I received an email today from my friend.  He works in… money. That’s the best way I can say it; if I said his job title you might get the wrong impression about his line of work, and that would miss the point.  Anyway, my buddy told me one of our other buddies had really been hitting home runs at work lately, making some real jack. A little farther down the road of life, a different friend of mine told me I could make some big cash in his line of work also: yet another job in money.

People are impressed with strength, wisdom and riches (not to mention beauty, wit and talent). God is not, unless of course, it is used by Him. The things God delights in are much less visible, much less recognizable, much more difficult to attain, and most importantly, given very little attention in this life.

An old friend called to tell me about his new “business.” He told me about his business mentor and his associates, how people are finally making what they’re worth. “You might be able to cash in, too,” he said.

Robert Kiyosaki wrote a book called “Rich Dad, Poor Dad.” The gist is that you can make more money through income-generating assets. Read: real estate. Kiyosaki claims to teach you how to make money the way his “rich dad” mentor, not his “poor dad” paternal father, taught him.

Someone told me that if you’d owned one share of Coca-Cola stock one hundred years ago, it would’ve split one thousand times by this point. No one I know has held shares of anything for a century, but you get the point.

These people always intrigue and sadden me: they have bumper stickers decrying the plight of a people or the earth. They rally and picket. They have a cause (or maybe the cause has them). And they’re filled with rabid poison toward their adversaries.

Jesus tells a parable about people and what they’ve received. Some Wall Street aficionados might tout this as Jesus’ endorsement for capitalism, but we can safely assume the waters run more deeply than financial theory.

Sometimes people on television deliver advice on how to become wealthy. They tell you about your potential, your destiny, or God’s reward for your behavior. Any of these, depending on the charlatan or shyster of the hour, can lead to a home in the Hamptons and four-car garage. 

Some estimates say the scriptures mention poverty more than 2,000 times. Life in the city mentions it on many street corners, under bridges, and in alleys at night. Someone needs or wants, and they ask. Or someone needs, which asks something of us.

Think about all the things you “own”. You have clothes, an iPod, shoes, books, a computer, a car, a surfboard and nifty North Face pack. A lot of time goes toward their acquisition and care.