earth that he was getting heavenly credit to be cashed in at a later date. There are some Bible verses that can be used to support this idea, and it makes sense. Especially if we are in a terrible life situation or season, the hope of an afterlife of peace with enough food to eat and space to rest can be of great comfort. Yet it can get weird, like it did for my friend. A colleague of mine talks about the apocalyptic fantasy that many Christians embrace. In this view, so much focus is on a future in heaven where only good people like them will go that life here and now can seem like a real drag. Worse, we can become callous about how we treat other people and the environment because the here and now is just a brief prelude to what’s coming. We just have to get through these days of tribulation...
Jesus’ talk about the Kingdom of God did include hope for a welcome into the arms of love after death, yet he was very much focused on the here and now. He taught that we don’t have to wait to be immersed in the Kingdom of God because we’re already in it. How we think about life and living makes all the difference. Further, storing up treasure in heaven probably has less to do with an afterlife pension and how many jewels will we get on our crown, and much more to do with living in the richness of heaven now. The more we do that, the more we live with a confidence that this stream will never run dry.
Early Christian theologian and philosopher, Clement of Alexandria (150-215 CE) noted that “in the end it is not the one who keeps, but the one who gives away, who is rich; and it is giving away, not possession, which renders a person happy. The fruit of the Spirit is generosity. It is in the soul, then, that riches are found.… For righteousness is true riches; and the Word is more valuable than all treasure, not accruing from cattle and fields, but given by God – riches which cannot be taken away.” Today, I want to talk about a couple of CrossWalkers’ living in the now and experiencing the treasures in this moment because they gave away when they could have hoarded.
Trudy Brutsche had been asking for help finding some meaningful service she could provide as a volunteer. Over the years, Trudy has done much around here. For years she served as a receptionist in our front office, being a friendly voice and face to all who came in or called, handling some administrative tasks along the way like folding and stuffing bulletins. One unsung task she took on was cleaning our sanctuary tables. They had accumulated stains and general grime over decades of coffee, doughnuts, and meals. It was her elbow grease and an assortment of chemicals that may or may not have been good for her to use that made them look fresh and new. Recently, Trudy saw an opportunity to use her skills and passion to bring joy to children. She loves to sew and she cares about kids. Foster kids have it rough, to put it mildly. They find themselves moving from their home into someone else’s house, sometimes with only a backpack of stuff to call their own. Kids cling to stuffed animals and dolls for comfort – did any of you have a favorite stuffy or doll? Trudy saw the opportunity. Knowing how important these friends are, as well as the ability to express creativity, she reached out to a local foster agency to see if she could help. The result? She now creates clothes for dolls she buys and makes them available for kids! For material, she repurposes clothing she finds at thrift stores like Community Projects here in Napa. What joy her work brings to those kids! What joy she gets from doing it! What long-term impact such work supports! This is an example of living in the now, living in and by the Kingdom of God, enjoying and storing up treasure that is not impacted by tariffs or global economies.
Another CrossWalker I want to highlight is Bob Nations. Bob has been very successful in business, now owning Senior Helper franchises in seven Bay Area counties. The business growth under Bob’s leadership is impressive, but what captured me was his heart for people. In his recently published book, Navigating the Art of Aging, he recounts experience after experience of heartfelt interactions and lessons learned in caring for the elderly. If you are looking for a heartwarming, positive book to add to your list, you won’t be disappointed!
Musicians Natalie Cressman and Ian Faquini released a new album this week, Revolução, stating that “the general theme of the album is about finding beauty in the simple rituals of everyday life. Celebrating the essence of what makes us human in a world mired in conflict can be one expression of revolution. We hope you find it soothing and that it makes you want to be kind to a stranger today.”
There is treasure to be had every day. It won’t run out. Every act of compassion and kindness is a challenge to the overwhelming noise that would have us believe that the world and its people are going to hell in a handbasket. Not so! Beauty abounds. Shalom is everywhere, inviting those with ears to hear to join the fun. May you score some treasure with your decisions to Go Be Jesus in myriad ways.
Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor, II.3, II.8, III.6, trans. William Wilson, in Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 2, ed. Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885).