Keepers of the Pig Sty

Centuries ago, in feudal England, one's wealth was based largely on the amount of land and livestock owned. An army of servants managed livestock. A "ward" was a servant responsible for some aspect of the operation. The feudal lord's most valued possession was often his herd of pigs. Consequently, the most trusted ward was the one who watched over the sty where the pigs lived. He was the "sty ward." "Steward" (from sty-ward) is the word that emerged in English to describe our relationship with God concerning material possessions. "Steward" is not a frequently used word anymore, but it is probably the best description of our relationship to wealth.

My father-in-law used to raise hogs. He worked at a meat packing plant toward the end of his career. He had oversight of the enormous freezer warehouses where the slaughtered hogs were kept. The hogs had to be kept at just the right temperature and moisture level, or they would be ruined. I once asked him what he thought of his job. He said, "On a good day, I am responsible for millions of dollars of inventory. On a bad day, I hang around a bunch of dead pigs." Melissa and I will occasionally ask each other how our day went. Sometimes, when things haven't gone well, we say, "I had a dead pig day."

The fact is that "dead pig days" or not, we can only have two relationships with wealth. We can forgo wealth or be stewards of it for God. The wealth we control eventually passes from our hands to another's hands. As Don Henley used to sing in his song "Gimme What You Got," "…you don't see hearses with luggage racks." The illusion is that we make our own wealth and are free to do with it as we please. But God declares:

Deut 8:17-18 NRSV

17 Do not say to yourself, "My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth." 18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today.

God is ultimately responsible for what we have, and all of it returns to God.

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Comments

[Michael Kruse]

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will spotts said...
I like the dead pig quote.

July 29, 2005 3:02 PM