32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

On Monday night, December 11, 1995, fire broke out in the factory complex of Malden Mills – a textile manufacturing plant in Lawrence Massachusetts.

By the time firefighters from Lawrence and several surrounding communities were able to bring the fire under control, most of the buildings were gone.

Fortunately, no lives were lost — but the physiological and economical impact to the city of Lawrence was devastating. Malden Mills’ 3000 employees faced the prospect of no jobs 2 weeks before Christmas.

Almost everyone in Lawrence assumed that the Mills’ owner would take advantage of the opportunity to relocate his plant to a low wage area of the south or overseas. They feared the city would lose its biggest economic asset.

It didn’t happen.

The day after the fire, the owner of Malden Mills announced that all the people on his payroll would receive their salaries for the next 3 months — though there would be no work for them to do, and that he would rebuild the plant on its site.

He was quoted as saying; “I have a responsibility to the workers and an equal responsibility to the community. It would be unconscionable to put 3000 people on the streets and deliver a death blow to the city of Lawrence.”

What makes a man like this act so decently – putting the welfare of his workers and their community ahead of his own financial self-interest?

To start — he is a religious man.  But as we know, many devote people can be less than ideal neighbors and citizens.

Yet his faith has given him an additional quality – one that can be summed up in a word that was used repeatedly when the media told the Malden Mills story — Integrity.

Integrity means being whole — unbroken — undivided.

It describes a person who has united the different parts of his or her personality so that there is no split in the soul.

When a soul is divided — part of us wants to do one thing, while part wants to do something else.

 — Do we tell the prospective buyer of our home about the plumbing problem, or do we keep quiet unless they ask?

 — Do we jealously guard our time, or do we share it by volunteering?

 — Do we spend our money on that new gadget we’ve had our eye on, or do we give it to charity?

We’re at war with ourselves, and the struggle leaves us uncomfortable.

When we have integrity, all of our aspirations are focused in one direction. For the person of integrity, life may not be easy, but it is simple. Figure out what is right and do it. All other considerations come in second.

The person of integrity has — for all intents and purposes — given up control. 

This is the 5th week of our series we’re calling Confessions of a Control Freak.”

We began with the realization that — in one way or another, we are all control freaks… 

Cooking or cleaning — driving or working — saving or shopping…. Each of us clutches onto something that becomes an issue of trust for us — something that can actually get in the way of a relationship with God.

Three weeks ago, Father talked about letting go of our preconceptions of what a great life looks like. Turns out —a great life is found in serving others.

Two weeks ago, Father talked about how trying to control our public image can slow us down and lead to a false identity — and keep us from entering into the life God wants for us.

Last week he talked about controlling people. We are called and designed to be influential in the lives of the people around us — those we care most about — but we are not meant to be controllers..

Today we are looking at control when it comes to the most difficult thing to give up control of — our treasure - our money.

Because money is the medium used to accomplish so many transactions in our day to day living, it serves as a sign, an indicator, of our priorities and values — and a gauge of our integrity.

We shy away from talking about money. This has to do with that intimate place in our heart where we need security. We don’t want to reveal our need or put ourselves in a position of being dependent — so we feel the need to hold tightly to what money we have.

Combine that with a culture that encourages us to spend, acquire and consume — and we should not be surprised to find that people become defensive when they are challenged to share their material possessions in justice and love with others.

That’s why — at first glance the owner of Malden Mills actions might seem incomprehensible.

But there's a very good chance that his course of action was almost predictable! 

That kind of generosity rarely comes from nowhere. It comes from the heart.

Like to owner of Malden Mills — it comes from the inner person that we have created - a tiny piece at a time - through thousands of choices across many years.

Just as we are what we eat, we become what we choose.

It happens so slowly that we rarely notice — but through our daily choices we shape our soul as surely as a sculptor shapes his clay. And our soul in turn impresses its shape on our hearts. 

Not one of our thousands of tiny decisions to be compassionate, gracious, and true ever gets lost. 

Every one of them is incorporated into the fabric of our souls — and piece-by-piece they help to shape the deeds that come after them. The heart remains open, and we cannot help but give of ourselves to others – without hesitation. 

The two widows in our Scripture readings had built gracious and true hearts in just that way over the years. And so, when each was asked to give up control of all she had left, the decision almost made itself. 

It didn't come from some last-ditch hope. It came from the gracious inner person each widow had created one action at a time.

What kind of person are you creating?

Pick a time in the not too distant past - A year or two ago - and ask yourself a few questions…

How does my prayer life today compare with then?

How about my giving? When was the last time I evaluated what I give to the Parish?

How about my church participation? Am I sharing my talent?

And Bible study? Am I learning to learn?

We have, with God's help, the power to create for ourselves hearts and lives that are compassionate, noble, and true. We have the power to shape our future by shaping our present – right here and right now.

And if we could learn to release our grip — just a little bit — the quality of our relationships — along with the quality of our lives — would actually increase.

Taking small steps, daily, toward easing control of our treasure boils down to trust – believing that God, who takes care of all of His creation, will take care of us. 

Trusting that in giving to God first, we are both acknowledging that our blessings come from Him — and that we are thankful He chose to give them to us. 

And finally, trusting that if we give to Him first, everything else will fall into place — because “He” is ultimately the ONE in control.