Nov 26, 2007
Yesterday we sang a song in church that provoked quite a bit of wrestling in me. I don't remember the exact song - but it had a line that went something like this:
All this world offers I give up to follow you...
I wrestled with this question all afternoon and it is still on my mind a bit. What does it mean for us to "give up all the world offers" yet have everything the world offers. I look at my life and those around me and there is nothing that the "the world" craves that we do not have. Well, that is probably an overstatement in that I don't have a jet plane or a Larry Ellison yacht...nor do I want one. But the parking lot of our church is full of luxury cars and luxury SUVs. The neighborhoods of our area are as nice as you can ask for. The average income in this county, and likely in our church, is close to 100K a year.
What does it mean for us as American people to reject the world for Jesus when we have the world? I have wrestled with a few options - all of these I am asking of myself:
- We can have position, possessions and power as long as they don't have us? Question: Is this just a love thing? I don't really love these things, I just have them. Yet it seems we configure life and work in order to have these privileges for ourselves and our kids. You know, you have to have what is best for the kids. If I don't love them and don't need them...why have them?
- We could be monks and follow St. Francis into poverty? Question: I don't think the life of a monk/hermit is for all people. Some perhaps, but not all. The reformation was clear in making all work sacred, not just the work of priests or those in cloisters.
- You can live in a culture yet not choose its excesses - you intentionally live lower than it. You live a lifestyle that is less that you "could" live. You choose the Toyota over the Lexus, the Honda over the Acura, and a 2000 sq foot home rather than a 4000 sq foot pad. Generosity seems to be God's call upon the wealthy - but if we are generous to churches that simply use that wealth to take care of their own, could this become an act of community wide selfishness as well? A reminder to church leaders to wrestle with budget priorities no doubt.
This is a real question for me in America - some are surrounded by wealth and the "good life" - others are feverishly chasing it. All this shook me pretty hard yesterday as we listened to the book of Philippians. A letter written from a guy in jail, to a church giving to others out of its own poverty (not giving out of its abundance). We even paused to reflect on a man named Epaphroditus who nearly died (and this means dead, death, temporal life lost) for the sake of the gospel. We followed this with a ballet dance to the song "Take my life, all of me" - I loved the beauty of the art portrayed and the offering of our talents to God...but it seemed to be a disconnect for me as we were just talking about a guy giving up his life in the mission of the gospel. I think it somehow this call upon us is more than a dance in church.
Are we too comfortable? Am I being a jerk? I know a lot of this is just my own issue and wondering how my family should live in the midst of this world as we follow Jesus.
I see no mandated command to poverty in Scripture. I also abominate the health/wealth prosperity doctrine. I see great warnings about loving the world, loving money, and the deceitfulness of riches. Yet I see the virtues of gospel living and industry as being helpful in the gaining of wealth. Historically, the frugality and industry of Protestantism has brought a high amount of prosperity to cultures. I personally know some very gracious, generous and wealthy people whom I consider dear friends. So some are going to get paid, yet, how do you keep it from getting you?
Comments
Thanks for sharing that Reid. I spent Thanksgiving with my parents in their brand new, way oversized for just two people house that they kept inviting people over to show off to. I couldn't help but wrestle with a lot of this same stuff over the last week. You definitely just put into words a lot of what I have struggled with over the last week far better than I could.
~Craig
Posted by: Craig | November 26, 2007 10:55 AM
Craig,
Yeah, this is tough. To be honest, this is an issue of conscience which I wish we had more conversation about. It is not black/white kind of issue, where we can make blanket statements as to what is right or wrong. It is however a very biblical issue that I fear we don't even wrestle with at times.
Many times we are just products of our own culture so we need to have grace for others and ourselves...but not be afraid to live differently and discuss in community.
Appreciate you brother
Posted by: Reid Monaghan | November 26, 2007 12:26 PM
I agree. It's so interesting to me how it's avoided. I just realized after reading your response that our community group just discussed last night the section of Mark with the Rich Young Man, yet none of us even brought up that section for discussion. Reading that section while I was at home was what really got my head turning.
On a completely unrelated note, I have some good friends who have just moved to New Brunswick, NJ. I have told them where they should go to church in a few months.
~Craig
Posted by: Craig | November 26, 2007 01:55 PM
They should go to church in my living room :) Send me their names and e-mails - I would love to connect with them. You know Dees is up there now as well and would be a good contact for them.
Posted by: Reid Monaghan | November 26, 2007 02:00 PM
U.S. mean income for 2006 is $66,570
U.S. median income for 2006 is $48,201.
Things aren't quite as affluent as you think :-)
If the goal is to lift people up out of poverty, then the practical answer is almost NEVER charity. It simply doesn't work except as an emergency measure (irrespective of whatever spiritual value you may believe it has).
The answer is industry, and part of that is consumption. High wage-earners buy things while those things are expensive and experimental (e.g. microwaves), making those things cost less in the long run. Food is ridiculously cheap in the modern era because of gains in industry and efficiency. The rising tide of commerce truly lifts all boats. Some people will, however, remain firmly anchored to the bottom and will refuse to rise, even when given the opportunity.
Thus, I see no problem with affluence, or even demonstrating affluence. It's just a signaling game that everyone plays, whether they want to or not.
I must admit, however, that I find it at least a little ironic that there are all of these enormous, hugely expensive churches in Oklahoma City, purportedly in honor of a man who wore common clothes and went among the lowliest of the low of his society. Surely, there is *some* disconnect there, though I am obviously not in a position to really point it out as an outsider :-)
Posted by: John Jenkins | November 26, 2007 02:33 PM
Yes, good stats - but here in our county we roll a bit larger than that :)
John, I pretty much agree with you philosophically that building communities economically and morally is the best thing for the poor long term. There are downstream needs for charity (short term) but upstream solutions which deal with the fabric of communities (family structures, morality, virtue etc) and economic opportunity (education, markets etc) are the better way to go.
Additionally, I see no sin in consumption - of course we should buy and sell goods, services and information.
What I would prefer us to be involved with is in holistic community development, rather than building church buildings you can see from the moon. I'm not sure what you are seeing in OK city - but I think balance is needed for the reasons you mentioned. What does it mean to follow Jesus and fly around in your own private Jet in a $10,000 suit?
I think stuff can smell of "fake" and insincere when the church looks like it is just about the benjamins...particularly to outsiders :)
However, my concern is also with the use of our wealth as it can be accumulated simply for oneself to the detriment of ones own life. There is a spiritual condition which Scripture calls idolatry which is deeply offensive to God and corrosive to the soul.
As always, your comments are insightful. I think we economically agree - I also believe in depravity...which can do interesting (at times wicked) things in the market.
Posted by: Reid Monaghan | November 26, 2007 04:17 PM