(a picture of us with Susan and her kids in fall of 2005)“People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wondered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” I Timothy 6:9-10
Two tragic stories from this past week.
Last week, a custodian for the elementary building here on campus was caught stealing two bags of concrete from the construction site (RVA is building a new cafeteria) with his friend’s car. The construction company had him arrested for a few days, and of course his seven years of employment at RVA came to end.
In the shock and aftermath, stories began to surface from many missionaries about loans they had given to this man over the course of the past year. Some of the loans were small (under $50), and some were large (over $100). Some he had begun to payback; some he was truant on. All of them came with grace and generosity on part of the missionary. In total, this man had been given and loaned hundreds and hundred of dollars, on top of his making a healthy income in a country where the unemployment rate is about 70%. Everyone felt betrayed, taught to believe that he was truly needy and they were really making a difference in his life.
This man’s greed went so far that he called another missionary from prison and asked him for another $200 loan, hoping that he hadn’t heard about his recent lawlessness.
Even more heartbreaking for us was the news we received of our former nanny, Susan. If you’ve read my book (or this blog for a long time), you know how we employed Susan for our first 18 months here in Kenya and really felt attached to her and her family. That came to an abrupt end though when we began piecing together a horrible story of lies and theft on Susan’s part. Over the course of her employment with us, she stole somewhere between $200 and $700. (Her stealing was so subtle and her access to our “hidden” money so easy that we can’t know exactly how much was taken.)
My language helper, Boniface, told me that he saw Susan drunk and leaving a local bar with a man other than her husband. And this confirmed the rumors he had heard—Susan was now a prostitute.
This may seem shocking and mind-boggling and horrific to you. It is to us as well, especially considering the prevalence of AIDS in Africa. But we understand how Susan could make choices like this. The above verse from Timothy explains it all.
Susan and the school custodian both enjoyed fellowship in the church, both called themselves “blessed” by God, and both found themselves financially successful in this economic system. But they wanted to get rich. They began to love the things that money could buy more than the One who provides money for our needs. They wandered from the faith and have pierced themselves with many griefs. And for both of them, there will be many more griefs to come if they don’t repent.
Susan would rather be a prostitute making extra money (her husband is still gainfully employed by the school so her family DOES have enough!) than a church leader and an honest-working woman. The custodian would rather be the richest man with the nicest house in his neighborhood than be a respectable, faithful, honest, hard-working provider for his family.
Money is not the root of all evil, but the love of money is. Sadly, these two friends of mine, whom I once called brother and sister, gave tragic examples of the truth of God’s Word this week.
Two tragic stories from this past week.
Last week, a custodian for the elementary building here on campus was caught stealing two bags of concrete from the construction site (RVA is building a new cafeteria) with his friend’s car. The construction company had him arrested for a few days, and of course his seven years of employment at RVA came to end.
In the shock and aftermath, stories began to surface from many missionaries about loans they had given to this man over the course of the past year. Some of the loans were small (under $50), and some were large (over $100). Some he had begun to payback; some he was truant on. All of them came with grace and generosity on part of the missionary. In total, this man had been given and loaned hundreds and hundred of dollars, on top of his making a healthy income in a country where the unemployment rate is about 70%. Everyone felt betrayed, taught to believe that he was truly needy and they were really making a difference in his life.
This man’s greed went so far that he called another missionary from prison and asked him for another $200 loan, hoping that he hadn’t heard about his recent lawlessness.
Even more heartbreaking for us was the news we received of our former nanny, Susan. If you’ve read my book (or this blog for a long time), you know how we employed Susan for our first 18 months here in Kenya and really felt attached to her and her family. That came to an abrupt end though when we began piecing together a horrible story of lies and theft on Susan’s part. Over the course of her employment with us, she stole somewhere between $200 and $700. (Her stealing was so subtle and her access to our “hidden” money so easy that we can’t know exactly how much was taken.)
My language helper, Boniface, told me that he saw Susan drunk and leaving a local bar with a man other than her husband. And this confirmed the rumors he had heard—Susan was now a prostitute.
This may seem shocking and mind-boggling and horrific to you. It is to us as well, especially considering the prevalence of AIDS in Africa. But we understand how Susan could make choices like this. The above verse from Timothy explains it all.
Susan and the school custodian both enjoyed fellowship in the church, both called themselves “blessed” by God, and both found themselves financially successful in this economic system. But they wanted to get rich. They began to love the things that money could buy more than the One who provides money for our needs. They wandered from the faith and have pierced themselves with many griefs. And for both of them, there will be many more griefs to come if they don’t repent.
Susan would rather be a prostitute making extra money (her husband is still gainfully employed by the school so her family DOES have enough!) than a church leader and an honest-working woman. The custodian would rather be the richest man with the nicest house in his neighborhood than be a respectable, faithful, honest, hard-working provider for his family.
Money is not the root of all evil, but the love of money is. Sadly, these two friends of mine, whom I once called brother and sister, gave tragic examples of the truth of God’s Word this week.
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