greener is not always better - 12th week Tuesday 2015

Today we reflect on our first reading from the book of Genesis.  Abraham together with his nephew, Lot prospered in the land which the Lord God gave them.  Their flocks multiplied and they became rich.  Since their flocks multiplied greatly the land in which they were staying could no longer sustain both of them and there were skirmishes and quarrels among their workers.  The book of Genesis described their situation saying “their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together.”  Prosperity undermined peace in the family.  Because of riches, family harmony was disrupted.  Isn't this happening even today?  Whenever it is a question of what is mine and what is yours, chances are conflicts will arise, quarrels will start, even among members of the family.  Money should have made us generous, possessions should have made us kind, but many times this does not happen in reality.  In fact the opposite tends to happen.

And so Abraham proposed to his nephew Lot that they go separate ways, and he made Lot make the first choice.  “If you choose to go to the left, then I will go to the right.  If you go to the right, then I will go to the left.”  

Abraham was really a man of faith.  Lot was just a nephew, nevertheless Abraham gave way for him.  This is actually Abraham’s act of faith.  By making Lot make the first choice Abraham knew that eventually it is God who gives land, as it is God who gives descendants.  And this was affirmed immediately after this event when God said “Look about you, and from where you are, gaze to the north and south, east and west; all the land that you see I will give to you and your descendants forever.”

So Lot chose the plains of the Jordan because the grass was greener and the land was more fertile.  It was located near Sodom, a location which Lot would deeply regret later in the story.  The grass was greener near Sodom, but greener may not be always better.  Many times greener will not be good for our children; many times the living environment may not be conducive.  Greener may make us financially stable but many times it can also destroy relationships, it can alienate, it can create difficulties that would far outweigh the advantages.  This can also happen to us.  Greener is not always better.  That is why it is important to discern things thoroughly.  I admire couples whose first consideration in decisions like this is their children – not careers, not self-fulfillment, not even financial stability  but how the children would grow up, how they will be formed by the decisions their parents make.  Money is not always the solution to problems, it is not always the answer to our dreams and desires.  It can help in many ways but it is not the only and the primary consideration. 

Let us learn from the lessons of Abraham and Lot and trust instead in the promises God has made.