Accumulator of Earthly Riches:
I had said that the world belonged to the bold. Whoever had gold had achieved power. With wealth, they could help, build, and secure my future. I had thought that this was also wisdom.
Seeker of Celestial Treasures:
But he had told me that the gold had rusted. That earthly treasures had been like mist—appearing at dawn, disappearing in the sun. True wisdom, he had said, began when we recognized our finiteness before the Eternal.
Accumulator:
He had argued that ignoring earthly means had been foolish. He had said that prayer had not fed the hungry. Money had been a tool—and those who had it had a voice.
Seeker:
He agreed that money was a tool—but he wondered what use a hammer was in the hands of someone who didn't know how to build. The fear of the Lord was the beginning of knowledge. It was He who gave meaning to the use of everything.
Accumulator:
I asked myself whether, by using my wealth for good—building schools, hospitals—I had not also accumulated a treasure.
Seeker:
He would answer yes, if the good had been done with humility and love, and not for self-glory. But there were those who hoarded only for themselves, like fools who built bigger barns, forgetting that their souls had been asked of them that very night.
Accumulator:
He confessed that he feared poverty. He feared depending on others.
Seeker:
He said that he had feared falling into pride. He had preferred to depend on God rather than trust in riches that had flown away. His safety had been where thieves had not stolen and rust had not corroded.
Accumulator:
He then asked what he had proposed. Had he lived empty-handed?
Seeker:
He had answered that not with empty hands, but with a full heart. We had worked diligently, yes, but seeking first the Kingdom. Wisdom had attracted true wealth—that which would endure beyond time.
Accumulator (after a long silence):
He recognized that perhaps he had built too much for the now and too little for the eternal.
Seeker (with a smile):
He had affirmed that the Lord did not condemn effort, but loved those who feared Him. He had invited me to walk with Him—with my eyes on the earth, but my heart in heaven.
