The often quoted Luke 12:48, "to whomsoever much is given, much is required" is usually in reference to the rich and famous. Many of us have had conversations discussing successful entertainers, athletes, lawyers, business folk, etc. and their responsibility to give of their wealth. How many times have we spent Oprah's money, or at least complained about how she gives millions to causes that are not our own. Or talked about all these Black athletes making all this money and how the hood receives little-to-none of the money. For us regular folks, the verse above applies to those that have, not those of us living check to check...at least it's often perceived that way.
The other Sunday I was trying to catch the late football game. I had some good eats prepared and doing some online window shopping. As I surfed through the channels I came across one of those Feed the Children segments. Honestly, I usually keep clicking but this was dealing with children born with a cleft palate. In America, when kids are born with this issue it is fixed but in poor countries many end up living with the deformity. This blog isn't to get folks to give to Operation Smile, an organization that travels and performs the repair surgery but for whatever reason I was intrigued by the stories.
There was a girl, 11 or so whose grandfather took her to the main city for the repair surgery. The narrator said, "the trip will cost $4," which I thought was reasonable. The narrator continued, "which is a month's pay in this part of the world". Wait a minute...a month's pay! At that moment the above verse detonated in my head, "to whomsoever much is given, much is required." I became absorbed with the thought, what defines "much"? Is it the amount one has in excess or our check-to-check monies? Is it qualified as financial means, physical talents, good health or a good spirit?
I thought about the comforts we enjoy, fast food, brick huts, shoes, clothes, etc. I thought about our culture of materialism and how we sacrifice to look good, ride good, etc. I thought about us as a Black community debilitated by the paradox of poverty and frivolous spending. I thought about the 'much' we don't have and the 'much' we do have even in our broke-ness. I thought about my mother when she saved coins to to have 'something' yet ever-ready to give to the neighbor in need, saying, "we may not have 'much' but they are people with less."
I thought, does the Creator requires us all to do more? Is some of my daily meal money required to provide a meal? Is some of my weekend entertainment money required (which I don't have 'entertainment money'...but I make it happen when possible)? As the Creator provides for me should I be willing to provide for another?
I looked at my game treats; a bag of Red Hot Ripplets, popcorn, twizzlers, chilled tea and thought...$4 a month?! I didn't think the verse applied to us regular folk but I realized, whatever 'much' we have, that 'much' is required.
