catapult magazine

catapult magazine
 

discussion

The embarrassment of wealth

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b
Apr 11 2002
08:50 am

I find this a fascinating conversation. I would agree with others that the accumulation of wealth isn’t wrong in and of itself, but that how you use that wealth, and your attitude toward it is paramount. For instance, right now I am teaching at a very elite school in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Our students and their families hold a very high percentage of all the wealth in the country. While this in itself seems somewhat unjust, what is even more disturbing to me is their attitudes. They don’t even know they live in a poor country. They honestly have NO idea that their country is crowded, poor, or hungry. That, I think, is atrocious. While this is extreme, I think the same situation translates itself into most American contexts as well. I personally believe that if you are aware of your wealth and the disparity between yourself and others, as a Christian you will want to analyze the situation and try to seek justice within it. The problem, as I see it, is often recognizing one’s own wealth, and then being creative and obedient in serving the poor with it.