{"id":442,"date":"2011-10-11T12:32:00","date_gmt":"2011-10-11T12:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/standingonmyhead\/2011\/10\/the-gospel-according-to-gecko\/"},"modified":"2014-12-26T11:37:57","modified_gmt":"2014-12-26T16:37:57","slug":"the-gospel-according-to-gecko","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/standingonmyhead\/2011\/10\/the-gospel-according-to-gecko.html","title":{"rendered":"The Gospel According to Gecko"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>
<\/div>\n

I am a priest, not an economist, so I can\u2019t comment on bull and bear markets, mortgage rates or international finance, but I still have the solution to our economic woes. It bumps back to G.K.Chesterton\u2019s famous letter to The Times in reply to the question, \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with the world.\u201d He wrote, \u201cDear Sir, I am. Yours sincerely, G.K.Chesterton.\u201d<\/p>\n

The economic disaster we are now facing is the fault of individuals\u2013not governments. Put very simply, individual people are lazy, greedy, thieves. This applies to politicians, bankers, stock brokers, financiers, CEOs of multi national companies and it also applies the underclass\u2013the homeless, the indigent and the destitute\u2013and everyone in between.<\/p>\n

The default setting in our modern, American lifestyle is one of unquestioned consumeristic materialism. Along with this goes an unquestioned level of aggression, ambition and greed. Everyone gasps at Gordon Gecko\u2019s famous line, \u201cGreed is good.\u201d Everyone gasps, and then goes on and lives by the Gospel according to Gecko. We \u201cgo for gold\u201d and grasp at every trinket and goody we can possibly grab unto ourselves. It\u2019s disgusting.<\/p>\n

The religious people are the ones who smell the worst in all this. We say we love God more than money, but we sure do hang on to those dollars for dear life!<\/p>\n

The answer is there in the gospel for Mass today.\u00a0\u201cOh you Pharisees!Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish,\u00a0inside you are filled with plunder and evil.\u00a0You fools!
\nDid not the maker of the outside also make the inside?\u00a0But as to what is within, give alms,
\nand behold, everything will be clean for you.\u201d<\/i>
\n
\n<\/i>
\nThis hit me right between the eyes. I really don\u2019t think I had seen this gospel passage before. Jesus says very clearly, \u201cIf you want to avoid hypocrisy. If you want to avoid be a holier than thou religious person. Give alms.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is the solution to all the economic woes of the world: Generosity. What if we were to live generously instead of graspingly? What if all of us were to live with open hands not fists? What if were all to care for others and freely give as we have freely received? The greed of fat cats would disappear. The greed of the dependent classes would evaporate. Debts would be paid, people would live simply. Protests would be un-necessary. Violence would diminish. Wars would end.<\/p>\n

Thank God that we have the example of so many generous people who light the way. While I inveigh against the greed and lack of concern for the poor, I also see all around me ordinary people who really are generous, and who really do live with open hearts. They\u2019re my favorite people.<\/p>\n

For they have learned the secrets of living and they are truly blessed.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I am a priest, not an economist, so I can\u2019t comment on bull and bear markets, mortgage rates or international finance, but I still have the solution to our economic woes. It bumps back to G.K.Chesterton\u2019s famous letter to The Times in reply to the question, \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with the world.\u201d He wrote, \u201cDear Sir, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":557,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-442","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Gospel According to Gecko<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I am a priest, not an economist, so I can't comment on bull and bear markets, mortgage rates or international finance, but I still have the solution to\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/standingonmyhead\/2011\/10\/the-gospel-according-to-gecko.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Gospel According to Gecko\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I am a priest, not an economist, so I can't comment on bull and bear markets, mortgage rates or international finance, but I still have the solution to\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/standingonmyhead\/2011\/10\/the-gospel-according-to-gecko.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Fr. 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