As we continue to explore the question of “Why work with wealthy people?”, we invited Nancy Thurston, our Board Chair, to share her wisdom on the question. She has been a part of this work for over 20 years and has a unique understanding of the importance of our work not just personally, but also organizationally.

I hope you’ll take some time to read and reflect on Nancy’s perspective, and let us know what resonates with you.

With gratitude,
Sawyer

Why work with wealthy people?

By Nancy Thurston

Most social and spiritual justice work focuses on “the poor” or “the oppressed,” with the primary engagement with people of wealth as funders or as “the oppressors.”Injustice and inequity infects across the economic spectrum, and we need spiritual and social transformation to build a world that supports us all. Economic justice for all must include supporting transformation for all, especially those often most enmeshed in the unjust economic system—people of wealth.

Wisdom & Money invites Christians of wealth to engage with money as a doorway to spiritual transformation. This focus on people of wealth wasn’t meant to exclude all others, but to focus our work in the direction of our organizational prophetic call as one part of a larger movement for spiritual and social transformation of all.

How the current system affects us all

Just as men can be the most blind to the daily reality of sexism—since the patriarchal system is set up to give power and access to males—wealthy people can be the most blind to the daily reality of economic injustice and inequity. In truth, both the current economic system and patriarchy are destructive to everyone, men and women, rich and poor. For people of wealth, our current system encourages the building up of private assets far beyond what is needed to thrive. Buying power can be used (ineffectively) to “cope” with the emotions stirred up in this culture—fear leading to saving for a vast array of potential needs or crisis, and overconsumption. For some, wealth leads to isolation. These are only some of the ways that the unhealth of our current system manifests in people of wealth.

Beyond shame and silence: a different path

People with wealth are often demonized within the social change movement, even the Christian social change movement. They are seen as oppressors, the 1%, or merely funders who should give and then get out of the conversation. This attitude too often brings shame (to those who care deeply about the world), anger (for those who feel the disrespect) or ignoring (for those comfortable in the world’s values), but it rarely results in spiritual transformation of the wealthy person at the personal, communal or systemic levels.

Practices for transformation in community

Wisdom & Money has a unique approach and practices to support individuals ready to dive into their relationship with money as a practice place on the journey toward spiritual transformation. Christian Wisdom practices include regular practice of some combination of Centering Prayer, Lectio Divina (sacred reading) and Chant. A second core practice is Transformative Money Practices, starting with the invitation to bring our money lives out of the silence and shadows. As we gather in a supportive community with transparency around our money lives, we seek to align the flow of money in our lives with the Holy Spirit in service of divine love and justice.

Knowing every person to be beloved of God, we understand that we are all on a journey of discovery together. Both messiness and clarity in our money lives are welcomed as part of this journey toward freedom.

Sometimes issues emerge as we form long-term community with one another and begin to step into partnerships with people whose backgrounds are very different from our own. For this reason, Wisdom & Money has been in long-term partnership with Be Present® and leans into a third core practice—the Be Present Empowerment Model. The use of this model supports our network to find our way through challenging moments and “build effective relationships and sustain true alliances.”*

We have found that growing freedom and peace with our relationship with money naturally leads to a desire for deeper engagement in the world in ways that are in alignment with our spiritual values. When this flow is opened through love and a transformed heart, the depth and authenticity of response is much greater.

*This is the third realm of the Be Present Empowerment Model®