Business
Tipping Point "Capital as such is not evil; it is its wrong use that is evil. Capital in some form or other will always be needed." - Mohandas K. Gandhi Several years ago, I was the classic example of a wealthy American who was always worried about getting more and keeping what I had. I had devoted my life to being a successful businessman, and I made a lot of money, but I felt strangely empty. One summer, I went with my son Brandon and our church on a mission trip to Haiti to build a church there. One morning I was on the roof of that little church cleaning the worksite with some friends and a few Haitian boys who had joined us. One of the boys came up to me and quietly said something in Creole. I couldn’t understand him, but he kept saying the same thing and pointing to my fanny pack. I yelled to a friend, “Hey Steve, what’s this boy saying to me?” Steve walked over and knelt down with his face to the little fella so he could hear him, then he turned to me with a pained expression and said, “He’s hungry, Jim. He wants you to give him the crackers in your pack.” That moment on the roof that morning was a tipping point for me. I had made plenty of money, but my life was empty. Here was a human being with desperate needs that I could meet with ease. I had lived my life with me in the center, on the throne, and in neon lights, but now I saw that God had given me resources that I could use to touch people’s lives. It was only a pack of crackers, but it was something I had that could make a difference. As I handed crackers to a hungry little boy that day, I knew my life would never be the same. The size of my portfolio can easily be measured and I was happy to brag about it. A couple weeks in Haiti made me realize that no amount of money could fill the spiritual void in my life. Years later, as I type these words, I’m impacted with the same deep sense of urgency and tension as that day when my thinking changed.