Gold -- VS -- Lead -- VS -- Salt

I have spent my life struggling with the dreaded disease: "Keep Up With The Jones". Mine seems to be a more advanced case of "Show Up The Jones". I have wanted (and still want) the nicest car, most stylish clothes, highest grades, whatever made me look like I had more money (or was smarter, or better, or...) than anyone/everyone around me. To make matters worse, I have (almost) always attended a Church which promotes and lives a minimalist life. Our chapels are often multi-function rooms, there is rarely stained glass, and you won't find gold or silver anywhere--very sparse, very functional. I learned that money spent on pretty gold decorations could be better spent feeding Christ (Matthew 25). Not bad right? Right, but I always got a bit confused when I read the Old Testament.


Throughout the Pentateuch [there I go again] and elsewhere in the Old Testament we read over and over again where God gives very precise directions on how His Temple is to be built and furnished. Gold is the most common descriptor we find, but other "precious" metals and jewels are also named and demanded.

Each time I would read this, I would look around our Chapel and wonder how my church had gotten it so wrong. I grew up in a primarily Catholic community. I have attended Mass with friends and knew first-hand how ornate and beautiful their chapels are. Those folks had it right....Right?

But what about whole "Feed my sheep" and "I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink" thing? I was really frustrated by this seemingly contradictory set of commandments. But, then again, I've always been a little slow.

From science's earliest days, Alchemists have worked to create precious gold. The base heavy metal most frequently referenced in these attempts is lead. There is, of course, no comparison between the value of lead and gold. I quick glimpse on the market shows gold trading at over $675.00 per ounce; whereas lead is a measly $0.875 -- big difference. But these are values our society has placed on these items. You don't have to look too far back into history to see when salt (you know that stuff we throw out on the sidewalks and scatter on roadways) was far more valuable. In fact in a fascinating book (that sounds really boring), Salt: A World History, by Mark Kurlansky we can see when salt was the most precious thing.

Society places values on material, these values are ever changing. I feel God views all of His creation as equal, save man--the species not the race. That is to say, God does not value Gold, or Salt, or Platinum, or whatever anymore than dirt, or leaves, or rain drops. These are intrinsic values humans place on God's perfect creation. If I were to guess, I would guess this need to value is rooted in man's original sin and the resulting need to quantify and rationalize God's existence. But I digress....


God's specific command to adorn His Temple with gold and silver and jewels, had nothing to do with gold or silver or diamonds, or even salt. His command...His goal...His desire was to teach sacrifice--no matter how superficial it might be.


God didn't command those "precious" gifts because they were precious to Him, but because they were precious to the giver. God wanted His chosen people to give to Him sacrificially. God was demonstrating that all they need to hold dear is in His Temple--not the gold, but His living Spirit.


This is just as true today. God was modeled this sacrificial love and giving. God has proven time and time again to His children, that all they need is in Him.


Oh, I'm not down on the big fancy Churches, some folks need that to feel closer to God. Let's face it, God certainly deserves all that we can give Him and immeasurably more. However, I can say with confidence that my life is more precious than gold in the only eyes that ultimately matter--God's.

Always remember 'Whose you are and at what cost'