The skill which the rich need to use their wealth well is the highest of all arts. Its workshop is built not on earth but in heaven, because those who are rich must communicate directly with God to acquire and practice this art. Its tools are not made of iron or brass, but of good will, because the rich will only use their wealth well if they want to do so. Indeed good will is itself the skill. When a rich person sincerely wants to help the poor, God will quickly show the best way. Thus while a person training to be a carpenter must learn how to control a hammer and saw and chisel, the rich person training to serve the poor must learn how to control the mind and heart and soul. He must learn always to think good thoughts, expunging all selfish thoughts. He must learn how to feel compassion, expunging all malice and contempt. He must learn how to desire only to obey the will fo God. That is why I say the skill of being a rich disciple of Christ is the highest of all arts; and the one who possesses it is truly a saint.
-St. John Chrysostom
I know he talks about physical wealth in this passage, but to me I think also about our hearts and minds. Do you think only rich people need to learn unselfishness? Perhaps they do - perhaps my perception of rich is different from his. For I am sure St. John would think we are all rich, here in America. Someone starving to death, always worried about getting enough to eat, would not have time to learn the arts of unselfishness, and indeed he could not possibly think to be selfish. Someone starving to death does not wish for a TV or iPod. He only wants food, and that is reasonable.
Here in America we all want more, more, more. No matter how rich we are, we always want more. And no matter how poor we are, we can be a little selfish. Admit it. That is why we all need to follow his advice in this passage - to learn to "control the mind and heart and soul." This is what we call "discipline" and hardly anybody I know (including myself!) has it anymore.
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