For the Love of Money

Amos 6: 1, 4-7 Luke 16: 19-31 Year C 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Some people will do anything for money, and we love our deals. Sure, we love to shop, but what do we talk about when we get home? A little about what we bought, a lot about what a great deal we got, or how much money we "saved".

When we, as a society perfectly capable of paying a fair price for a fair product, instead invest ourselves in searching for the “best deal”, and finding that deal to be shirts and shoes and watches and backpacks and sandals made offshore by the impoverished labourers of Asia, we are in effect buying the poor for shirts or shoes or watches and backpacks. They produce the goods we consume, and because we won’t pay more they won’t be paid more. Because we look the other way to child labour, health and safety standards and ecological stewardship (and those things drive up the cost, make no mistake) they can produce these products for a lot less money than they’d cost in a developed country. We get our cheap stuff, and they remain poor in every sense of the word.

We won’t pay more. We love our money. We, amongst the wealthiest people on the planet are obsessed with getting a deal, without regard to the cost. Our unwillingness to part with two bucks for a better quality product made in Ohio, for example, in favour of saving two bucks on a lesser quality item from a factory in China is actually more than just two bucks. It’s the cost of well paying full time jobs in Ohio. It’s actually also the price of the poor working under intolerable conditions in Asia.

Many of the deals we treasure begin in the factories of China where there are no laws enforced, with deadly chemicals flowing freely into the air, the water, the streets and the ground all around the workers. CBS 60 Minutes recently uncovered a story about illegally shipped discarded cellphones from North America being torn apart, dismantled and recycled in China. The unregulated result is a chemical soup of toxic chemicals. The 60 Minutes reporter interviewed one worker. Many Chinese workers leave their small agricultural villages and come to factory towns because that’s where the jobs are, that’s where the money is. The man complained that after years working and living in these conditions, it hurt him just to breathe. Asked why he doesn’t just leave town for the good of his health, and his children’s health, he admitted he had to stay “for the money”. See the whole story here:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/06/60minutes/main4579229.shtml

Whose money is that, my friends? Mine and yours. We’ve bought his health for the thrill of the deal. That man sold his health for 200 free minutes, unlimited texting, and free evenings and weekends, or more accurately, to paraphrase Amos, we’ve bought him for the price of modern day silver – electronic gadgets.

In her book “Cheap, the High Cost of Discount Culture”, author Ellen Ruppel Shell quotes Richard Locke, professor or Entrepreneurship and Political Science at the Sloan School of Management and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in referring to the scandalously dangerous working conditions in Asia and South America and Africa he concludes that there is only one force powerful enough to enforce workers’ rights and protection: guilt. We can effect change by guilting people into ethical and moral choices. He goes on to say there’s only one institution capable of evoking that force on a global scale: the Vatican. Here's a link to Ruppell Shell's book:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/159420215X/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

Maybe the terrible abuses of the poor in other countries would not happen except that we’re just not ready to take a stand, with our wallets.

Every so often we need to step back and take a look about what’s important in our lives, what’s really important, and by looking at our behaviour it soon becomes evident what it is we value most. It’s only when we devalue our currency of money by putting stock in prayer and faith, in charity and hope, in works of mercy and in living the Gospel that we can ever gain the best return in this life, and the next.

Well said...

Test Drive - the Lincoln MKS

Last week I traveled to Ottawa and took a few friends golfing at an annual tournament for charity. I golf so badly that the only way I can get through the game is to pick and choose those who will either golf as badly, or politely tolerate my incompetence. I was fortunate to find three such friends, who also accepted my offer of a ride to Montebello in my rented Lincoln MKS. It was a beautiful day on a beautiful course, and we arrived in style in a beautiful car.

The Lincoln MKS is a luxurious sedan that is thoughtfully appointed. The ride is smooth, the handling superior, and the whole look of the machine is impressive.

Good? The handling, the pick up, the smooth ride, and the tightness you'd expect in a vehicle of that calibre. It had great trunk room, and lots of room for back seat passengers. I loved the automatic seat settings and the way-cool interior lighting. It's a fine automobile.

Great? I really loved the safety features like the air conditioned / heated seats, the front and rear warning when you get too close to another object or person, the automatic high beams and I think there were rain-sensing wipers, but I might be confusing the car with son's entry level Saturn.

Room for Growth? It's a small thing, but I'm always astounded when I don't find a handle inside the trunk to close it. Saab was one of the first to add this thoughtful touch, and even the Nissan Versa I rented this week has it. Driving the Lincoln MKS you'd end up with dirty fingers and dusty fingerprints on the trunk lid, something that people who live in Windsor know equals certain secondary inspection at the border.

Would I buy it? Yeah sure, but I'd miss my wife's 7 year old 9-3. The Saab may have retailed for half the price of what this Lincoln sells for, but the drive, the handling and the acceleration blow this brand new Lincoln out of the water even still.

Dinner at Hooters

A number of years ago in Nashville a group of guys were looking for a place to have dinner. One of us suggested Hooters. I'd never heard of the place, but I was soon familiar with the concept - busty women in short shorts and tight tank tops. I refused to go in. As I said then, "if you tell me this place has the best burger or whatever, then I'll go in to eat. All you've talked about," I said, and forgive the language, "is t*ts. If I'm just going in to eat crappy food so we can ogle the women, I'll pass."

Hey, I've got a wife and a daughter and sisters, and at the time a mother. I cannot abide the objectification of women. Yup, I'm a saint.

Time passed and Hooters came to our little town, and closed down 10 years later before I got around to checking it out. I heard the wings were amazing, but I frankly didn't want to be caught in the place, particularly in the last few years as I prepared to receive Holy Orders as a Permanent Deacon in the Roman Catholic Church. Wouldn't want to scandalize the Bishop, and all that.

After some discussion our Deacon class agreed it would be OK to eat at Hooters. After all, Christ hung out with sinners, didn't he? Still, none of us ever had the guts to walk into Hooters until this week.

Jeremy Goes to Hooters

Last night I hit the Hooters on the airport strip in Toronto for some wings. I'm sure Christ would have been comfortable sitting beside me at the bar, but I'm just as sure he wouldn't have been checking out the barmaid's assets so neither did I, much.

The wings were not that good.

But I did learn something surprising that caused me to climb down off my lofty perch. Yes, the girls were busty and attractive, as they're supposed to be. They were also very friendly, and not at all flirty. I was greeted when I arrived by the very friendly and not even slightly flirty Hooters girls. They were conversational, attentive and wonderfully welcoming. I watched the girls take pictures with a table of firemen, welcome regulars, and laugh and spark conversation as they served beer and wings to the mostly male patrons.

Say what you will, but that's a damned sight better than the lacklustre ambivalence that's passed for service in the last five restaurants I've eaten in (for a lot more money).

I'd go back to Hooters, and at the risk of my own sainthood, I'll admit it wouldn't be for the wings. I'll try the burger or the ribs, and maybe just lighten up and enjoy the place for what it is.

What was good? The spotless restaurant and bar, and the many big screen TVs showing MLB all over the place.

Great? The genuine friendliness and outgoing service.

Room to Grow? The wings were scrawny and overcooked, although I will admit that I ordered them "naked" and not all pimped up and floured then deep fried. But clearly they were saving some money on the raw product by buying them small and untipped (Picture a chicken wing as being your arm and bicep. Typical wings are cut in half at the "elbow" and the "forearm" part is trimmed at the "wrist" That's called tipped and it costs more per pound to buy them that way, but the yield is better because you're not paying for the extra weight of the "tip" that no one eats anyway)

Three Questions for Windsor City Council Candidates

With only a little over a month to go before Windsor City Council turns lame duck, thoughts begin to turn to election day.

I do think we should offer some of our current councilors a job in city administration somewhere - pushing paper and punching a calculator - the very things that some people in this city mistake for political leadership but are best suited for obedient employment, perhaps in civil service.

I want to hear our candidates tell me something OTHER than that they are going to sharpen pencils, go through the budget line-by-line, or share their vast business experience in setting annual budgets and keeping taxes low. We've had enough of that.

I want to hear what our candidates see as the future of our city, and where they intend to show leadership. Here are three areas to consider your vision.

What's it like to be a citizen (not a taxpayer, a citizen) of Windsor? How close do we live to a library? Do our children have access to affordable recreation and sports activities? Do the poor have a preferential option in policy or will policy, direction and by-laws be crafted to appease the well-to-do? How do you define quality of life? Do you support Green alternatives to the daily drive like mass transit and bike lanes? And yes, here's where you get to deal with the tax question - what are we prepared to pay for our common and shared expenses? Are taxpayers more important than citizens? (Not all citizens pay taxes. Children, for example, are not municipal taxpayers. Do they deserve less consideration?)

What's it like to run/own a business in Windsor? The tax question could come up here, too. Beyond taxation, are the rules and regulations onerous? How serious are we about downtown Windsor?

What's can a visitor to Windsor expect? Are we committed to tourism infrastructure, promotion and marketing our city and area? Are there things to do, places to go? Are we actively working to improve access to the city by air and rail and border crossing?

Candidates for council should share their vision for Windsor, and these three areas are just one way to consider the future under your leadership, should you be elected.

Don't tell us you're going to slash the budget and meddle in the details unless you're applying for a management job at City Hall. And an elected seat at the table is NOT for the micro-managers among us - it's for the servant-leaders we are so desperately seeking.

'Nuff said - again

Mike Graston remains the only editorialist at the Windsor Star willing to take on the Mayor.

You gotta love today's cartoon after Eddie announced he would seek a third term.

2 More Nutrition Myths - Does Fruit Make you Fat?

Time to crush 2 more nutrition myths…and I found one more myth – one that really irritates me – that I’ll crush tomorrow. Until then, here’s one that really gets me fired up…

Nutrition Myth #1 – Fruit Makes You Fat

Read more about this from Craig Ballantine: 2 More Nutrition Myths

Road Test - Nissan Versa

I recently rented a Nissan Versa at the airport when I landed for a sales trip to Ottawa. This was going to be a 3 day supertrip with lots of around-town appointments, and with no plans for long distance driving at all. I chose to rent a smaller car because I was trying to keep fuel costs down, and because the parking garage at my favourite Gatineau hotel is extremely tight. Hard to believe we were all driving gas guzzling boats back when this hotel was built - not sure how anyone made the corners. That, of course, was before Al Gore invented global warming (damn you Al Gore!)

Great - gas mileage of course. Beyond that, though, is the thoughtful design, including really very large squared off rear doors. It looks quite comfortable back there, with lots of leg room. That extra door space would be appreciated by young parents hoisting little ones in and out of car seats, although this might not be the right car for them - read on...

Good - climate control system. This thing chilled down in some pretty intense heat very quickly, although the smallness of the car contributed to that. The visibility all around is very good - and I especially appreciate the little triangle shaped window in the A-Pillar. Parallel parking gets easier when you're not guessing where the end of his bumper is, you can actually see it past your own side view mirror.

Room for Growth: Well, it's a commuter car so it's great around town and it handles well, but rapid acceleration for a quick merge onto the 417 when the air conditioner is blasting - not gonna happen. Trunk space is practically non-existent with the rear seats up, enough room for a bag or two of groceries or a set of golf clubs. This is definitely not a car for a single-car family with a couple of small kids, even if the price is right.

Overall - I really liked it, fun to drive, economical, well made and well designed. The car competes with and holds it's own against the Toyota Yaris, the Honda Civic, the Chevy Aveo, the Mazda 3 - but it's a limited use vehicle best for those who must drive to work everyday in the big city, with limited highway driving and very limited cargo needs.

The Other Lesson from The Good Samaritan

"...the Samaritan took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, 'Take care of him, and when I come back I will repay you whatever more you spend.' "

Just this week I got an call from Hospice of Windsor asking me if I could go visit a man in hospital who was going to die very soon, in fact it was an urgent plea to get to him right away as waiting even a day might be too late. The nurses had called Hospice because this man had seen no visitors, no family members, nobody had come to visit him at all, ever, and they didn’t want him to die alone. Truly this man had been kicked to the curb by his illness and by his life circumstances and left to die alone, like the victim in the story of the Good Samaritan. (Luke 10:25-37)

I went and spent some time with the patient. I held his hand, talked and prayed with him, I did my best to make sure he was comfortable, and when he was asleep, and I went home to my family.

Had that man died later in that evening with no one else in the room at the time of his passing, he would not have died alone. Someone who cared for him, a Hospice volunteer in this case, was with him as he closed this chapter of his life.

Many times I see families and friends keeping a round-the-clock vigil and it can be gruelling. Sometimes, though, in spite of their continuing vigilance and care, the family steps out for a moment or goes home to look after their own family, and while they’re away the loved one dies. I’ve seen people quite burdened with guilt about that. I understand that guilt. Just today after I had finished preaching about it and had a chance to practice some Good Samaratinisms, I learned the man I'm writing about had died this morning, probably while I was at church.

I remind family and friends and clergy and Hospice volunteers who feel guilty of the other lesson from the parable of the Good Samaritan.

He came to the assistance of someone in need, he cared for him, he found him continuing care with the innkeeper, and then, and this is important, he went on his way. The Samaritan did not sit in vigil and frankly, we don’t know if the victim recovered or eventually succumbed to his injuries. We do know that the Good Samaritan cared for and arranged care for him, and then went about his business with the intent to return and follow up on the care.

Christ finishes the parable and tells the listener and us to "go and do likewise", not just in caring for our brothers and sisters, but also in knowing when to step back and care for ourselves.

Claire Tyrrell: Parent Council Member of the Year (in my opinion)

This week at my son's Grade 12 Graduation there was an award given in honour of a former member of the Parent Council. I misunderstood the whole concept of the award, thinking it was meant for a parent who had served the school community on the Parent Council, when it fact it was an annual bursary awarded to a worthy student, now in the name of our deceased friend.

So as I waited for the winner to be announced, I secretly prayed that finally someone was recognizing my wife's commitment over the past 22 plus years, since our oldest started Senior Kindergarten. He's 27 now.

From the time Claire and I attended our first PTA meeting in Toronto, between us we have probably missed only 5 meetings through two cities, three schools, three kids, countless Principals (10 I think) and three incarnations of what exactly a PTA/School Council/Parent Advisory Council actually is and does. We've raised money for Commodore computers for the library and Smith machines for the football team, AV equipment for the drama department and playground equipment (always the playground in elementary school - it's like that's all anyone ever wants - new playground equipment).

Throughout it all, even after my own career and studies made it impossible for us to attend Parent Council meetings together anymore, Claire sat on committees, held office and made sure that the discussion always included a preferential option for the poor, and a reminder that it can't be about fundraising lunches if it isn't also about helping those who have no food at all. Claire kept the high school council on track so that at the beginning of the year the money was going to be there at the end of the year to provide a bursary to support a needy student going on to higher education. Claire pulled the elementary school out of working bingo (back when it was a cash-cow) when it became more about rolling in cash and using it to buy luxuries than it was about using our resources to help our students, and the students in the school down the street, and the students in the school across town. We learned to raise a lot less money the good old fashioned way, lessons that served us well when the bottom fell out of the bingo market.

So - congratulations Claire Tyrrell, who is in my opinion the Parent Council member of the last two decades. Take the summer off. Be happy that there aren't parent councils at the University level.