the ideal.

I think Karl Marx has gotten a worse rap than he really deserves. I think he was simply an idealist. I relate with many of his frustrations, and even think he has some great thoughts on how living should look. The only problem is that we live in this horribly fallen world. Otherwise... it would be fantastic. I was reading in Romans the other day about how we are to love each other. To love generously, give to those in need, hold nothing against a neighbor, and love our enemies. I see so many areas in which I fall short of these things. Then I look at the Church in Acts where they had everything in common and loved each other and took care of each other. That didn't seem to last for very long. I wonder what happened. My heart longs for that. I am torn between idealism and reality. I want to live in harmony with everyone. Love and give. I have a love-hate relationship with money. It is a necessary evil in my eyes. When we were discussing Marx in my class, I think everyone kind of missed the point. Sure, it's inherently flawed and so beyond anything that we experience in our capitalistic society that we can't even begin to imagine anything like his idea of communism. He thought everyone should work hard, and in that hard work be rewarded with enough to get through life comfortably. My classmates argued that it simply isn't fair for a doctor and receptionist to get paid the same amount of money when one is clearly worthy of a higher wage. I think Marx believed that in his society, people would be working not out of any kind of monetary ambition, but simply because that is the work that they love to do. Greed would have to be completely lost for that to work. I think he painted a picture of a really pretty world: no greed. no strife between neighbors because everyone is working toward the common good. People would live together and give as they saw need. We have given money such a prominent role in our culture. Sure... you have to have money to live. But why should money be our motivation. We assign value to things. Nothing is inherently valuable. Gold holds no value until someone says it does. Same with our paper money. The copper that makes up a penny is worth more than the exchange of a penny in our culture. Think about that for a second. Sometimes I sit and imagine a society with no money. Boo for capitalism. Makes me want to go live on a commune... but that would be crazy, right? At least that's what I've been told.....