A Message from the Pastor

         I’m not making this up. My source is Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove who introduced his friend Jim Douglass in a piece he wrote for “The Christian Century” magazine.

         It seems that when Douglass graduated from college in 1960, his father marked the occasion by the purchase of a life insurance policy for the young man. A thoughtful and prudent man who wished to help his son prepare for the future, the benevolent father was undoubtedly surprised when his son returned the policy. Acknowledging his gratitude for the gift, the young man stated that “he wanted to understand the truth of the ‘economics of providence’ that he had read about in the sixth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel.  Rather than pay the monthly premiums on a life insurance policy, Jim said he “would store up treasure in heaven by sending a monthly payment to provide basic care for a little girl in France.”

          The concept “economics of providence” being unfamiliar to me, I turned to the sixth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel in attempt to identify the inspiration that spurred young Douglass’ act of generosity. In that gospel we read the following:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume

And where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

         So what is an “economics of providence?”  It is shifting the emphasis of our economic activity from earth to heaven, where moth and rust cannot consume, and thieves cannot break in and steal. It is having the confidence born of faith to place our lives and futures in God’s hands.  It is living in the conviction that God will provide.

         Reflecting on Jim Douglass’ adherence to the economics of providence, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove writes, “The greatest obstacle to faith in our time may be that most of us are too invested in securing our futures to trust Jesus for the good life he wants to give us now.”

          The notion that “God will provide,” is often mocked as baseless sloganeering, and an affront to rationality. But I, and I am willing to conjecture others who are reading this, can personally identify people who have lived their lives based on that conviction. They have been some of the most liberated people I know. Their treasure was stored in its rightful place, and for that reason they possessed an inner confidence that allowed them to face any and all of life’s contingencies without fear.

            Jim Douglass’ father wanted to help his son secure his future with a life insurance policy, but Jim Douglass had his eye on another kind of life insurance policy. Those who have met this leader in the Catholic peace movement in the United States, will attest that his life insurance policy has paid rich dividends.

           See you in worship,                  

           Neale L. Miller