MLK on Foolishness

MLK on Luke 12:20

...The rich man was a fool because he permitted the ends for which he lived to become confused with the means by which he lived. The economic structure of his life absorbed his destiny. Each of us lives in two realms, the internal and the external. The internal is that realm of spiritual ends expressed in art, literature, morals and religion. The external is that complex of devices, techniques, mechanisms and intrumentalities by means of which we live. These include the house we live in, the car we drive, the clothes we wear, the economic sources we acquires- the material stuff we must have to exist. There is always a danger that we permit the means by which we live to replace the ends for which we live, the internal to become lost in the external. The rich man was a fool because he failed to keep a line of distinction between means and ends, between structure and destiny. His life was submerged in the rolling waters of his livelihood.

There is a lot here that gives me pause; is "2 realms" a false distinction? Did Jesus really think money was neutral?

But the line, "He failed to keep a line of distinction between means and ends, between structure and destiny," slays me every time. Particularly here in the OC, I think people have a hard time distinguishing between the structure of their lives and their destiny because until recently, in the seat of privilege, we believed that we could control our means, that is was our end. Anyways, it just seems liek there's a lot here to mine and mull over.

Bonus: A nice little article on how the media presents MLK.