It seems commonly accepted that money equals success. The more you have, the more successful you are. This exaltation of wealth is common from Forbes' lists to rap videos like T.I's "Whatever You Like." The problem with this equation is that it puts an emotional value on money: the more you have, the better you are. The less you have, the less worth you have as a person.
This in turn leads to the devaluation of skills and passions that enrich other's lives: if it doesn't make you rich, what's the point? Instead of exalting people who are adding value to the world around them, we exalt those who exalt themselves. Look at the tabloids in the grocery store. Watch TV where the cult of celebrity is worshipped. Examine the dichotomy of a situation in which Wall Street is paying record bonuses to employees while unemployment is about to hit 10% nationwide. Look around at a world in which millions of people die every year from preventable diseases, because they can't afford innoculations (get the facts here). Wrap your head around the fact that Dean Kaman has invented a machine that can make medical-grade pure water out of any liquid, but can't find financers to produce them: the biggest market for the machine is the Third World and poor people don't have any money to spend, so there is no monetary incentive for investors (read more about this travesty).
Back in the day, the Apostle Paul said that "money is the root of all kinds of evil." The point being that there is nothing intrinsicly wrong with money, but the value we place on it has the potential to shape our lives.
If we treat money responsibly and use it as a tool to be put to greater use, then we've got our priorities straight. If the pursuit of cash leads to the rejection of morals and the increase of greed, then we've missed the point.
Money plays a part in every person's life, but it comes down to deciding if you are going to use it or if it is going to use you. Congressman Aaron Schock (brass' November 2009 cover story) told me that financial freedom is powerful, "not because you want everyone to be multimillionaires, but because you want them to have that freedom to do whatever it is that excites them and energizes them, that interests them in their life." The accumulation of money doesn't have to be the be all, end all. Money doesn't have to become the end that justifies any means. Lately, that's been the case more often than not.
Let me know what you think, and share your favorite examples of people and organizations who are using money for the greater good--for a little inspiration read the latest brass cover story, "Salud del Sol," check out upcoming brass cover story William Kamkwamba, and visit charitynavigator.org to make sure you get the most bang for your charity buck.
--Jens
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