Mexican magnate becomes world’s second richest man
| A Mexican telecoms tycoon has become the second richest man in the world, pushing US investment guru Warren Buffett into third place and breathing down the neck of Microsoft founder Bill Gates. |
Fine. But what about this?
| He has derided Gates and Buffett for giving away so much of their wealth, reportedly saying: “Poverty isn’t solved with donations,” according to Forbes.
Building businesses, he reportedly said, did more for society than “going around like Santa Claus.” |
Is he onto something?
Well, is it what Jesus directed us to do? Did they avoid giving food to those who were hungry, or healing to those who were sick, in favour of setting up a big fancy shelter and then assuming a detailed investigation of and takeover of their lives in order that they would never be hungry or sick again? It is not from the Bible, the utopian philosophy that we can solve poverty if we just do it one way or another way. God actually tells us that the poor will never cease from the land, so we are to extend our hands and give and give again to our help our brothers and sisters in humanity. To me it is people wanting to make themselves into a god, when they think that smaller giving to individuals is somehow not big enough and good enough. It is also their own lack of trust in God that they do not give away of their own wealth more than they do. But the excuses and rationale, of all these men, are very reasonable and sophisticated sounding, are they not? So are we deceived – but God would have us truth Him, and give generously. The judgement and policing of it is not our job. Jesus put the money in the hands of a man he knew was misusing the position. Once it leaves our hands, the outcome is God’s. Prayer accomplishes God’s will, when it comes to our charitable giving, more than our own power-hungry, self-loving attempts at regulating the effects and controlling the outcome.