The Treasures In Heaven.6

"Do not hoard treasures on earth where moths and rust corrupt, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where neither moths nor rust corrupt, nor thieves break in to steal. Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

--Jesus

"What is with the treasure must fare as the treasure; the heart which haunts the treasure-house where the moth and rust corrupt, will be exposed to the same ravages as the treasure, will itself be rusted and moth-eaten. Many a man, many a woman, prosperous and impressive to see, is going about with a rusty moth-eaten heart..." GMD

A recent commentary on American society illustrates Jesus' haunting words. America is an idea, a series of principles that must be lived out by each successive generation. Ideas like:

• all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights among which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, 
• that a moral and educated people are capable of ruling themselves, 
• that rule of law and right of property are fundamental to liberty and pave the way to prosperity, 
• that God alone gives these rights to people and are not subject to the whim of a ruling class. 

These ideas have inspired several generations of Americans to build history's most prosperous, generous and good-seeking society.

But these ideas are under attack from other ideas: progressivism, globalism, eudaemonism, communism, socialism, statism, Sharia law, Mohammedism. 

Sadly, a significant shift has occurred largely due to our prosperity: rather than defend the principles and ideas upon which America sustains itself, we have been reduced to defending our stuff! 

The news is filled with impassioned warring factions battling over stuff like abortion rights, collective bargaining rights, gay rights, transgender rights, women's rights, Mother Earth's rights, baby seal rights, healthcare rights, Social Security rights, food stamp entitlement rights, income equality rights.

Because we don't treasure the things treasured in heaven, such as: 

• kindness, 
• patience, 
• goodness, 
• gentleness, 
• love, 
• righteousness, 
• self-control, 
• sincerity, 
• truth,
• justice,
• mercy,
• humility,
• service,
• obedience,
• beauty, 
• fidelity, 
• life, 
• wisdom, 
• grace, 
• honor, 
• simplicity, 
• purity, 
• peace-making, 
• repentance, 

we are reduced to becoming just like the corruptible things we DO treasure. 

And just like the Stuff we are becoming corrupted and decayed in attitudes & aspirations; angry, covetous, greedy, murderous, liars. 

Rusted. 

Moth-eaten cavernous hearts that can never be satisfied.

God save us...