Surly's Soap Box Five Million Dollars!

Five Million Dollars! What could I do with five million dollars? Better yet, what if I had five million to donate? To give away, to bless, to really make a difference.

Let's see...I could support an church planter who has immersed himself into an urban area that most people won't visit. I could support him for the 92 years. (He's trying to raise $4,500 a month for support.)

Given that, I could support 12 missionary church planters for the next 9 years! Or 24 for the next 4.5 years! Imagine the impact.

I could feed 62500 hungry children for a month.

Who knows how many disabled kids you could send to camp, or how many wheel chair ramps could be built, or how many help dogs could be trained. Actually, nearly 1700 help dogs could be trained with five million dollars.

Or I could piss it away on some church bells, ignoring the poor and needy with in hearing distance. (Type in the address and look at the demographics.)

Update:I want folks to know that my ire is raised up against the anonymous donor slightly more than the church. The donor failed to see a real need in the community, and the leadership of the church failed because they didn't point the donor in that direction.

Christianity

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TK (mail) (www):

Well, I don't know for sure how these things work, but it sounds like it was a specified gift. They may not have had a say in its use, except to accept or decline.

Their website says: "In 2003, an anonymous donor, made a generous contribution to Central. The intention of this gift was to add a bell tower based on the original 1925 blueprint of the church."

3.31.2006 7:27pm

Surly Dave (mail) (www):

I want folks to know that my ire is raised up against the anonymous donor slightly more than the church. The donor failed to see a real need in the community, and the leadership of the church failed because they didn't point the donor in that direction.

3.31.2006 7:44pm

Agreed, though I am rather fond of church bells. However, the sweet chime of the bells would fall dimly on the ears of those in need under the bell. Five million dollars is an incredible sum. I would also fault the donor and pastor, except that I'm not God and don't know their hearts. God doesn't need the bells to proclaim His word to the community, but He is also not hindered by the bells or the waste of the money. His Word is like a rush of water and cannot be stopped, unless it is not proclaimed. In some churches, this may be the case.

3.31.2006 8:54pm

Van S (mail) (www):

TK, sure...God may not need $5,000,000...but I'm sure some of the folks around Central Lutheran could use some money for rent, groceries, healthcare, or education...I could care less what is on their hearts. We cannot judge hearts, but we are indeed called to judge deeds.

4.3.2006 6:16pm

Uncle Ben (mail) (www):

I'm not willing to call that a waste of money or call a private gift into question as being wasteful. It calls to mind the story of Mary bathing the Lord's feet with expensive ointment. Judas pipes up and says that it could have been sold and given to the poor. Jesus replies, "appreciate me while you got me".

In the case of the bells, they are a gift given to glorify God. That is never a waste.

4.4.2006 10:15am

That isn't true. That is saying "as long as an individual means good by an act, than it is ok." Especially when God has told us what sort of gifts he wants in Matthew 25. God has given us a mission, and when we mismanage funds like that, it really does matter. We can say that God can do anything he wants, and that he doesn't need our money--that is true. But it is the wrong perspective to take. The truth is that many folks need our time and money, and if we say "God will take care of things" and then give money however WE please to whatever WE want, then we aren't participating in God's mission (Matthew 28).

4.4.2006 12:25pm

I don't believe this is a gift to glorify God: It was a gift to glorify a building and a concept of church that doesn't represent the work Christ has called us to do. Jesus told us to go out and make disciples, not hide in a building and bid them to come. It's total vanity. Church bells do not proclaim the gospel to the poor, and they definitely don't cloth them or feed them.. Years ago the church bell was a public servant, used to make announcements and warn the community. Today, they only make a statement of squandered riches.

This was a true "What would Jesus do?" moment, and these people failed the test.

4.4.2006 4:59pm

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Surly by nature, Saved by grace

Clearly illustrating a Christian's simultaneous saint/sinner nature while on this earth.

Oh, and while I'm at it, I might as well toss in the 'Copy Write' and 'Creative License' stuff as well: MINE! Do not take with out giving proper credit and linkage.

That is all.

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