Recently, I had an epiphany. We spend a lot of time reaching out to the poor and hungry, but who is reaching out to the rich and fallen? Didn’t Jesus say:
“Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” -Matthew 19:23-24, NAB
If it is that difficult for rich people to enter heaven, should we not be spending more time reaching out to them? With that in mind, I humbly volunteer to take on that mission.
The first step in this mission is to go where the need is. To do this, I will spend more time at country clubs, rubbing elbows with the elite. Each round of golf I play will hopefully bring someone closer to heaven.
As a Church, we raise a lot of money to feed the poor, but in my new ministry, I will be raising money through a new organization, Food for the Fabulous, which will help to pay for my meals at exclusive dinner parties and restaurants. I want to break bread with them, just as Jesus broke bread with His disciples.
Next, we often go to hospitals to care for the sick and infirm. Rich people need healing too, so I promise to spend more time at day spas, sharing the love of Christ as they find healing and relaxation in their times of stress.
Finally, I will teach them to be fishers of men as we cruise the Caribbean. If traditional cruise lines are not available, I will settle for joining the local yachting or sailing clubs.
But seriously.
Our evangelization efforts need to include everyone – even the rich and fallen. In many ways, they may need Jesus more than most.
Spend five minutes watching TMZ or reading the magazines at the checkout counter, and it is obvious that many in Hollywood are in desperate need of salvation. Watch the local news, and you’ll see how the thirst for money and power leads others down some very dark paths.
We often ignore the rich because we feel that they have everything, but in reality, they may be missing the only thing they really need: Jesus.
Of course, the beginning of this article is meant as satire; we should not stop our efforts of helping to feed and care for the poor and sick, but as evangelists, we must reach out to everyone, regardless of their financial situation.
Remember this, Jesus reached out to Matthew, a tax collector, and he went on to write one of the four gospels. Someone may be one of the rich and fallen, but that does not mean that they cannot, one day, do great works for the Lord.
Sometimes, those that have the most may be the ones in greatest need. Share the love of Christ with everyone you meet, rich or poor, and you will be doing the work that Jesus intended you to do.
Copyright © 2013, Chad R. Torgerson
Chad R. Torgerson
Chad R. Torgerson works as an IT Analyst for a Catholic publishing group. In his spare time, he enjoys writing and sharing his faith on his website, Waking Up Catholic, a guide to the Catholic RCIA process. and is also the Co-Founder of Assisi Media, a new Catholic publishing company focused on using new media to reach everyday Catholics. His new book, Waking Up Catholic, is available in eBook and paperback formats.
One response to “Lifestyles of the Rich and Fallen”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
As someone who minsters in a very wealthy parish I can tell you how difficult it is to reach people who’ have it all.’ Even when you are at the country club with them.