Love of Money

1 Timothy 6:6-10

Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into this world so we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.

In the state of Washington, one of the biggest news stories is the list of those who are lining up for and against initiative I-1098, which would create a 5 percent tax rate on annual income exceeding $200,000. Among those who are helping to bankroll its defeat are Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, and Jeffrey Bezos, founder of Amazon. No big surprise there, I suppose. These guys are billionaires and stand to fork over more of their income to the government should this initiative pass. No one relishes paying taxes. Why should they?

More interesting are those backing the initiative. It is well known that Bill Gates Sr. helped write the initiative, and just the other day it was publicized that Bill Gates Jr., the world's richest man, supports it. He stands to lose a nice chunk of change if it passes.

How do you feel about the initiative? Should the rich pay more than the rest of us to help our fiscally beleaguered state?

Have you ever had the sense that your desire for money has plunged you into ruin and destruction?

Being Quiet and Peaceable

1 Timothy 2:1-2

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.

I just read in the newspaper this morning of Ernest C. Withers, a photojournalist who was in the inner circle of civil rights leaders in the 1960s. He was in Martin Luther King's room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis on the night King was killed. Turns out, Withers was a FBI informant, paid to keep tabs on the movement and report to the government. He died a few years ago, but his photos are famous.

The civil rights movement in the 60s was probably the most visible and successful act of civil disobedience in America in our lifetimes. In large part, it came out of the churches, so it was immersed in prayer for leaders, as the writer of 1 Timothy urges. And it was, for the most part, peaceable, thanks to Martin Luther King Jr., the other civil rights leaders and their spirituality. Yet it was by no means quiet. When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus, she may not have said a word, but her actions were loud and they threatened southern whites.

It may be that when 1 Timothy was written, probably in the early part of the 2nd century CE, the Roman rulers were allowing strange sects, like Christianity at the time, to exist as long as they didn't stir up trouble. Maybe the church leaders appreciated this freedom from direct persecution and wanted to maintain it. The best way to do that would be to pray for the emperor and try not to get caught up in any kind of resistance to the government. Laying low and staying out of sight might have been their best strategy for surviving.

What do you think these words from 1 Timothy mean for us today?