The Most Precious Commodity (Part Two of Three)

A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. - (Proverbs 22:1 NIV)

Is it truly possible to live without money?

And perfectly on cue, God provides an answer. In today’s Yahoo! News, an article tells of a German woman  who did exactly that for 16 years.

Possible? Yes. Would everyone want to do it? Most probably not.

Not everyone is willing to live off solely on charity.

Here in the Philippines, it is considered shameful to be dependent on others. Most Filipinos try to be as self-sufficient as possible, not only because of pride and self-esteem, but because we generally don’t want to be a burden on anyone else.

The Filipino concept of hiya or shame is so strong and prevalent in our society that is it considered a mortal crime to shame a Filipino.

The opposite is likewise true. Most Filipinos just love to be the center of attention. Noted Filipino professor of Anthropology, Felipe Landa Jocano once shared his thoughts during a lecture that Filipinos have been culturally conditioned from birth to want the limelight. Up until today, Filipino parents consider it a matter of great pride to showcase the talents of their children in every social gathering.

This is the reason why Filipinos in general are such great entertainers. Our talents rank right up there with the best in the world.

And if you detect a hint of pride in that statement, it is just to be expected. To be recognized is an inherent desire among us Filipinos. And I believe it to be true among most humans as well.

Is there anything wrong then, with wanting fame?

As far as humankind is concerned, money and prestige have always come together. The search for fame and fortune has always been a common theme throughout many societies. Our cultures have stories of many youths who, lured by the prospect of fame and fortune, had left family and home to try and make a name for themselves elsewhere.

The oldest of these accounts of course, can be found in the Gospel of Luke, where Jesus tells the parable of the prodigal son.

And here we find our clue to the answer to our question.

The son had asked for his share of the estate, only to spend it in “wild living” (Luke 15:13). The parable gives no further details on what happened during this time; we only know the consequences of it. But it does not take a biblical scholar to fill in the blanks. We have way too many similar stories of our own to draw inspiration from.

You see, I have realized that the need for recognition is tied closely to the need for money. There was a time in my life that I wanted money so that I could spend it on and impress my friends.

People whose adoration and friendship can be bought however, only remain your friends as long as the money is there. Fame and recognition that comes from such an arrangement therefore, is a farce. It is fleeting and transient as money itself.

The funny thing is that many of us to this day still think that the way to recognition lies in material wealth, despite all the testimonies and accounts that state otherwise.

It is as if some kind of veil covers our eyes, preventing us from recognizing and accepting the truth: that true prestige cannot be bought, and does not disappear like mist when the money is gone.

As in the parable of the prodigal, it takes the experience of being down in the dirt and among the pigs to realize the gravity of our blindness.

We have to find ourselves at the lowest moment of our lives to feel the need to go back home.

And there, we will find a Father who will run to us upon seeing us return. He will run to us with a loving hug and kiss. We will break down and cry, and state that we are unworthy of His love.

But He will hear none of it. He will call His servants for a robe and a ring, and have a feast prepared to celebrate our return. All the estate will be up and rejoicing.

For what was once lost is now found.

And I tell you with all the sincerity of my heart, that to be recognized as a son by the Creator of the Universe Himself, is worth infinitely more than all the fame and fortune the world can ever give you.

Soli Deo Gloria.

"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” - (Matthew 18:3 NIV)