Have you watched the movie Crazy Rich Asian? If you haven't you should. I praise the movie for brilliantly highlighting Asian-American cultural tension. This post is not about the movie though, it’s about how I am (we are) also a crazy rich asian. Before you close your browser saying “Urgh”, hold on! I don’t mean this in a self narcissistic way, but in an eye-opening way.
I think deeply to the extend we should give selflessly to others. My friends know I live in two worlds in tension. As I was writing and processing this, I was sitting at a cafe in Beverly Hills. While sipping my overpriced latte and eating my overhyped frozen yoghurt, My phone rang. I got a text from a colleague in Malaysia that one of our beneficiary only has a week before he will fall into homelessness. It broke my heart. These past weeks I witnessed the excess of life in America while back home my work deals with groups in slum areas who barely have any roof over their heads. I wonder how I should respond. Most of the times, i just feel guilty. I see my surrounding live in excess and silently judge them in anger. Is this how God wants me to feel? For the longest time, I sought for an answer.
I live in suburban, middle-class home outside of Jakarta. Nothing fancy, just nice. I too have to save up for college and for the future. I consider myself “having enough”. But in comparison to the rest of the world, I realized I am crazy rich! (check out the Global Rich List website and see how you compare to the world--making US$ 50,000 annually makes you the top 0.3% of the world by income). Things such as a roof over my head, a toilet, and a car are luxuries I have taken for granted. If you can have internet and read this post at your home too, most probably you are in the top 15% of the world. I think, I finally understand how I should navigate both worlds.
“I realize I needed to remove the log in my own eye before finding the speck in my brothers’ eye.”
I concluded:
- I will focus less on the sins of others and recognize how much work I have to do in my own life.
- Instead of criticizing others for not doing enough to care for the widow and orphans, I want to get to work loving and serving the most vulnerable.
- Instead of being mad at those who spend lavishly, I want to fervently move toward greater generosity and simplicity in my own life.
Jesus never drew anyone by condemning nor guilt tripping them ; it is by His love and mercy that sinners are drawn to Him. People who came to Jesus to seek grace found it every time.
Oh by the way, It’s not just me who is rich, it is also you! Our Father in heaven has made us crazy RICH. Having blessed us with all spiritual blessings, He also gave everything He has to us. These are riches no money can buy and riches that will never spoil..
But His blessings are meant to be shared to the hurting and hungry. He is asking us to identify with our neighbor who may not have roof over their head, to fight for the widow and orphan, to value our comfort less than the privilege of comforting others.
Even though our lives don’t look like those in movies, you and I are CRAZY RICH.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Tam