“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

First, a disclaimer: I haven’t really been following the whole Occupy Wall Street thing, any more than I followed the Tea Parties in 2010. SO not into it a bunch of people screaming about how everyone who disagrees with them is a capitalist/socialist/fascist/Nazi/lazy/greedy/insert-your-own-expletive jerk who is Ruining America. NOT gracious, loving, wise, productive, or Christ-like. But as long as everyone’s talking, tweeting, and blogging about it, I might as well join the party–or sit-in–or whatever it is, right?

If there’s one thing that I’ve noticed about Americans, is that we get really, really defensive when it comes to money. REALLY defensive.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

We’re quick to point out that Jesus never said MONEY was bad–it’s the LOVE of money that is sinful.

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

I dunno–that sounds pretty bad to me.

(And by “rich,” I’m referring to people who have change in their pocket, a warm, secure home, and enough food to keep their family well-fed, not to mention a computer and an internet connection to read this on. Globally, we ARE the 1%.)

My husband and I took a Dave Ramsey course last spring, and while there was a lot of good stuff in it, I always felt uncomfortable with his assertion that we should focus on “building wealth” so that someday, when everything was hunky-dory in our bank accounts, we would have more money to give God.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourself treasures in heaven…”

I just don’t think that we Americans, democrat or republican, 99% or 1%, think about money the way Jesus would have us think about it. In America, money is a religion in and of itself, and our adherence to the economic philosophy of our choice is the law by which we measure not just our net worth but out moral worth.

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Forget about Occupy Wall Street for just a minute. Forget about the Tea Party. Forget about politics and economics, bailouts and healthcare, Warren Buffet and Dave Ramsey. Here’s my question:

What would it look like if Jesus Occupied Your Wallet?