The Dangers of Wealth

You Cannot Serve Two Masters

I remember the look on my father’s face when I told him that one of my classmates’ father goes to church and works as a security guard. I somehow expressed how good this is. Anger rushed across his face. There was indescribable pain in him that the communists misled me so much. He said a sentence that I don’t remember anymore, but I learned from it that a person cannot live a double life. I think this evening also applies to Jesus’ teaching: “You cannot serve two masters.” But how can someone be a worshiper of mammon?

The Dangers of Wealth

It starts with not paying tax properly, but declaring everyone on minimum wage. It starts with reading a book about 52 legal tax tricks. It continues with being told about taxes: everyone cheats over 8%. It continues with buying invoices. Money cannot be the enemy of a person. It ends when I agree with anyone and everyone to get my share back.

Many entrepreneurs develop such a mindset. But it’s not just their own wealth that is dangerous.

The Dangers of Leadership Positions

Sándor was a middle manager at a bank during the 2008 crisis. He rose here because he was good at math, and his mother’s acquaintances – who were in good positions during the party state – protected him. He gave investment advice supported by numbers to large companies.

One day he received a message that he had to go to his boss. He thought he was being fired. But he wasn’t. He could stay, but he had to fire 16 colleagues from his department. He was a Christian. He fired them, but his conscience spoke. After his action, he took a taxi from Gödöllő to Budapest for 3 months, because his back hurt so much that he couldn’t drive. In a literal sense.

The Bigger Picture

Why do Christian people become mean to others for money? Why do we develop anger towards the Christian government? Probably they don’t care about the bigger picture.

It is true for every country that either politics depends on the economy, or the economy depends on politics. In a country, either politics depends on the oil mafia, or the capitalists depend on the politicians. The most common case is mutual dependence. Politics can also choose the path of putting people – small and big – in positions to further nation-building.

However, someone who heads towards individualism cannot be stopped. Only praying friends can stop such a person.

Poor Christians.

Rákóczi Piroska