Choir Notes

The Thinking Man
From Music and the Spoken Word
Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell • Program 4191

There is an old West African tale about a man who, more than anything else, wanted to be rich. He devoted his every thought to that endeavor and became quite successful in his quest to amass a great fortune. Nevertheless, his success came with a heavy price, for when at last he had reached his goal, he discovered that he was utterly alone. His wife and children had left him. The only friends he had were those who kept a greedy eye on his fortune. This terrible realization weighed so heavily upon him that he could not think of anything else.

To this day throughout this region of Africa, vendors in the marketplace sell wooden statues that represent the rich man who lost so much. In Ghana they call him the “Thinking Man,” because for the remainder of his days all he did was contemplate the riches he had lost as a result of his greed.

Every culture throughout the world has its own, similar stories that caution against the pursuit of wealth at the expense of honor, family, and integrity. Certainly, money is not evil by itself—if used wisely, it can relieve distress, provide hope, bring healing, and offer opportunity and growth. But when we begin to love money so much that the pursuit of it becomes the chief measure of our life, we lose something more precious than anything money can buy.

When we are tempted to get caught up in the search for worldly wealth at the expense of those things of lasting importance, perhaps it would be wise to remember the story of the Thinking Man and consider that sometimes the pursuit of more can actually lead to less.