Best Practices, Personal Financial Planning

I grew up with a Chinese saying: Water is Money. I often heard it as a joke, especially when it was raining – the rain became a wish or a symbol of financial abundance. In spoken Cantonese, I also heard people use the word “water” in place of money. Perhaps, we should think of the currency of money like water – it should move and flow. During summertime, I made sure that there were no pools of stagnant water around the house because they would be a breeding environment for mosquitos and other insects that might carry diseases. When water doesn’t flow, it becomes opportunities for destructive things to grow. In other words, it turns rotten. I would say the same thing goes for money: when it is not flowing, or when we hold on to it, it turns rotten.

In recent years, we witnessed not only the stagnation of money, but also the use of money in exchange of destructive and divisive causes. This is an election year. I am always amazed at how much money has been poured into campaigns for the different candidates. For example, in 2010, Meg Whitman, the candidate for the Governor of California, reportedly spent 144 million dollars on her campaign. I live in California and I remembered being bombarded by negative ads from her over and over again in all the major TV channels. We are talking about 144 million dollars; much of it went to buying time on TV for negative divisive ads! Imagine what we can do with 144 million dollars for constructive, life-giving, relationship building, truth-telling efforts! How about helping 1440 families to keep their homes, supporting 144 California schools, empowering 144 sustainable communities, creating 14,400 jobs, job training programs for 14,400 people! I am sure if Ms. Whitman had done any of these constructive things with her money, she might even have gotten the votes she needed to become the Governor of California!

So, we have a choice in using the currency of money. We can choose to hold on to it and let it turn rotten; we can choose to use it for divisive and destructive causes; or we can choose to let it flow in life-giving, truth-telling, relationship-building, community-enhancing ways.

What are your experiences with money as a currency? Has your money moved and flowed in constructive life-giving ways? What has your money been “flowed” into? That is, what blessings has your money transformed into for yourselves, your families and your communities?

Here is a reflection you can invite your community members to do to recapture how money has flowed into blessings for them in the past:
1. Recall an earlier time in your life when money was flowing in a way that gave blessings. It could be a story or experience in which your parents, or relatives, or friends, or elders had used money in a way that develops relationship, tells the truth, creates wellness, builds up the community, etc.

  • Where were you?
  • Who was there?
  • What were you doing?
  • Where did the money come from?
  • What blessings did the money exchange into?
  • Who or what group was enriched?
  • What long-term benefits did this create?

2. What did you learn in this reflection about money?
3. How does this experience impact the way you use money today? Personally and for ministry?

To learn about the concept of how currencies should flow, consider coming to the training course: Holy Currencies – Conversation on Money and Sustainable Ministries (February 27- March 2, 2012, Los Angeles) This course explores the cycle of blessings that involves 6 currencies – money, time/place, gracious leadership, relationship, truth and wellness. Learning how these currencies flow are essential for creating a missional and sustainable ministry. Click http://www.kscopeinstitute.org/winter_institute.html  to get more information.

The Rev. Eric H. F. Law is the founder and executive director of the Kaleidoscope Institute, which offers resources and training for intercultural competency, congregational development and stewardship.