It is not only the
rich that can worship possession of material things. In some ways it is a greater threat to the
poor who see riches from afar and think that the solution of all their problems
is money and the things it can buy. A
hot set of wheels for many in poverty is the epitome of foundational
happiness. It represents the shortcut to
self-esteem; never mind that one is a school dropout. Education, after all, is not an end in itself,
but only the means to get rich. The
product of education thus is not priceless intangibles embodied in qualities of
thought and judgment; it is rather simply one means to a materialistic
end. If that end becomes blocked, then
lawlessness will do just as well. Of
course this mentality can have its mirror image in the successful college
graduate who likewise only viewed higher education as a highway to wealth. Both share the same one-dimensional view and both
can have a very damaging impact upon the health and welfare of a society. When ultimate hope is founded in the
possession of material riches, the land bereft of higher purposes becomes impoverished
and lost in a wilderness of nihilism. The saving miracles that are products of
belief and character then must await a fresh enlightenment.
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