Mtr Mary Trainor

Momma sewed the rags together
Sewin' every piece with love
She made my coat of many colors
That I was so proud of…*

Dear friend,

Dolly Parton has come a long way from the one-room cabin of her birth to the multimillionaire status she holds today. And she is so much more than her fortune, which makes her stand out from many others who have made the journey from rags to riches.

At 75, her career has never lost momentum. Just this month (September 2021) she made Time magazine’s list of 100 most influential people of the year. Also this month—and perhaps of more significance to fans of her music—three of her songs were included in The Rolling Stones’ List of 500 Greatest Hits of All Time. One of those songs was Coat of Many Colors.

I hurried off to school
Just to find the others laughing
And making fun of me
In my coat of many colors
My momma made for me…

In today’s Gospel from Matthew, Jesus is pretty clear about the hazards of prioritizing the things this world holds dear. The passage ends with a clear caution: “You cannot serve God and wealth.”

***

There’s a popular meme making the rounds on social media: “I couldn't afford an Ancestry DNA kit, so I just announced that I had won the lottery. I soon found out who my relatives are.” The strength of a good meme is that most people viewing it will appreciate a basic truth embedded there. Lottery winners are subject to all sorts of ploys to get hold of some of that money. After all, it’s not like they earned it, some could argue, justifying almost any means of taking a share of the loot.

I grew up in the 1950s, where being president and being rich were listed by children as among life goals. Both were theoretically possible for many, but unlikely for all but a few. Power and wealth are attractive to most of us, me included. They bring to our lives qualities such as security and opportunity. No one I know wants to be powerless and poor.

And oh, I couldn't understand it
For I felt I was rich
And I told 'em of the love...
My momma sewed in every stitch

Power and wealth are not evil in themselves. In fact, some of each is necessary for survival. Avoiding the trap Jesus talks about would be so much easier if I could live the simpler life of a monastic, or a hermit, where the lure of money would not be a danger. Surely then I could live a truer and Godlier life, one in which money didn’t dictate decisions...or would it be that simple?

Now I know we had no money
But I was rich as I could be
In my coat of many colors
My momma made for me.

Mtr Mary
*Excerpts from Coat of Many Colors, words and music by Dolly Parton. Watch it here.