To missionaries in Russia:

I heard a story about some of you being confronted with chronic unemployment in the area of your mission. Responding to a man in need of food and shelter, your answer answer was to pray for work, because "God wants you to be employed."

No, God doesn't. God doesn't care. Read the Bible and find where God or Jesus said they want me to have a paying job.

Not studying the Bible was only part of your failure here. What you mostly failed to do was discern Americanism from Christianity, a feat made almost impossible by decades of brainwashing from the pulpit. Like most every other American Christian I know, I fell victim to the pro-Americanism agenda pouring through every church in the land. The agenda can be summed up as this:

"You're a good Christian if you work hard, make money and don't spend it. You're a better Christian if you make more money."

It sounds harsh because no one would ever dare put it in those kind of explicit terms. As it's presented, it's much more subtle. Take for instance the parable of the rich young ruler in Matthew 19.

After telling Jesus that he keeps God's commandments, the rich young ruler asks Jesus what else he should do. Jesus told him to sell all he had, give it to the poor and "follow me."

After walking away sad, Jesus said of the young man and his ilk: "...a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."

Jesus' command here also provides great discomfort for Americans, as even the poorest among us are the world's wealthiest. The American way of life is to make money - how can we possibly be asked to give it up? And could it be that Jesus finds keeping money so repugnant a sin that he condemns the rich to hell? What does that say of the richest nation in the world?

Fortunately for American Christians, our ministers have worked overtime to neutralize Jesus' threat here. Although seemingly impossible, it is, in fact possible for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. It just depends on what the definition of "eye" is.

See, there was a small gate into the walled city of Jerusalem - a hole, even - through which people traveled. As it was so small, it became known as "the eye of the needle." It was difficult, but not impossible, for a camel to pass through. See? So it's not necessarily a sin to be rich. Pay no attention to the long-haired Nazarene in the robe.

American Christianity has devolved into parsing and even redefining scripture to apologize for our own sins while amplifying scripture to condemn others. It is quite unfortunate that even the most learned of Christian ministers fail to see the damaging effect "me first" Americanism has taken on Jesus' teachings. Maybe someday we'll start listening to Jesus first and the desires of our own, privileged lifestyle last.