Rich and Foolish

Upcoming for many of us preachers is one of those great gospel texts--the Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:13-21).  You may recall that I discussed a bit of Adam Grant's fine book, Give and Take, in some previous posts.  I want to return to that in the next day or two as I pray over this gospel text in preparation for Sunday.

I am struck by Grant's distinction between givers and takers.  "Takers have a distinctive signature," Grant writes, "they like to get more than they give.  They tilt reciprocity in their own favor, putting their own interests ahead of other's needs" (page 4).  Givers are wired in another way.  "They tilt reciprocity in the other  direction," Grant continues, "preferring to give more than they get.  Whereas takers tend to be self-focused, evaluating what other people can offer them, givers are other-focused, paying more attention to what other people need from them" (page 4).

The rich fool completes his building renovation and expansion project.  All his crops are safely stored away.  He then has a conversation with...himself.  "Self," he says, (that's a better translation of psyche than 'soul' in this context), "you are set for years to come.  Eat, drink and be merry."  This internal dialogue is remarkable in a culture where most people didn't even read to themselves, much less talk to themselves.  In Grant's schema, the Rich Fool is a taker par excellence.  He is self-focused rather than other-focused.

Eat, drink and be merry--of course, there is the last part of that statement as well.  For tomorrow we die.  In the case of the Rich Fool, that is precisely what happens.  "This very night your life will be required of you."  Of course, Jesus doesn't tell this parable in order to illustrate how the greedy will be punished in the end.  Instead, the punch line is that our lives do not consist of possessions.  Or, if they do, there is no life left.

It is another example of the idolatry principle: we become what we worship.  If we worship our stuff, we will be "stuffed" in the end.  

Grant describes how different life is for the giver.  For the giver life does not consist of possessions. Life consists of relationships.  And relationships are sustained and deepened through giving.  I try to remind people often that Jesus wants from us only what is good for us.  If something is not good for us, Jesus doesn't want it from us.  And, according to Grant, giving is definitely good for us.

In the long run and on average, givers end up earning more than takers.  Givers make room for the views and opinions of others and engage in the powerful strategy of vulnerability.  Givers report more happiness, less depression, more joy and less anxiety than takers.  "It seems that giving adds meaning to our lives," Grant writes, "distracts us from our own problems, and helps us feel valued by others" (page 183).  In the church, we too often urge people to give on the basis of obligation.  In fact, giving is good for us, and it's irresponsible not to urge people to give.

The worst part of the Rich Fool's life is his isolation.  He has only himself as a dialogue partner.  It may be that he has no idea how generous other people are.  Like other privileged people, he may be cut off from the generosity of others since he is self-sufficient.  So he has no idea how compassionate others are or how much fun giving can be.  In fact, we are surrounded by generous people who simply don't make a lot of noise about it.  

So if you feel that generous impulse, you're not alone.  In fact, you're in good and numerous company. Keep on giving!