enoughness

According to Richard Rohr, via St. Francis, the way of Jesus “asks us to let go, to recognize that there is enough to go around and meet everyone’s need but not everyone’s greed. A worldview of enoughness will predictably emerge in an individual as they move toward naked being instead of thinking that more of anything or more frenetic doing can fill up our longing and restlessness…  This is hard for most of us to even comprehend…  Francis knew that climbing ladders to nowhere would never make us happy nor create peace and justice on this earth. Too many have to stay at the bottom of the ladder so we can be at the top.

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we have it so very wrong

we who make it all about “me” as the individual

my wealth

my power

my safety

we have it so very wrong

we who that that it is all about the individual

and that life is a contest

in which some win and some lose

the winners are worthy

and the losers?

well they are a waste of space

we have it so very wrong, thinking that

gathering to ourselves as much power, as much wealth as possible

is an appropriate goal

and that it matters very little how you get there

as long as you do

we have it wrong, thinking that it is OK to leave others behind

that we might get ahead

that it is OK to climb to success over the bodies of others

that it is acceptable and to use and abuse others if I gets us what we want

this has left us with people who are so rich

they could not spend all they have, ever

while other people live in poverty

but its OK, really, because clearly the rich are worthy

people blest by God, people who have earned their reward

while the poor, they are simply losers

not worthy of healthcare, or food stamps, or and education

we have not learned that safety comes

when everyone has what they need

we have not learned that safety comes from being connected

not from excluding and minimizing

we have not learned that unless we all get there, together

we have failed

because we are in this together

and there is enough for everyone’s needs

if not for everyone’s greed

we have not learned that accumulation leads

only to more hunger

and to fear

that our relationship to power and wealth is addictive

and will ultimately

only destroy

we have it so wrong