NICK WRIGHT
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Wealth

31/10/2022

20 Comments

 

‘Money – it’s a hit. Don't give me that do goody good bullsh*t.’ (Pink Floyd)

‘When I die, if I leave ten pounds behind me, you and all humanity may bear witness against me that I have lived and died a thief and a robber.’ (John Wesley)

Now that’s extreme. In his lifetime, UK Christian preacher John Wesley is estimated to have earned around £30,000 (roughly equivalent to £1,000,000 today). When he died in 1791, 47 years after having written these astonishing words (above), he was found only to have a few coins left in his pocket. He had given everything away. Wesley believed that to follow Jesus meant intrinsically to use whatever resources God had given him to help others in need. He challenged fundamentally those who believed that material acquisition was a blessing from God to enjoy for their own benefit. As his own income increased, he stayed at the same simple baseline and gave even more away.

I find Wesley’s example incredibly humbling and challenging. I live in a society that is individual-, wealth- and future-orientated. An implicit cultural imperative is that we should each make as much money as we can; both so that we can improve our own quality of life today and prepare for the future, confident that we will have plenty to spend then as now. I once had a long journey home from working among the poor in Cambodia. An intrigued Indian Hindu businessman travelling next to me on the plane confessed in bemusement that he found my work for a Christian NGO shameful: ‘Shouldn’t you be earning as much money as possible to increase your own family’s wealth?’

He had a point. To take care of one’s own family is, of course, an important, universal, human value. Yet, still, our worldviews collide. I find my life inspired by a different ethic, exemplified by Jasmin, a radical follower of Jesus among the poor in the Philippines: ‘Whatever status or power you have, use it for those who are vulnerable; whatever money you have, use it for the poor; whatever strength you have, use it for the weak; whatever hope you have, use to bring hope to those who live without hope. Speak up for justice and truth – whatever the cost. Pray.’ That isn’t about self-righteousness. It’s not a denial of the visceral tug of anxiety and security. It is about choice, decision and stance.

What beliefs, values and principles guide your life? What do they look like in practice?
20 Comments
Dave Parker
31/10/2022 03:40:18 pm

Thanks for sharing, Nick. I knew Wesley was a preacher but didn't know he had such a passion for the poor.

Reply
Nick Wright
31/10/2022 03:41:44 pm

Thanks Dave. Yes, I think he would have viewed passion for Jesus, passion for the gospel and passion for the poor as indistinguishable.

Reply
Hans Vogel
31/10/2022 03:42:40 pm

I earn my money. I can keep it. Why should I give it?

Reply
Nick Wright
31/10/2022 03:56:50 pm

Hi Hans. That's a fair question. For me, there is no 'should'. I find St Augustine's message inspiring: 'Love God - and do what you will.' We have free will and a choice. I choose, as far as I can, to follow Jesus and bring good news to the poor. What do you choose?

Reply
Jonathan Baxter
31/10/2022 04:04:06 pm

Hi Nick. Wealth is relative. I don't feel rich in my own country but I am rich compared to people in poor countries. Where should we draw the line?

Reply
Nick Wright
31/10/2022 04:10:30 pm

Hi Jonathan. I think that's an interesting point. I consider myself rich if I have everything I want and need. I have discovered very 'rich' people among the poor, and very 'poor' people among the rich. I don't want to draw lines on behalf of people in poorer countries because, in my view, that's their choice - not mine.

Reply
Maureen Gaunt
31/10/2022 04:19:24 pm

I get what you mean Nick. I want to help other people but I'm struggling to pay my own bills. Gas, electricity, petrol, food. Everything has gone up.

Reply
Nick Wright
31/10/2022 05:46:11 pm

Hi Maureen. Yes, that's understandable. I find Mother Teresa's reflection helpful: It's not so much a question of how much we give, but of how much love we give it with. 'Do small things with great love.'

Reply
Adrian Wyatt
31/10/2022 04:31:17 pm

Be careful Nick. You're threatening the basis of the whole capitalist-consumer system!

Reply
Nick Wright
31/10/2022 05:46:52 pm

Thanks Adrian. You made me smile! :)

Reply
Robert Sanderson
31/10/2022 11:22:04 pm

Do no harm. That’s the best principle to live by.

Reply
Nick Wright
1/11/2022 08:21:59 am

Hi Robert. I would agree 'do no harm' as a minimal baseline. It's what some people call a 'hygiene factor'. Of itself, 'do no harm' does not ensure the wellbeing of others. It does, however, help us to avoid taking actions that could be detrimental to their wellbeing. That said, it's not always easy to work out in practice.

On that theme, you may find this short related piece interesting?

https://www.nick-wright.com/blog/do-no-harm

Reply
Janice Holbrook
31/10/2022 11:25:13 pm

If that’s the case, Nick. Why don’t we see more Christians in rich countries giving everything away to the poor. Was Wesley wrong?

Reply
Nick Wright
1/11/2022 08:29:16 am

Hi Janice. That's a fair challenge. I believe Wesley was right. I do know some Christians who seek to follow his example. They often do it out of public view in order to avoid drawing attention to themselves.

I like Mother Teresa's reflection on that front. She regarded herself as a small pencil in God's hand. It was God who was writing his message of love to the world through her. She was concerned that people might focus more on the pencil than on the writer.

For some Christians, like others, they measure their lifestyle and giving relative to the wealth of the context in which they are living. If they come face to face with the realities of the poor who normally lay out of view, it can create a radical shift in who they compare themselves to and what they then give.

Reply
Frank Redford
31/10/2022 11:31:21 pm

I want to say I agree with you, Nick. But I know if I do, I will need a serious rethink of my own life. It’s easier to ignore this and carry on as I was before.

Reply
Nick Wright
1/11/2022 08:34:52 am

Hi Frank and thank you for such an honest response! Your comments resonate well with this related short piece, inspired by similar dilemmas faced by protagonists in the films like 'The Matrix' and 'Vanilla Sky':

https://www.nick-wright.com/blog/head-in-the-sand

And, on a glimpse at the contrasting realities of the rich and poor:

https://www.nick-wright.com/clash-of-realities.html

Reply
Elise
1/11/2022 10:12:23 am

I agree that one should be generous with one’s time, love and wealth. However, perhaps in contrast to the typical “Christian” stance, in order to help as many people as possible, I firmly believe one should earn as much money as one can. No matter one’s religious beliefs or even one’s moral stance, it’s undeniable that money provides choices, opportunities and ‘freedom’, for both the ‘earner’ and those to whom s/he gives it to. Money can stretch farther than good deeds.

Reply
Nick Wright
1/11/2022 11:57:34 am

Thank you, Elise. Well said. I agree that money can create 'choices, opportunities and ‘freedom’'. Poverty is, in my view, one of the common underlying causes of powerlessness, vulnerability and exploitation in the world. Money can certainly help alleviate those things. It's one reason why so many Filipinos and others I encounter in wealthier countries work very hard to earn as much money as they can to send home to their poor families.

On the flipside, money (or, as the Bible puts it, the love of money rather than money itself) can also feed self-centredness, hard-heartedness and corruption. It can be too tempting to keep the wealth for ourselves or use the power it creates to manipulate or exploit the vulnerability of others. This is why Mother Teresa and people like Jasmin (mentioned in the blog) always link wealth with the spiritual need for integrity, accountability and purity of heart.

Reply
Kathrin Hoffmann
1/11/2022 03:53:38 pm

Hello Nick, since the Corona period in 2020, when we could have few contacts, I have noticed that we have so many material things. Due to the closure of some shops, I wasn't able to shop much and needed little because I was working from home. I don't like online shops. So in 2020 and 2021 I said I will not be buying any gifts for friends and family at Christmas. The money saved should go to people who need it more. Some friends participated and I was able to give away more money than expected. Now life goes on again without any particular rules, but why should I stop giving money because of that? I realize that I am allowed to lead a privileged life and I am very grateful to have the opportunity to make the lives of others a little easier.

Reply
Nick Wright
1/11/2022 03:56:47 pm

Thank you, Kathrin. You are someone who does so much to support people in need, especially in the Philippines. Thank you for being willing to trust God and put the needs of others first. You inspire me!

Reply



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    ​Nick Wright

    ​I'm a psychological coach, trainer and OD consultant. Curious to discover how can I help you? ​Get in touch!

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