It’s 7:00am. The air is cool and crisp. We reach Santiago today. God lights up the sky and it’s beautiful. The first part of the path looks like a scene from Lord of the Rings where Bilbo Baggins passes through on a daily basis. Upon reaching the city limits of Santiago there is an extra bounce in our step and we can now see the tip of Santiago Cathedral in the horizon.
Anticipation builds as we enter the Porta Do Camino which is the name of the narrow street that leads to Santiago de Compostela. It winds a bit to the left. It starts to drizzle a light blessing upon the pilgrims and toursits here today. Umbrellas emerge and I and filled with a profound sense of joy, sadness and emotions that are difficult to describe.
Today’s passage James 5: 1-6 James directly addresses the role of wealth in moral formation.
“Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.”
Bottom line: Do not hoard wealth.
I believe that the crux of this is fully embracing that God owns everything. Therefore, whatever wealth we’ve accumulated is for God’s purpose. This is a tough one. How then do we know what God’s purpose is? What does it mean to be a good steward? The NIV translation uses the word “corrosion” in this passage which provides a clue to answering these questions. Corrosion occurs when metal, typically used for money, deteriorates when it’s exposed to the elements unused. Could wealth be the same way — hoarding money and not putting it to use, laying idle to form a security blanket for ourself or worse to squander it on luxury as there are others in need who God wants to help. There is so much in the Bible about this. Matthew 6:19-21, Mark 12: 41-44, Malachi 3:10-12