Leo Tolstoy, the Russian Christian Philosopher and author of the very lengthy War and Peace, also wrote a short story entitled How Much Land Does a Man Need?
This short story is about an extraordinarily rich farmer who was unsatisfied with everything he owned. In fact, he wanted more of everything. One day, he received an unusual offer. He could become the owner of all the land he could walk or run around in one day. The only catch was he could not start walking or running until sunrise and had to be back at the starting point by sundown of the same day.
Early the next morning, he started jogging as fast as he could, marking his route with a spade. By midmorning, he was getting tired, but he kept on going. By mid-afternoon, he realized that his greed had taken him far beyond a logical turn-around point.
As the sun began to sink low into the sky, he was forced to pick up his pace. Gasping for breath with each step, his heart pounding, he pushed his body with every bit of strength he had. Just as the sun began to set, he staggered back to his starting point. He immediately collapsed and died.
The farmer was buried in a standard burial plot, six feet long and three feet wide, answering the question posed in the title of the story.
The moral of this story is: how much stuff do we need in life? When is enough actually enough?
Maybe the Legendary Roman proverb is true: money is like seawater; the more you drink, the thirstier you become.
John D Rockefeller, the businessman, philanthropist and founder of Standard Oil, was once asked, “How much wealth does it take to satisfy a person?”
Rockefeller’s response: “Just a little bit more.”
When Rockefeller died at age 98, one of his closest trustees was asked how much money he left behind. The response was, “All of it; caskets don’t have pockets.”
Today’s Gospel clearly warns against one of the seven capital sins: greed or avarice - an inordinate or unreasonable love of riches.
In the Gospel, Jesus is asked to settle a domestic squabble over the family inheritance. Evidently, the greedy brother would not share the inheritance. Jesus is smart enough not to get involved in another family’s affairs and simply warned them, “Take care to guard against all greed; even though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” Jesus then went on to tell the story that we know as the Parable of the Rich Fool.
Why do you think Jesus calls the rich person a fool? I reckon it is because the rich man was foolish enough to think that the more riches he had, the happier he would be. He simply was not satisfied with what he already had. He is called a fool because he won’t share, not even his excess or surplus. He flaunts his wealth by building a bigger barn and ensuring everyone sees it.
God is not impressed with what we have accumulated but in how we share what we have with others.
Here is a straightforward way to avoid becoming greedy. Do not confuse the “wants” with the “needs.” You cannot find family, friendship, intimacy, beauty, love, happiness or peace in any cosmetic tube, liquor bottle, designer label or fancy car. The advertising media spends billions of dollars to tell us what we want, not what we need.
The First Reading deals with another one of the seven capital sins: vanity or pride. Vanity is an excessive love of self. When looking into the mirror while shaving or putting on makeup, don’t be vain like the evil queen in Snow White who said, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?”
Rather, stand for a moment of silence and look directly into the mirror and with great devotion pray: “Mirror, mirror on the wall, may I look with love on all.”
Here is a practical approach that can help us avoid being vain or proud. It is as simple as realizing that every woman, man and child is a sacred person, not a thing. The fetus is not a “blob of protoplasm.” The criminal is not a “scumbag or vermin.” People with disabilities are not “vegetables.” The police are not “pigs.” The poor are not “lazy or worthless.”
Renew your commitment to value all people, regardless of race, color, gender or creed, as people.
By the way, the other five capital sins are:
Draw your own conclusion from this short story about the dangers of being either excessively greedy or excessively vain.
Once upon a time, there was a proud and greedy man who loved to ride his horse through his vast estate. He congratulated himself on being the wealthiest man in the valley.
One day, he came upon an old farmer, who with his head bowed, was giving thanks to God for his simple sandwich. The wealthy man heard his prayer and grunted, “I wouldn’t give thanks for that dried-up stale bread and thin slice of ham.”
The farmer replied, “I am quite satisfied, but what does disturb me is that I had a dream about the wealthiest man in the valley just last night. In my dream I heard a voice telling me the richest man in the valley would die tonight.
“Ah, dreams!” laughed the rich man, “Nonsense!”
The rich man rode off but could not forget the dream of the simple farmer. So, he called his doctor and was given a complete examination. The doctor told him, “You are as strong as the horse you ride. There is no way you will die tonight.”
The doctor was leaving the wealthy man’s mansion when a messenger arrived. “Doctor, doctor,” he cried, “come quick. The old farmer has just died in his sleep.”
So, who was really the rich man?
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