(679) Wealth which brought sorrow

It' been years since my father passed away. Just yesterday I thought of what he said.

Many years ago while I was visiting my college friends, I met the girl friend of a relative. When I came back, I casually mentioned that the girl's father possessed a liquor license in a big city in the south-eastern part of America. My dad caught onto that and said then this girl must be very well-to-do. From the way her mother's house was appointed, I have to agree with him. But money has never made much of an impression with me. It is not that I don't like money, my take of any person is usually not based much on how rich that person is.

After that, my father went on to say that should my relative choose to marry her and inherit the wealth made from selling hard liquor, he should persuade her to give away a portion to some charity which works with the alcoholics and the homeless. According to my dad, the inheritance would not be clean, as that profit from selling hard liquor came from ruined lives. Perhaps he was speaking from karma, the laws of sowing and reaping in Buddhism. He fervently believed that such an inheritance would bring sorrow to the descendants.

Through the years, I have thought about what he said a few times. I did not open my big mouth to say anything as I felt I haven't earned the right to say anything. Two years after my visit, he did marry her. When my relative's first child was born, his wife almost died from the complications. Well, that happens in child birth sometimes! When the baby grew to be two plus, they needed to bring in specialists to help her as she was late in developing. When she entered preschool, I thought all was well. Apparently that was not so, she remained an only child. Medically her mum should not risk another pregnancy. I don't know the exact details but I heard that the daughter is suffering from some syndrome that would affect her future. Unfortunately, my father was right! All  that wealth did not bring peace and joy.

Although I am not very good with teaching biblical truths, I feel I have to end this article with what God said in Micah 6:8 "And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." I may be wrong, but I feel that what my deceased father suggested would be merciful to the down trodden. The deed of using a portion of the inheritance to right the wrong from previous generations would be a just action.