SHREWD

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Shrewd.” I better spell it, because it sounds very much like another word – which is sometimes part of it: S H R E W D - shrewd.

Shrewd meaning: clever, sharp, astute, slippery, shifty, slick, smooth, outguessing, outmaneuvering, or scheming.

Shrewd.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

As I read today’s readings that’s the thought that hit me – especially from the gospel.

The steward in the gospel is a very shrewd steward. Say that ten times fast. The steward in the gospel is a very shrewd steward. He’s stealing from his boss – very cleverly – perhaps skimming off profits – and he must have gotten turned in by someone – maybe someone he outsmarted or burned – and word gets to his boss – a rich man whom he worked for – who is going to fire him – but first wants to see the books.

The steward in the gospel is a very shrewd steward. He says to himself, “I’m not strong enough to dig. I’m ashamed to beg. I know what I can do.” Knowing the books, he knows who owes his boss money. So he calls a few of them in and lowers their debts. The first is a man who bought olive oil and the second a man who bought wheat from him. He tells them to re-write their promissory notes.

I’m sure those listening to Jesus tell this story smiled – joking to themselves, “I wish I was that clever.” or “I wish someone would call me in and lower my debts.”

And the boss – the rich man – upon discovering all this says to the steward, “You are a very shrewd steward.”

Perhaps Jesus heard this story and it impressed him. He must have had the thought. “Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone who was shrewd would use their gifts to make life better for everyone in the village or the town or the area – instead of using their gifts to be selfish or shifty or greedy.”

Then Jesus gets to his message: the values’ message. What’s really valuable to us? What’s important? What do we have to be shrewd about?

Then he hits us with a choice. “You cannot serve God and mammon.” I would love it if they translated that to, “You cannot serve God and stuff.”

Stuff can stuff us.

Possessions can posses us.

Consumerism can consume us.

If someone is really that shrewd with stuff and possessions, Jesus hopes they can be that shrewd with the "stuff " of eternal life.

That’s one of the messages here in today’s gospel.

Advertisement: if you don’t get this message of how to use this world’s goods this Sunday, you will get it next Sunday – which has one of the toughest gospels of the year.

Luke is very pro poor as well as pro woman. He’s not trying to get our votes – but he is trying to get our mind and heart.

Luke is very shrewd in his selections from the life and messages of Jesus.

SIMPLICITY

Have you ever had the following experience?

There’s someone you know who is very clever – very shrewd – and is living a very simple life. And someone says of this person, “You know he or she could be making a lot more money – have a better car – a bigger house – and all that – if he or she used their shrewdness or cleverness to make money – more money.”

The person prefers simplicity – or loves weekends – or more time with his or her family – and doesn’t want to run in the rat race. It’s their choice. His wife or her husband, or family, or dog, or lawn, or garden, all prefer his or her life style of simplicity. They are not complaining. They like the attention. He or she, his wife or her husband have talked this over and these are their life choices.

As I say this, I'm reminded of Wendell Berry – the philosophical poet and farmer – who lives in Kentucky. [Cf. Collected Poems, 1957-1982, Wendell Berry, North Point Press, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, New York, 1999]

I’m also picture several other people whom I met here and there around the country – who have chosen simplicity for their life style.

Yet someone seeing them – think they should be living a completely different life style.

VALUES & OTHER QUESTIONS

As I'm babbling up here, I'm hoping the values' question – and a lot of other questions are popping up in your mind.

As I think and talk about this, I also think of other folks whom I have met: people who have chosen buying and selling – business people – people in service jobs – people who have to travel a lot in their work to make a living for themselves and for their families. Some are very happy – and love their work and life choices. Some feel stress – too much stress. Annapolis can be an expensive place to live. I’m happy that BWI is not that long a drive to an airport – and most of the time Route 97 is not that bad. Schools – mortgages – rent – debt – driving kids here and there can be very stressful.

As I read Jesus’ words about stuff and money in today’s gospel, as well at other times about what we wear and what we eat (Cf. Luke 12: 22-34) – at times I think some of that has to be re-thought in terms of an economy different from that of Israel 2,000 years ago. Put clearer: today, if one needs to make money to raise a family, people have to raise more than sheep. It helps the economy for shoes and clothes to go out of style. It helps some people when other people buy more stuff. It helps local restaurants for people to eat out – for people to take vacations – etc. Jobs. Jobs. Jobs. Cash flow. Cash flow. Cash flow. "It's the economy stupid!"

Should there be different stresses in preaching in a tourist driven town – compared to a quiet country town – or what have you?

I will forever remember a moment at a meeting of retreat captains in a retreat house in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania where I was working. Someone raised their hand and said, “I have a suggestion on how to raise money for this retreat house. Why don’t we suggest to all our retreatants to put in obituary notices: ‘In lieu of flowers send a donation to St. Alphonsus Retreat House.”?

Everyone said, “Yeah, yeah, great idea.”

Another hand went up. “I’m a florist.”

Silence.

So I’m hoping shrewd theologians and popes and bishops will do a lot of deep thinking about all this.

The shrewd among us – have to say, “Hey if you want green in the collection basket, give us some ways of bringing a richer spirituality to the marketplace, work, raising a family, etc. There is a hereafter, but there is also a here.

I know that Greg Pierce*, a businessman, community organizer, a publisher, who writes at times from Chicago challenges priests and Catholic writers to talk about the spirituality of work in the pulpit and in their pages more. He says we spend most of our time with work and relationships – so hit us with some thoughts in these areas. Jack Shea, also of Chicago, would add, people spend a bit of time in recreation as well. Give us some shrewd spirituality about all this. I would add: also give us some stuff on retirement spirituality.

And I’m also starting to see more and more articles and books coming out on ecology and theology – and consumerism. It can get complicated. Stuff can help the economy - but it also can stuff our garbage dumps.

This morning I’m just thinking and wondering out loud about values questions and issues.

PRIESTS AND NUNS

Let me try another twist on all this.

Two times in my life I’ve been sitting there or standing there and I’ve overheard by accident someone say about some priest that I knew, “He’s very shrewd. He’s very clever. What a waste.” I also heard once the comment, “Father So and So is really good looking. What a waste.” I’m still waiting to hear that one about myself – especially because Father Kingsbury keeps on hearing great comments about his hair. You know it’s a toupee of course. Just kidding.

And I’ve heard it said a few times by different people about nuns. “She’s very clever. She could run a major corporation with ease.” Then the comment, “What a waste.” Or “God she’s beautiful. What a waste.” Outch! Haven't they read the lives of great nuns who started religious congregations, hospitals, colleges, schools, institutions? Talk about being shrewd!

If you get the gist of what I’m getting at here, then I think you’re getting today’s readings.

FIRST READING

In today’s first reading we have a text that goes way back to the some 700 years before Christ. It’s a reading from the Prophet Amos.

Amos was a rancher – today he might be called a cowboy or a shepherd – who also worked at pruning trees – notices cheating in the marketplace. He spots merchants - being shrewd in a negative sense - fixing scales and scraping silver off silver coins. He notices people losing everything and forced to work as slaves for rich people – people being treated like sandals or flip flops – instead of being treated with respect as human beings.

This week – find some time – with your Bible. Read the 9 chapters of Amos. You can do it in a half hour easily – with some thinking and praying. Compare what was happening in his time – with the stuff in today’s newspapers – especially stories about skimming from pension funds – etc. We’ll hear him next Sunday as well. He appears only one other time every three years.

And if you are blessed with twin boys: consider Amos and Andy – as possible names for your sons.

CONCLUSION

Enough. Already….

Reflect this week on your gifts – and where you are shrewd – and then do some double thinking – about your values – your use of time – what’s stuffing you, what’s possessing you, what's consuming your time and life. And maybe you might be like Amos – noticing unfairness at work or family or church or neighborhood and maybe you are being called to speak up and speak out. Hopefully, you won’t lose your job like the guy in the gospel – but beware, it happens to whistleblowers. So be shrewd. Bills need to be paid. And you might not make it as a ditch digger or a beggar.

[* Gregory F.A. Pierce, Spirituality at Work: 10 Ways to Balance Your Life On the Job, Loyola Press Chicago, www.loyolaBooks.org]