A World Without Money

You tell me that you need money. You say that money is necessary to enable you to buy the things you need. I do not disagree with you. I, too, require money in order to survive. But I wish that I did not need money. Or rather, I wish that none of us needed money. Got tells us to trust him to provide for all our needs. I wish we could trust other people also to provide what we need. Indeed as a preacher I am forced to do this. I proclaim the truth of God; and I dpeend entirely on the gifts of those who hear me - gifts which usually come in the form of money. Others among you make things. If all of you gave to others freely what you have made, money would become unecessary. If each of you took trouble to observe the needs of others, and then according to your abilities freely met those needs, none of use would need moeny. And no one would go hungry or cold; all would have sufficient.

-St. John Chrysostom

I don't think the point St. John is making here is so much about a barter economy as it is a continuation about talking about meeting peoples' needs. It seems hard, when you think of it, to take what we do for a living and do it for free to those who need it. If you check out items at a grocery store, how can you just, um, not charge someone? If you work in a factory making lightbulbs, you can't just take a few to distrubte to the poor. You are not in charge of making those decisions. Although I have discovered that there are charities that take accountants to help prepare tax returns for the needy. I could also help people with their finances by giving advice. But we CAN help those in need - either with our money, or with our talents. It doesn't have to be the same talent we use to make a living. It could mean making dinner at a soup kitchen.

Also, he talks about looking around for need. Open your eyes! I have been upset recently because our society doesn't favor charity. What I mean is that, when I read books or watch movies from about WWII or before, people would take baskets of food to poor neighbors or go give soup to a sick friend. Nowadays we live in neighborhoods separated by miles and also by class. Those in large houses don't just "see" the poor needing food. But that doesn't mean we can't go out and seek it. I wonder how often we see a need that needs met, but don't "see" it. How many times do we have the opportunity to do good but don't even know it's time to do something? I am sure I am the worst at this, so I am not trying to lecture, but I am trying to become more aware myself.