Why is trash, trash? Trash is trash because it is not CONSIDERED to have any value or use. The empty can is generally tossed, yet some people take time and set up machinery to collect that can to put it back in service. It may be trash to me, but it is treasure to them. To those of us who try to recycle, it’s treasure to be reclaimed.
So, what is treasure? Treasure is anything perceived to be of value. Treasure is whatever we will put time and money into obtaining and retaining. Around garage sales a favorite proverb is, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” It’s all a point of view.
Have you ever watched Antiques Roadshow? People bring in things they were gifted, or found at a rummage sale, or bought at an auction to be appraised. Sometimes, the ugliest looking piece of jewelry or a pot turn out to be worth thousands of dollars. Sometimes a priceless family heirloom turns out to be a reproduction worth pennies.
In a museum of science and industry is an area called “Kid’s Space.” In this area were open containers of mice, rats, and the like so the children could have the thrill holding cute, fuzzy little animals. The curator paid good money to buy and set up for these animals. Yet in inconspicuous places were mice and rat traps – and they weren’t live traps either. It’s a point of view. A person shows where his heart is by the treasure he keeps and by where his efforts go. The animals best stay where they were wanted or the traps were waiting.
Sometimes in a congregation, toxic people will come and try to trash a church; not physically, of course, but spiritually, by planting gossip and half-truths about other folks and changing the next of the congregation to a trap. Instead of a place of safety and caring, it becomes a trap for pain. Those who have really trashed the church don’t stay long, they wreak their havoc and go to the next place. They aren’t here. Some who treasure the church are here and support it however they can. But there is a larger group who don’t know whether it is trash or treasure. They haven’t made up their minds.
In my family the church is treasure. In our home church congregation, we value each other. We don’t hurt each other and we try our best not to hurt others. We do all the good we can, as often as we can, to whomever we can, and God makes up the rest. He is our treasure.