LISTEN
Listen to my voice…walk in the ways that I command you so that you may prosper. - Jeremiah 7:23
These words from the beginning of today’s first reading seem simple. God is pleading with the people to pay attention to what they know to be of God and promises prosperity if they listen to the prophets who speak for God. Throughout all of today's readings there is a theme of God imploring the people to stay with what they know to be of God. The hangup for me comes with the word prosperity, formally defined as “successful in material terms and flourishing financially.”
In our modern world, following God's ways and achieving prosperity do not necessarily go hand in hand. In fact, now, the opposite is true. Some of those prospering the most – by the formal definition – are defying the ways of God through meanspirited reductions in aid to vulnerable people across the globe and holding up marginalized people across this country as people to be feared.
I had my own run with prosperity, and when it dissolved, I felt the pain of failure and loss. So why does Jeremiah tell us God will reward prosperity to those who walk in God’s ways?
I believe the issue lies with the dictionary definition of prosperity. Prosperity can be defined as being content, even happy, surrounded by those who love you. The prosperity God offers is not about wealth and material possessions, but about being in a state of awe with the world and with one another.
Today, living with less prosperity than in the past, I have come to appreciate simple things in a way that I did not before. While the loss was painful and there were very worrisome times, there were also lessons in breathing, being, and learning to appreciate things that had gone unnoticed in the past.
During the loss of prosperity that the world venerates as a sign of success, I forged a different relationship with God, based on gratitude for the things I had rather than what I did not have. I am no saint. Fancy clothes, cars, vacations, and the “stuff” that dictionary prosperity buys are alluring, but I can also walk away smiling and thanking God for all the experience has taught me. The prosperity I value today is about relationships with children, grandchildren, friends, colleagues, and the work I am privileged to do. It also brought me to a new relationship with God based on love and trust.
What prosperity has God brought to you that brings joy and a sense of peace to your life?
Anne Hansen