Well I think the daughters are already walking in the spirit of the Lord. If they are Socialists they are into the caring and sharing mode of life. They have already the gift of life. Well done girls.
We homeschool and one time at co-op while I was leading an artist study lesson, I asked the kids if they could narrate to me the parable of the prodigal son - we were studying the Rembrant painting of it.
A 10 year okd girl in the group summarized it as "God punishes those who turn their back on them. The son was punished with poverty."
I didn't even know what to say. Nothing about the parable, or the painting we were looking at had ever told me that version of the story. Her mother had a grin of pride on her face, as if she had accomplished teaching her daughter the true meaning of Christianity.
I looked at my son, about the same age, who looked entirely confused. I asked him what he thought. His answer: "I think you got the wrong parable. This one is a story of love that doesnt care how much we mess up."
They just stared at each other, the girl now looking entirely confused.
And if this scene doesn't describe our country today, I don't know what does.
We put Ramsey’s Baby Steps to work a decade ago. His financial advice is sound. His theology is typical Evangelical American - follow the rules or face the consequences.
I am grateful to have grown up with loving parents who showed me more grace than I ever deserved and a church that believed in love and acceptance over rules and judgement.
The only stipulation I’d have is for my heirs is they cannot have an addiction controlling their lives and have direct access to their inheritance. I’d have a trust and trustee to make sure they had what they needed, but I could not in good conscience give a large inheritance with no restrictions to a drug / alcohol / gambling / etc. addict.
Whoa! Ramsey just blew a whole bunch of fine Christ-following people (“socialists”) out of the water. How horridly sarcastic and judgmental - and ignorant. He also blew his own credibility out of the water.
My children will receive their inheritance from me no matter what they do or don’t perform in their lives. Because they are my children and I love them. No other rules.
"They can’t imagine a love that isn’t some kind of resource that needs protecting from the wrong kind of person. But that is not an accurate picture of the grace of God we see in Jesus."
I love this. It gets to the heart of why I have found my home in Mainline Christianity (I'm an ELCA Lutheran). Once you start putting limits on love, you've gone astray.
"Parasites" Wanting everybody, including him, to have healthcare, retirement, clean water, clean environment, choice, and freedoms is parasitic. Me thinks Jesus would disagree with his ass.
What a vile man. He gets no one out of debt. I trashed his advice when he said that if you have debt, you should not ever eat out, see a movie or contribute to your 401k. I ignored all of it. I have a healthy 401k, retired at 62, and ate out and enjoyed entertainment throughout it all. If I was one of his kids, I'd tell him to stick his "trust" where the sun don't shine.
It’s this brand of fundamentalism that I find terrifying. The one that sees relationships as transactional and people’s behavior must be modified before they deserve anything. What kind of theology is that? What kind of believe validates calling anyone parasites?!? This is horrifically dehumanizing at best, and evil at its core.
Once again, somebody (Ramsey) has decided to play God. Many years ago, while struggling with a deep depression that had me seeing both a psychiatrist and certified therapist who was a Christian, a friend of twenty years told me, "You wouldn't have this problem if you just prayed to God." Flabbergasted, I replied, "You haven't a clue what I do or don't talk to God about!" I was in constant dialog with God regarding my struggles as I sought to parse the roots of my depression and ways to change my thinking. That conversation ended that friendship. And it reinforced for me that I can't see what is in anyone's heart; therefore, I can't judge them. Only God can.
Hi Marty - your comment is very meaningful to me. Thank you. I'm sorry for that friend's heartless remark to you. At a difficult time it had to be especially hard to feel that lack of true caring. Since this was years ago, it seems you found your feet and have kept moving forward and are now at a better place. Yay!
My note here isn't primarily to express any sympathy though. Elsewhere on Substack I was reading about empathy - something that long ago 'friend' appears to have lacked. But the real impact of your note here is who you are - having worked you way through some valleys & shadows, the lesson you share today is your awareness of our general human inability to sit as another's judge. I know the passage about observing the fruits and discerning something about the nature of the tree, and I also expect that God has greater capabilities of judgment than me. Personally I find a lot of faith wrapped up in music (tho not typically hymns) - passing along this one, seems apt, an offering that sometimes lifts my step along the path: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LucSPG6rhYc (the captions aren't quite right but lyrics are online) - best, - j
Wow! Thanks for that song. Poets (I include songwriters there) and music have always been able to cut through to the heart. I agree discernment is important, especially regarding teachers and leaders. But I keep coming back to Jesus's words to love God and love my neighbor, and that we are known as his disciples by our love for one another. It's still a journey, and I still stumble and fall. So I make my motto: When in Doubt, Love. And I leave the rest with my heart in God's hands.
Well said. Ramsey is right in that we all get to choose how our inheritance is doled out. But if we are going to treat others as God treats us, we’d have to let them squander the inheritance. Hmmm, gets tricky though when you know money could likely kill them—addicts, etc. But on the other hand, it is an awful place to be when your parent cuts you out of a will. There’s no lonelier feeling than that. Been there. In the end, divide it up evenly and let it go, I say.
Thank you. I very much value your assessment and explanation of grace.
I appreciate Ramsey's financial training that has helped many people get themselves more financially stable. The rest of his admonitions struck me as archaic and, sometimes, missing the complexity of actual living, not to mention the gospel. Somehow "pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps" has replaced the beatitudes and judgment has replaced grace. And it makes me so sad.
Turning an inheritance into a theological loyalty test is a hell of a way to teach your kids that love comes with terms and conditions. “Walk with God” sounds noble until Dad gets to define the route, approve the politics, and hold the money. At that point it’s less Prodigal Son and more divine-themed estate planning.
Well I think the daughters are already walking in the spirit of the Lord. If they are Socialists they are into the caring and sharing mode of life. They have already the gift of life. Well done girls.
We homeschool and one time at co-op while I was leading an artist study lesson, I asked the kids if they could narrate to me the parable of the prodigal son - we were studying the Rembrant painting of it.
A 10 year okd girl in the group summarized it as "God punishes those who turn their back on them. The son was punished with poverty."
I didn't even know what to say. Nothing about the parable, or the painting we were looking at had ever told me that version of the story. Her mother had a grin of pride on her face, as if she had accomplished teaching her daughter the true meaning of Christianity.
I looked at my son, about the same age, who looked entirely confused. I asked him what he thought. His answer: "I think you got the wrong parable. This one is a story of love that doesnt care how much we mess up."
They just stared at each other, the girl now looking entirely confused.
And if this scene doesn't describe our country today, I don't know what does.
We put Ramsey’s Baby Steps to work a decade ago. His financial advice is sound. His theology is typical Evangelical American - follow the rules or face the consequences.
I am grateful to have grown up with loving parents who showed me more grace than I ever deserved and a church that believed in love and acceptance over rules and judgement.
The only stipulation I’d have is for my heirs is they cannot have an addiction controlling their lives and have direct access to their inheritance. I’d have a trust and trustee to make sure they had what they needed, but I could not in good conscience give a large inheritance with no restrictions to a drug / alcohol / gambling / etc. addict.
Whoa! Ramsey just blew a whole bunch of fine Christ-following people (“socialists”) out of the water. How horridly sarcastic and judgmental - and ignorant. He also blew his own credibility out of the water.
My children will receive their inheritance from me no matter what they do or don’t perform in their lives. Because they are my children and I love them. No other rules.
"They can’t imagine a love that isn’t some kind of resource that needs protecting from the wrong kind of person. But that is not an accurate picture of the grace of God we see in Jesus."
I love this. It gets to the heart of why I have found my home in Mainline Christianity (I'm an ELCA Lutheran). Once you start putting limits on love, you've gone astray.
"Parasites" Wanting everybody, including him, to have healthcare, retirement, clean water, clean environment, choice, and freedoms is parasitic. Me thinks Jesus would disagree with his ass.
👏👏👏
What a vile man. He gets no one out of debt. I trashed his advice when he said that if you have debt, you should not ever eat out, see a movie or contribute to your 401k. I ignored all of it. I have a healthy 401k, retired at 62, and ate out and enjoyed entertainment throughout it all. If I was one of his kids, I'd tell him to stick his "trust" where the sun don't shine.
It’s this brand of fundamentalism that I find terrifying. The one that sees relationships as transactional and people’s behavior must be modified before they deserve anything. What kind of theology is that? What kind of believe validates calling anyone parasites?!? This is horrifically dehumanizing at best, and evil at its core.
Once again, somebody (Ramsey) has decided to play God. Many years ago, while struggling with a deep depression that had me seeing both a psychiatrist and certified therapist who was a Christian, a friend of twenty years told me, "You wouldn't have this problem if you just prayed to God." Flabbergasted, I replied, "You haven't a clue what I do or don't talk to God about!" I was in constant dialog with God regarding my struggles as I sought to parse the roots of my depression and ways to change my thinking. That conversation ended that friendship. And it reinforced for me that I can't see what is in anyone's heart; therefore, I can't judge them. Only God can.
Hi Marty - your comment is very meaningful to me. Thank you. I'm sorry for that friend's heartless remark to you. At a difficult time it had to be especially hard to feel that lack of true caring. Since this was years ago, it seems you found your feet and have kept moving forward and are now at a better place. Yay!
My note here isn't primarily to express any sympathy though. Elsewhere on Substack I was reading about empathy - something that long ago 'friend' appears to have lacked. But the real impact of your note here is who you are - having worked you way through some valleys & shadows, the lesson you share today is your awareness of our general human inability to sit as another's judge. I know the passage about observing the fruits and discerning something about the nature of the tree, and I also expect that God has greater capabilities of judgment than me. Personally I find a lot of faith wrapped up in music (tho not typically hymns) - passing along this one, seems apt, an offering that sometimes lifts my step along the path: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LucSPG6rhYc (the captions aren't quite right but lyrics are online) - best, - j
Wow! Thanks for that song. Poets (I include songwriters there) and music have always been able to cut through to the heart. I agree discernment is important, especially regarding teachers and leaders. But I keep coming back to Jesus's words to love God and love my neighbor, and that we are known as his disciples by our love for one another. It's still a journey, and I still stumble and fall. So I make my motto: When in Doubt, Love. And I leave the rest with my heart in God's hands.
Well said. Ramsey is right in that we all get to choose how our inheritance is doled out. But if we are going to treat others as God treats us, we’d have to let them squander the inheritance. Hmmm, gets tricky though when you know money could likely kill them—addicts, etc. But on the other hand, it is an awful place to be when your parent cuts you out of a will. There’s no lonelier feeling than that. Been there. In the end, divide it up evenly and let it go, I say.
Thank you. I very much value your assessment and explanation of grace.
I appreciate Ramsey's financial training that has helped many people get themselves more financially stable. The rest of his admonitions struck me as archaic and, sometimes, missing the complexity of actual living, not to mention the gospel. Somehow "pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps" has replaced the beatitudes and judgment has replaced grace. And it makes me so sad.
Thanks for reminding us that Love is not a transaction, but a relationship.
I just lost all respect for him
What the heck does he mean “God’s money?” What happened to giving Caesar the things that are Caesar’s?
Everything belongs to God. We are stewards, not owners.
Turning an inheritance into a theological loyalty test is a hell of a way to teach your kids that love comes with terms and conditions. “Walk with God” sounds noble until Dad gets to define the route, approve the politics, and hold the money. At that point it’s less Prodigal Son and more divine-themed estate planning.