Leaving the Dogs of Society

1Timothy 6:17-19

As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.

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So goodbye yellow brick road
Where the dogs of society howl
You can't plant me in your penthouse
I'm going back to my plough

Back to the howling old owl in the woods
Hunting the horny back toad
Oh I've finally decided my future lies
Beyond the yellow brick road

"Good Bye Yellow Brick Road" Music by Elton John, Lyrics by Bernie Taupin from the Elton John album of the same name

This story is told in every time and place, the story of a person who becomes the plaything of another. Always on display, always the accessory, but not merely the arm-candy. In this case, the accessory is supposed to shine, but only to enhance the status of the other.

It would be like the moon bragging about the way it shines, holding the sun at arm's length. The sun's doing all the work, but the moon is doing all the bragging.

In both cases, when the real source of light goes away, all that's left is darkness.

So for the rich, who's more important: the rich or the one who has made them rich. Maybe that's one of the troubles with our economy today, the people making each other rich are lawyers and accountants manipulating numbers that don't reflect the work of the people. Insert your favorite Enron reference here. They were so busy making money, they forgot they were in the energy business. Ultimately, they were just in the number juggling business and that house of cards fell with a harder thud than even they imagined.

These folks got more concerned with what money could buy than with God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They wanted the bells and whistles and were left only with what they could hide, which was more than most people were able to salvage.

They were living on the front lines of society, howling like dogs. They were seducing the world to "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" and "Cribs" not noticing that there was nothing behind the curtain. But not the young man in Elton's song, he wouldn't be planted in the penthouse like a fern.

God richly provides us with what we need, and what's glorious is that when we get what we need, we find that it is more than what we expect and better than what we want. How wonderful! It's more and better. This is God's gift to us so that we may take hold of the life that really is life, better than the death that we would pick on our own. That's one way to discover the future that lies beyond the yellow brick road.