What does money have to do with Lent?

The way we think about and spend our money is a testament to our faith.  

Kyle Matthews puts it another way, "The way we go about it matters."  

In the fall, Greg and I had the privilege of attending the Neighborhood Economics Conference in Louisville, KY.  Peter Block, one of the keynote speakers at the conference has this to say about economics in his article, "The Economics of Neighborliness": 

 "We cannot build strong neighborhoods and communities while laboring under the principles of traditional economics. The dominant economic thinking begins with a religious belief in scarcity and self-interest. This rules most modern economies and continues to dominate what we measure and value. We measure our well-being as a nation by the growth of Gross Domestic Product or Gross National Product. We measure our lives and “standard of living” by family income. We have created a “show me the money” culture; if it has no dollar sign on it, it has no value.  Read more...

Another keynote speaker at the conference, Walter Brueggemann, wrote of economics and faith in his book,  Journey to the Common Good:

"Israel has always been departing empire.  That is how it began back in Egypt and that is how Nebuchadnezzar became the dominant metaphor for imperial power vis-a-vis the peculiar destiny of Israel.  That has been the summons of Jesus to his people since his first "follow me."  He summoned away from an old regime into the new regime that he inaugurated.  To make a large, imaginative move, I suggest that it is the task of followers of this gospel in our society- who live in the totalitarian regime of military consumerism with all of its hopes and violences and anxieties-to depart."  Read more

#withinonemile is a Lenten Discipline because it causes me to rethink the way I engage with my neighbors.  It is a Lenten Practice because it is a way of putting to action the things that I believe are true and valuable.  I have proclaimed a commitment of rootedness to my neighborhood and community.  How can I not commit my money to this place as well?  #withinonemile will be a humbling experience.  It will cause me to reflect upon my own selfishness and it will open my eyes to injustices that I typically ignore by seeking what I think I need elsewhere.  Venturing more deeply into my neighborhood will require me to get creative with my resources.  My hope is that by engaging in this practice, I will more fully notice and embody God's abundance in this place.

Place matters.  God came into a specific time and place in the form of a human baby boy.  God pays mind to place.  So should we.