I enjoy research. As part of looking what happened to the Catholic Church on the North Central are of Milwaukee where the area became poor and predominately African-American, I have come across a gradual movement of a million dollars or so from this area to a Church outside the area. It is a work in progress so maybe we can stop or slow it down; but even if we can’t, it is good to expose it. As I quoted a 5th century monk, in an earlier posting: “Where our money is, there too is our heart.” The same can be said for our government, where we put our money into military might, rather into the care of people and the common good.
The Church, in the early days after Jesus, was called “The Way” and money and resources were put in common in the community, for everyone to use according to need. Even modern day “communist” or “socialist” would not go to that extreme. However, Jesus was a radical revolutionary, not by the use of force, but by his compassion concern for the poorest and weakest in society. So it is only natural that if you would follow the “Way” of Jesus, you would share all you have with those in need.
The million dollars I am tracing is being moved out of a neighborhood that has severe needs into a fairly wealthy Church and neighborhood. Today it is hard for even the Church that who is supposed to set an example how to be like Jesus and God, to follow the way.
Perhaps this tendency to put money over God is why the first two commandments given to Moses by God deal with this subject: 1) “You shall have no other gods before me.” 2) “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything.” Money is an Idol for Church and State.
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