Balance

Thursday November 16th, Mark 12 : 40 They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely." In her book, “The Way We Never Were,” Stephanie Coontz (http://stephaniecoontz.com/) points out the harsh reality of balance in the world. The Ozzie and Harriet lifestyle made famous in the 50’s TV program depicted a wonderfully simple and reasonably successful lifestyle of the emerging suburbs. What is not shown is the poverty and racism that fueled the possibility of this emerging lifestyle. We tend to see ourselves and our communities in a singularity of vision. As such, we are able to compare ourselves to “the Jones” down the street. In God’s view, “the Jones” live not just down the street, not even across the town, but often in another continent. Extreme wealth is always balanced on the backs of the extremely poor and their children. Little has changed from Jesus’ day, and little has changed in Jesus’ observation.