Money Spring 1981

ARTICLE TOOLS

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I received the following letter some time ago from my good friend Tim Stafford, who is launching an African youth magazine called Step. "Dear Harold," he wrote. "If this seems worse than my normal typing, it's because I'm banging on a manual. That's due to a power shortage, which means we have no electricity in Nairobi for half of every day. This is due to the drought, which keeps us from having enough water in the dams. It also means we have no hot water, no milk, no cheese, no rice, no maize meal (a Kenyan staple). I miss the hot water the most-the shower is very chilly in the morning. It does wake you up! Still, the life of a missionary is not so bad in Nairobi. In fact, I like it."

Money. Working with this issue's theme has brought to mind Tim's cheerfulness in a situation with relatively little of it. Another time Tim mentioned visiting an African Christian in what we would call very primitive conditions, but quickly becoming oblivious to the surroundings in the warmth of fellowship. Though these Africans have comparatively little, Tim, in this culture, found himself thinking much less about money and possessions -which seem so central to our thoughts as Americans.

Our nation's health is judged on its economics: advertising equates goods as necessary to the good life Check the evening news or Time/Newsweek commentaries on social needs, politics- any subject-and evaluate how much is based on the idea that money purveys happiness, and its lack equals misery.

Can people really live happy, fulfilled lives with very little money?

I was intrigued by a short item in Psychology Today a couple of years ago that cited a survey on happiness and wealth. Persons all over the world were interviewed, and they found that peasants on a ...

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