So, in the past few weeks a few different people, not to "name names", have labeled me with the political title of "liberal", and some have even gone so far as to ask, "Why are you for socialism?" I have never advocated for socialism or liberalism, yet I also do not advocate for conservatism, or unchecked capitalism. I think that each system has its place within the sphere of this nations politics.
Capitalism can function well, but with the massive amounts of wealth available through capitalism, some people and nations will sink into deeper debt, creating horrendous environments of child labor, war, and greed, with greed then recreating the cycle. Sometimes we may not see it, but it does not mean that it doesn't exist. As Christians we need to understand the structures so that we can work within the systems themselves to bring hope in a holistic manner.
There was an amazing quote in a book I read by Walter Wink called "The Powers that Be". He details how everything we do is spiritual. He does not work from the standpoint of dualism, where spiritual realities are within the structures of religion and physical realities in the structures of the world, but links them through his study of scripture. His experience also came from working with Latin American countries, in attempting to overcome some of the poverty which has plagued those nations. The quote was, "A corporation exists for the general welfare of society and the means to provide for that society is the wealth of the corporation." "If a corporation makes wealth the ends and not the means, then the corporation has the right to cease to exist." The problem has to do with consumerism. As consumers we are trained to buy, and buy, and buy some more. This creates habits, because we are shaped by our environments, therefore, before we know what to do, we no longer think for ourselves, "our imaginations have been captured", by corporate America.
I believe that a country driven by consumer practices can never simply maintain its economic productivity, it has to continually grow its economic productivity outwards. The McWorld is at our fingertips, literally.
I just spoke with a friend who lives in France and he said that there is a huge split between the private sphere and public sphere of humans lives. This split can make dialogue very difficult, because people will not want anyone to infringe on their space. Not that we should, although I have been known to do that sometimes. :) Therefore, we as Christians should connect people with something so that they can participate in the kingdom of God, which will allow all of us in small ways to renew God's creation.
9 comments:
Please expand on "renew God's creation". I have heard you use that phrase a couple of times and am curious what that actually means.
Good thoughts on consumerism, by the way.
T-Wils, I have to admit that it was not my original thought. N.T. Wright uses it in describing Jesus' faithfulness to the covenant God made with Israel. Such as saying, "Jesus was faithful to the covenant through the forgiveness of sins, the return from exile, and the renewal of God's creation." Wright says that Israel was still in exile, because of Roman occupation, therefore a book like Romans would be seen as a 'new exodus', out of slavery and bondage, into a life created by the Spirit.
It is a 'new creation' paradigm also of which Paul refers to in other letters.
Paul thinks that we live within the scope of Genesis 3, because of the nature of sin in humanity, (Adam) therefore "renewing God's creation" means that we as followers of Christ bring other humans to participate with Christ in reconciling humanity with God. Not just in an existential inner way, but by exhibiting spiritual realities to people, by feeding the poor, clothing the naked, bearing one anothers weaknesses. This is done though by bringing humanity back to Genesis 1 & 2, which is done by the announcement of the gospel of Christ, the "good news" of forgiveness, love, and hope to a broken world.
Tim, first I was surprised to see that there were no jokes. It must have been tough, I feel your pain. :)
Thanks for the comments.
I especially liked the "unenlightened non-Westerners" comments, because since the Enlightenment we as Westerners have been able to split thought from emotion, which is actually detrimental in certain ways to life, but other areas of the globe do not think that way, so when they have an ideology, it is always considered "radical" to us.
I do not advocate pluralism, but I think that your comments show the absurdity of the our "war on terror".
Could you give an example of "renewing God's creation?" Your example could be fictional or real but try to give me an example of what this would look like. I hope you understand i am not trying to be rude but i really do want to wrap my mind around this concept...and i've got a big head for this to wrap around!
HEED!! Pants!! Now!!
"Look at the gargantium cranium on that boy, it's like Sputnik!" "It's got its own weather system." "It's like an orange on a toothpick."
What I mean when I say "renewing God's creation", has to do with the thought that we live in the present reality of the kingdom of God, but not the total consummation of that kingdom. The miracles of Jesus, the healings, the exorcisms, the stand against the evil political structures, show us God's concern with the earth and how it functions, including our nature, which groans (Romans 8:22), awaiting redemption. The Resurrection of Jesus is what hinges this paradigm of 'new creation'. II Cor. 5:17, "If anyone is in Christ, new creation." In the Greek, there is no "he/she is", before new creation. This is to point to the Genesis 1 & 2 that God's original creation was created as good, therefore we as Christians participate with Christ in whatever ways we can to bring new life to humanity, the earth, political structures, because they all constitute God's creation.
The Lord's prayer is meant to be prayed so that the overlap of heaven and earth become in a sense one. "Your kingdom come, ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN..." In Hebrew heaven was thought of as anything above the waters, so in actually we stand on the earth, but also in the sky, which is referred to as heaven.
Revelation 21 ends with the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven to earth, not an ascending of us into heaven. The Resurrection is our hope, not heaven, therefore, what did Jesus' resurrection point towards? Immortality replacing our mortality, but yet he rose from the dead bodily, so will we. How can we contribute to this renewal here and now.
Verses are Isaiah 66; Jeremiah 31; 2 Corinthians 5; Galatians 6; Revelation 21, etc.
Thanks, Word.
I am still trying to wrap my mind around this and i appreciate your patience with me. This is a new concept and i am really trying to grasp it. I read all of the chapters of scripture that you gave me to read but i am not sure i see the correllation between those verses and the "renewing of God's creation". So you are saying that if i am in Christ i am a new creation and therefore the trees and rocks are also a new creation? Or are they a new creation because Jesus died on the cross 2000 years ago? If we are supposed to be in a Genesis 1 and 2 state, am i supposed to be naked? If that's the case, you and i may never see each other again because you don't want to see that! Again, can you think of an example of what this might look like to renew God's creation?
Hey, seriously, keep your clothes on, no one, and I mean NO ONE wants to see that. :)
The renewal of creation takes on many forms, we as humans were created from the earth, so there is an aspect to which the earth somehow plays a part in our vitality and life. I don't think that anyone wants farmers to stop utilizing the earth for crops and produce.
How do I as a Christian contribute to the preservation of the earth, so that not simply myself and my family are provided for, but that all of God's creation has access to the sustenance of God's creation.
When I am in Christ, therefore, I participate to bring renewal, which is personal, political, structural, spiritual, physical, etc...because this is what Jesus did. The call in which Jesus placed upon humans, such as Matthew 5, calls us to walk in a new way of being, because we are called to bless others, not curse, pray for others, not despise, walk the extra mile, for in that others will themselves experience the love of God, through our participation sometimes with what they, (those outside of the church) do.
I do not believe that we renew creation, by protecting ourselves, (at the expense of others). I nuanced that statement, because I do believe a function of government is to protect its citizens, but when the government is not doing that and actually making our lives more unsafe, we should stand with God on the side of the oppressed and voiceless. God is on the side of the oppressed and the slaves, which is what Matthew 5 starts with, like the first sentence.
Anyways, how can we redeem whatever it is that we are involved in? Tough question, many answers.
This is a very interesting blog. I'm not sure I agree with your assessment of the Terrorist's motives. But the one thing I would say is that I agree as Christians we are to be sacrificial, generous, loving, healing......etc. We are to bring the culture of Heaven to Earth since we are citizens of its Kingdom. However, be careful about making the leap to 'therefore the government should take away corporate profits' or things of that nature. That's the definition of Tyranny, and tyrannical government is definitely not in the nature of God. We can not legislate generosity. It must come from the heart.
First, I want everyone to know that I have just crossed a threshold. Because of a retreat, i.e. meetings for two days that I was on, I was unable to check my blog for OVER 24 hours, new record. Hold the applause.
Paul B.-thanks for responding to my blog, I appreciate the comments.
My friend Tim responded about the Terrorist comments. I do think that it (Terrorism) is a deep problem, which preceeds our country, but our Western Democracy has not fostered an ability of open dialogue with certain nations, making it very difficult; not necessarily to change ones mind about ideology, but at least when you have dialogue, I can develop respect.
The second qoute about "corporate profits" was taken from a book, and there have been other friends of mine who have also disagreed with the statement, so you're not alone. :) Even if corporate profits were the ends, not necessarily the means, they must go somewhere instead of into a CEO's pockets. There are enough goods and services, (products, pharmaceutical drugs, asphalt, construction equipment, to provide for the needs of various societies around the globe, for no other reason other than, "corporations have the money".
I like the way you put we are citizens of the kingdom, I like the way that sounds coming from someone else.
Thanks for the response.
P.S. you have now responded more times than Jay. :)
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