Nothing New Under The Sun...

I continue to be amazed at the insight and wisdom of the author of Ecclisiastes when he observed that there is nothing new under the sun. This time, the surprise was not a pleasant one.

One of the thrusts of the postmodern world is a growing awareness and desire for community, as well as questioning of the individualistic capitalism that drives the globalization of the world’s economies. Surprisingly, this is not new. Defenders of slavery in the antebellum South did, according to Mark Noll’s book “The Civil War as a Theological Crisis,” in fact, “raise serious questions from Scripture about the moral order of an individualistic and profit-mad economy which they saw as the North’s aggressive alternative to a slave order. In Eugene Genovese’s words, the threat was of ‘a materialistic, marketplace society that promoted competitive individualism and worshiped Mammon’… In that postbellum climate, Southern Christian defenses of patriarchal communalism were fatally compromised by their association with slavery…” (pp 52-53).

Interesting twist on my desires for communalism and less materialism. A tainted desire? I don’t think so. But as Noll points out, war fatigue cut short the theological debates about economic systems which should have been natural at the time of the Civil War. “The result was theological weakness in the face of pressing economic circumstances: while there was a heightened capacity to produce wealth, there was also a heightened capacity to produce alienation and vast economic inequality. These issues were eventually addressed practically by pietists like the Salvation Army and theoretically by leaders of the Social Gospel, yet theological incoherence in the face of modern economic realities has remained a major problem for Christian thinking ever since the Civil War” (pp 53-54).

That sounds like a resounding call to the emerging theologians to continue tackling a growing interest of mine, the theology of economics. May thoughtful Christians everywhere rise up to this challenge.

Another Perspective on Intentional Living

Our house church has decided to "adopt a house" through Habitat for Humanity, and we will be trying to work on the same house every Saturday through the Spring and early summer. Our first Saturday was yesterday, and it was great. Last year, I was able to help a couple of times, and I helped drywall and make an overhang. Yesterday, we put the actual roof on... the trusses were already there, but we put the sheets of wood that make up the roof on the trusses, and started to place the tar paper. Since some friends and I had played racquetball for two hours on Thursday, and played Ultimate Frisbee for two hours on Friday, and we worked on the house for seven hours yesterday, needless to say I can barely move today! But it was fun, and we all look forward to working with our hands to help "Alex" and her husband and their family get a new home.

I was sharing my experience of "giving of myself" to my friend Derek last evening. Derek, his wife Mary, and their son, Dylan, have made the intentional choice to live in a "ghetto" part of town in Canton to make a difference in the community. (For some perspective, they live across the street from a prostitute, and their house has been broken into; they come from middle class backgrounds, and they both work.) After telling of my experience, and how I felt like I was actually "practicing" my faith, he gently challenged me to think in other ways. He shared what he did that Saturday. He was working outside his house, and three of the neighbor kids who are being raised by a single mom came over to play with Dylan. It turned out that they were over there for nearly four hours. While Derek did take time to play with them, he also asked them to help him rake leaves and do other yard work - and they did it! He pointed out that they were just looking for attention, and having a "father figure" was a great blessing, so they really enjoy coming over to visit with Derek's family.

Derek went on to share another story about when he and Dylan went down the street to the local school and flew a kite. Two girls rode up on bicycles, and asked who Dylan was. Then they looked at Derek and asked, "Does he have a mommy?" Wow. In this neighborhood, the men who are around often sit on the porches drinking beer; the idea that they would be involved in the care and love of a child, and that two parents would be involved, was almost foreign to these two girls.

Derek's point was obvious. You can give of yourself in many ways. Derek is blessed by being really good with kids. But that is not the main point. Derek and Mary are living intentionally. They intentionally moved to an area where they would be surrounded by people different than themselves. They intentionally open up space in their lives for others to come share in a different way of life. They are intentionally challenging themselves and bridging divides; not just economic, but racial differences, differences in family make-up, etc.

Intentional living is, I think, more important that "intentional community." While intentional community may be involved, or may be the catalyst, it must end in being salt into whatever community you are in. And that just doesn't happen. You have to be intentional about it.

Perhaps someday I will have to ability, strength, resolve, courage, and dedication to move near Derek and Mary and live more intentionally.

God have mercy and patience with me. Amen!