We are a small Episcopal Church on the banks of the Rappahannock in Port Royal, Virginia. We acknowledge that we gather on the traditional land of the first people of Port Royal, the Nandtaughtacund, and we respect and honor with gratitude the land itself, the legacy of the ancestors, and the life of the Rappahannock Tribe. Our mission statement is to do God’s Will in all that we do.

Voices -Luke 12:13-21, Parable of the Rich Foo1

  1. Augustine of Hippo (354–430) – Church Father

Writing (Sermon 36):
“The rich man’s land had produced abundantly. But the ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully, not the man’s industry. And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do? because I have no room where to bestow my fruits. He did not think of saying, I will relieve the poor, I will feed the hungry, I will clothe the naked. He did not think of the commandments of God.”

Augustine critiques the rich man’s self-centered plans and failure to use wealth for the good of others. He emphasizes charity as the appropriate response to abundance.

  1. John Calvin (1509–1564) – Reformer

Writing (Commentary on Luke 12:13–21)) “Christ shows how absurd it is to be solicitous about a future which we cannot command. The rich fool is condemned, not because he had treasures, but because he made them his confidence.”

Calvin points to the folly of trusting in material wealth instead of God, emphasizing the uncertainty of life and the need for dependence on divine providence.

  1. Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855) – Danish Philosopher and Theologian

Writing (Purity of Heart Is to Will One Thing)

“A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. For the fool, riches are the goal; for the wise, they are merely the means… The fool thinks he owns the riches; the wise man knows they own him unless he holds them loosely.”

Kierkegaard uses the parable to explore themes of inwardness and purity of intention, warning against the soul’s entanglement with materialism.

  1. Oscar Romero (1917–1980) – Archbishop and Martyr of El Salvador

 (Homily, July 10, 1977):
“What does it profit a nation to have endless riches, and yet so many people hungry, jobless, and poor? The Gospel today reminds us: God will ask for an accounting. ‘Fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you.’”

Romero connects the parable to social justice, calling out systemic inequality and calling for a Gospel-based redistribution of resources.

  1. N.T. Wright (b. 1948) – New Testament Scholar

Writing (Luke for Everyone):
“Jesus is not just giving good advice about how to handle money. He’s warning that the kingdom of God is breaking in, and people who are sleepwalking through life focused only on themselves will miss it entirely.”

Wright emphasizes the eschatological urgency of the passage, calling readers to align their lives with the inbreaking Kingdom rather than with personal security.