Nothing Valued

Mark 12.41-44 is a great moment in the gospel. Usually this passage is used to emphasize giving, being generous, and how the poor woman is better than the rich person, and so on, but today this verse and I had an issue. Maybe it's the financial group, or recent efforts to become more financially responsible, I found myself in a conundrum. My studious crisis first begins with a women and two pennies. Here I am trying to be financially responsible, Total Money Made Overed, a person whose check book Jesus would be proud of, and yet here Jesus is saying this women is better because she gave what she couldn't afford!? To be honest, I had to stop, take a step back and really look at this. I had to be missing the point, and well I did. Reading over the passage again, I found a micro-commentary on giving, economics, and society. "All the others gave what they'll never miss".

Reading that, I felt saddened, because simply, if something is not missed it's not valued, and think that's a good commentary on the state of a certain society. Promiscuity is sex without value, true intimacy for some reason or another is no longer valued, not being missed, it is given away liberally. It's not like these guys in the bible gave little amounts, it says they "were making large contributions".

A credit score, our societies numerical definition of a financial reputation is traded for cheap moments of indulgence. Relationships are fast tracked, the value of a soul mate is no longer worth the price tag of courtship. Financial freedom is no longer worth hard work and patience. Why value anything when you can have it now, and pay for it later? Unfortunately we do pay for it later, and it is usually with interest. Turning back to the woman with two coins, I am encouraged. Encouraged because, of a pure and simple economic principle. The more you give the less you have, and the less you have the more valuable it becomes.