“HOOD RICH”

Recently a youth was talking to Nes and called him “hood rich”. He made the comment when he noticed Nes’ new car. (We just bought a ‘97 Ford Escort wagon so that Nes can leave me with the van to get around with the kids. He nicknamed it "night rider.")

Though I had never heard the term before, I knew exactly what he meant when he said “hood rich.” However, when I look at the little Escort and sit down to pay the bills every month, I don’t feel rich. But I realized again what I had forgotten. In our community, ”the hood,” we ARE rich. There are many things we have access to that make us rich—financially and otherwise.

It sometimes can be embarrassing when kids come in our house and see all that we have compared to what they have. They also find some of our family rituals strange—like holding hands to pray at dinner or giving our children quiet times in their rooms. But we pray that they might see the ultimate wealth we possess. Hopefully by our lives, we would tell the story of Christ’s love.

When Jesus was born on earth, He demonstrated an important aspect of His love. He came to us and lived among us.

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels... [and] ...we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses…” (Hebrews 2:9 and 4:15)

Jesus was also from Nazareth and of very modest means. Let us never become too “rich” that we cannot sympathize with those around us. But let us continue to increase our eternal wealth by loving people the way Jesus loved us.