Friday, November 09, 2007

Dial Daily Bread

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread":

George F. Will, columnist for the Washington Post, writes in today’s newspaper that “It’s Not So Easy Being Ultra Rich.”

That’s unusual common sense to come from a popular newspaper columnist.

But who are the “ultra rich”?

Almost any of us who has a roof of some sort over our heads in the rain, who has a water tap out of which flows clean water, a toilet that flushes; you went to bed last night not hungry, you have some kind of wheels to take you places. My wife and I have lived among people who lacked all these things; I was well off for I had a BSA bicycle to go to town 12 miles away over a rocky rough road.

One percent of America’s population controls 90 percent of its wealth ($16 trillion). But the fun of being super-rich is diminishing because now being wealthy is easier for everyone to attain; the fun of being wealthy is largely the fun of being better off than others.

George F. Will ends with sage advice—if you want to really have fun, start giving your wealth away.

How we ultra-comfy people will fare in the final judgment is the impact of some interesting biblical economics:

“Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” (1 Tim. 6:6-10).

You won’t believe this: yours truly was once so pathetically idolatrous that to him possession of a 1928 Chevrolet was his dream. How silly it looks now; and how silly will we look in our final judgment with our yearning for a 2008 SUV.

Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.

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