Over the weekend, my wife and I went to Great Falls to run errands. While we were there, we stopped at Goodwill to look for a few odds and ends. Before we stepped out my wife started looking through the books. She came across 4 volumes of “The Great Books of the Western World.” The Great Books is a little like an encyclopedia, only it includes all of the major books of literature, history, philosophy, and science produced by the western world. What makes the set especially useful is the index books that identify important ideas at different points in history. New the set sells for around $1500. My wife and I have looked for them at different times and a complete set is often difficult to find. One of the organizers of the Great Falls Library’s Book Sale told me that they have had people drive hours to pick up sets from them. They are very useful books for anyone who does research or deep study. The stack of volumes my wife found quickly grew as we discovered volumes mixed in with the children’s books, cook books, fiction, nonfiction, and anywhere else they fit. Nearly a complete set of the Great Books (around 50 volumes) were scattered around the book section. We paid and set out with our treasure, shocked that The Great Books set had cost us only $20. The thing is, the guys who shelve the books had no idea of their worth, and before we showed up, everyone else was certain they’re not real treasures or worth hundreds of dollars. However, they are sought by collectors and difficult to accumulate.
The interesting thing to me about the transaction is that the books weren’t valuable in the eyes of the people who shelved them and sold them to us. In contrast, there are many things we encounter in life whose value is easy to miss.
The results of a study of what Americans value most was released last week. It found that Americans’ value community involvement, churches, patriotism, social connections, and almost every other element of community life dramatically less than they did a few decades ago. The only thing that Americans saw as dramatically more valuable was money. People and their connections to each other are a little like the Great Books at Goodwill. As a collection of books and academic resource, they are one of the most valuable resources you could own. To collectors, they are highly sought. Church, community organizations, our neighbors, our kids, and many other things in that vein are real treasures that God has given us to enrich our lives. Money can buy security and comfort, but not meaning or relationships.
Nice cars, fancy vacations, and other luxuries are no substitute for the things that make life worth living. God designed us to be connected to each other and Himself. We were made to love and serve our neighbors.
In the end, what the study revealed is that many of our fellow Americans have lost track of what is valuable in life. The best way to rediscover the things that are valuable in life is to begin with our relationship with God. God points us to the things we were meant to cherish. He gives us values and direction. Walking with Him and those who know Him is the way to learn these truths.
