I sometimes need a break and enjoy watching some mindlessly entertaining TV.  Perhaps you do this too?  There was a miniseries I just finished on Netflix called “The Perfect Couple” starring Nicole Kidman and Liev Schreiber.  The show was released last year and is based on the novel by Elin Hilderbrand.  Should you check it out, it’s a little spicy, so fair warning! 

I won’t give anything too significant away, but someone dies the day before a lavish wedding in Nantucket.  Most of the wedding party becomes the suspects of a homicide investigation.  (Poor Neill, as I watch these shows and constantly try to guess who’s the killer.  “He seems suspicious!”  “Oh, that’s a motive right there!”  “I don’t trust that woman one bit.”  And on and on I go). 

Anyway, what we start to realize as the story unfolds is that so much of this lavish life on Nantucket is an elaborate facade.  Yes, there is great wealth.  Though the wealth enables folks to hide some of what’s happening underneath the surface.  There is the carefully curated image that is shown to the public.  For instance, there is a meltdown about a photo shoot not being able to take place outside (due to rain) when this means that the perfect hydrangeas won’t be featured!  Oy vey.  And then there is the actual reality of what occurs in private.  Hence the irony of the title, “The Perfect Couple.”  Because looks can be deceiving.  

Here’s the thing, Jesus spoke a lot about wealth, about the poor and the rich.  In Matthew’s Gospel Jesus teaches, “No one can serve two masters.  Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be loyal to the one and have contempt for the other.  You cannot serve God and wealth.” (Matthew 6:24)  Jesus’ teachings can make us uncomfortable, and of course we need to put his words in their historical context. 

Though it’s important to remember that wealth can possibly get our priorities mixed up.  Especially if we focus on acquiring more and more to the neglect of those in need.  Perhaps it’s this distortion of values and priorities that bothered Jesus so much, enough for him to say that we cannot serve God and wealth. 

Just something I’ve been thinking about this week. 
So much for mindless entertainment! 

Love,
Pastor Lauren

Photo by Keenan Shepard on Unsplash

Thursday Thoughts 2/13/25