Living Well: Where is your treasure?
I remember as a child being very interested in treasure hunting. Some of my favorite childhood books told stories about pirates and their buried treasure. I loved their treasure maps, and the way X marked the spot where you can find buried treasure. When I went to the beach, I imagined finding a bottle washed up on the shore, opening the bottle and discovering a treasure map! How exciting it would be to discover lost treasure! When I was 9 years old, my father, a Navy Chief, was stationed in San Diego. There in elementary school, I learned about the famous Spanish explorer, Vasco Nunez de Balboa, and his quests for gold and treasure. My father regularly took me to Balboa Park, where I pretended to be the great explorer. “The life of a treasure hunter, that’s for me,” I thought.
As I matured, my definition of “treasure” has changed. Jesus has much to say about our attitudes towards riches and treasures. As a yuppie in the 1980’s, my treasure hunting took new forms. Riches included bigger houses, vacations, country club memberships, and new BMWs. My father noticed my misguided notion of treasure, and one day asked me, “Do you care more about people or things?” OUCH! My father, like Jesus, asked this question as a teaching tool. Tragically, my father was killed in an accident almost 30 years ago, but he is still with me in spirit. I believe that my father clearly understood the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Once I became a father, I was better able to understand my father’s teachings and perspective.
As we enter the period where we consider our financial commitment to our church, we should also ask ourselves: “Do we care more for people or things?” Additionally, how do we make sure that all of God’s children feel treasured by our church? I know that our pastors love and care for everyone. I am humbled by the number of ministries that our church supports, ministries that are providing assistance to many people in need both around the world and right here in Raleigh. Furthermore, we now have “The Well,” a building which can serve even more of God’s children, since children are our greatest treasure. As the parent of an LGBT child, I have to ask one more question: What are we doing as a church to love and support all of God’s children? As I consider my pledge for the upcoming year, I believe that our church is a community that will continue to rise to the challenge of loving and caring for all of God’s people. I think my father would be proud!
