When One Has Too Much
A Meditation by Rev. Cameron Trimble
“Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.” — Buddha
Yesterday headlines announced that Telsa shareholders approved a pay package for Elon Musk that surpasses $1 trillion in potential value.1 It’s a staggering number: so large it’s hard to even imagine. One individual, in one lifetime, with access to more financial wealth than most nations. For some, it’s seen as a triumph of innovation and ambition. For others, it raises difficult questions about fairness, balance, and the kind of world we’re building.
Meanwhile, many people around the world, and in our own communities, are struggling. Millions live without reliable access to healthcare, food, or housing. Teachers, caregivers, and essential workers often find themselves overworked and underpaid. Parents make trade-offs between rent and medication. In this context, it’s hard not to wonder: How much is too much?
Spiritual traditions across time and culture have long wrestled with questions like these. In Judaism and Christianity, we’re reminded that justice involves caring for the orphan, the widow, and the stranger. In Islam, the practice of zakat—giving a portion of one’s wealth—is part of the fabric of community. In Buddhism, the path of non-attachment urges us to release what we hold too tightly. The message is consistent: wealth, in and of itself, is not the problem, but what we do with it matters deeply.
I don’t know the full story behind these compensation packages. But I do know that whenever I see extreme concentration of wealth, especially alongside widespread need, it stirs something in me. It’s not just a political reaction, but a moral and spiritual question: What kind of world are we creating? And what kind of world do we want to pass on?
Maybe the question isn’t about vilifying any one person. Maybe it’s about reexamining the systems we’ve built, and imagining something more whole. Something more just. Something where everyone can thrive.
I’d love to hear what this brings up for you.
We are in this together,
Cameron
Reflection Questions
What emotions arise in you when you hear stories of extreme wealth, especially in contrast to widespread poverty?
In your own life, how do you define “enough”?
How might our spiritual traditions help us reimagine our relationship to wealth, work, and the common good?
A Prayer for the Day
A Prayer For a World Where All Can Flourish
God of the shared table and the open hand, You remind us that we are not alone. We belong to one another—woven in the same human fabric, Held by the same breath of life. When the scales tip too far, and some hold more than they could ever need While others struggle just to survive— Let it stir not only our outrage, But also our imagination. Give us the courage to question what we’ve accepted. Give us the clarity to see abundance as a gift to be shared, And wealth as a tool for healing and hope. May we build a world where generosity is the norm, And justice is the ground on which we all stand. Amen.
Spiritual Practice
Rebalancing the Scales
Today, spend five quiet minutes reflecting on one area of “abundance” in your life. It might be financial resources, time, relationships, creativity, or influence.
Ask yourself:
Where is this abundance asking to be shared?
Who might benefit from what I’ve been entrusted to carry?
Then, take one small step toward redistribution. Make a donation. Offer time. Extend support.
Let it be an act not of guilt, but of sacred solidarity.
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https://apnews.com/article/musk-tesla-electric-trillion-pay-stock-f2140db92e8032121f4c114234059165
Thank you for this reflection. This level of extreme wealth angers me. I’m less angry at the wealth individuals and more so at our systems that beat the drum of scarcity when there is always enough. Sallie McFague’s Life Abundant was an eye opener for me. Unlimited growth is exemplified by cancer which eventually kills. I wish we could switch to an economy based on “enoughness” and sustainability.
Musk is just the icing on the cake. When sports people (I am using them as an example)get 10, 20, 30 million dollars a year and the average (ordinary) person/people can’t afford to feed their family, provide housing and health care, society is in trouble. The funny part is when these rich people turn around and donate to help the under privileged. The funny part is that if these obscene contracts weren’t so obscene, we wouldn’t have such poverty…..
So, the Musks and all create poverty with and because of their riches.