Yesterday, we had our second great debate at the seminary—an activity planned and sponsored by the students to bring important issues to public discussion. This time around, the topic was “Christianity and Culture.” And, they were kind enough to ask me to sit on the panel. We had a good time—all three panelists brought different ideas and perspectives that fairly segued one into the other.
This was a topic I’ve been thinking about a lot of late. Monterrey, Mexico, is a city of extremes—extreme weather, extreme politics, and extreme economics. In grand measure, the city is a melting-pot of the nations—there are factories and businesses from all over the world here. And, there are some 5,000,000+ people here to work, share, fight over the wealth that is being generated. Ten minutes south of us, we can be in an area where some of the most expensive and expansive houses in the world (yes, in the WORLD) can be found. Ten minutes west of us, we can be in a community of “houses” that have been assembled from loading pallets, cardboard and whatever other scraps and bits that can be rounded up. A city of extreme contrasts it is.
All around this city abounds advertising—promoting the newest car, the nicest restaurant, the finest stores, the hippest phones—everything! It’s a city moved by the commercialism that has already taken North America. The goals and ambitions of the people are shaped by the products and services pushed on television, radio and public billboards. As wealth grows in some areas, it begins to affect the whole city—everyone wants a piece of the pie. And, the Christian is not immune to it this powerful push.
Pastors, laity and everyone in-between and around-abouts are encouraged to want bigger, better, newer. And, that same “philosophy of excellence” we find in the north is seeping into the church-culture here, tainting this world as well. (The philosophy of excellence—a non-Biblical but fine-sounding line of thinking—says that God deserves the best we have to offer, so we should only do things with excellence, buy products of excellence, live in excellence…of course, “excellence” as defined by the prevailing pastor or culture…and this makes it all very dangerous, and costly!) So, now I see pastors (and pastoral students at the seminary) wanting, desiring only the best and newest; wanting the biggest house possible; wanting the nicest car they can afford.
Christians are said to march to a different drum. But, if my wants and desires are shaped by the same advertisement agencies that shape the dreams and ambitions as my non-Christian neighbor, am I really marching to a different drum? I think Jesus would call us to reject the call of the commercial, that we much throw off the commercialism that seeks to drown us in debt and extreme living (perhaps we see this in, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds…. Rom.12:2 TNIV). Perhaps I can afford an I-Phone…but I really don’t need it; I just need a functional cell phone. So I may be able to afford a $120,000 home…but I don’t really need all that; a $75,000 home will work just fine. Could be that I can afford a $20,000 car…but I don’t need it; I can get a perfectly good used car for $5,000. If I buy all that I can afford, if I insist on always having the very best, I will have nothing left to give, nothing left to share—I will have used all my resources, all that God has blessed me with, to simply bless myself again!
It seems to me that if we consciously determine to live below our means, if we purposely buy fewer “things” and focus on what we need rather than what we want and “can afford,” we’ll have more to use in blessing others, in supporting and advancing causes and organizations that are impacting and affecting lives. In effect, we’ll be able to “lay up treasures in heaven” for having not spent it all laying up “treasures on earth” (Matt.6:19,20). The trick is allowing God to help us define our needs…not allowing the culture to define our needs. The trick is paying more attention to the still, small voice within rather to the blaring signs and slick commercials that shout out from every nook and cranny of our society.
Someone put it this way, “Live simply so others may simply live.” Another gave us this, “I will bless you…and you will be a blessing…all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Gen.12:2-3)--spoken to someone long ago, but I believe it sets a precedent: We’re blessed that we may bless others.
This was a topic I’ve been thinking about a lot of late. Monterrey, Mexico, is a city of extremes—extreme weather, extreme politics, and extreme economics. In grand measure, the city is a melting-pot of the nations—there are factories and businesses from all over the world here. And, there are some 5,000,000+ people here to work, share, fight over the wealth that is being generated. Ten minutes south of us, we can be in an area where some of the most expensive and expansive houses in the world (yes, in the WORLD) can be found. Ten minutes west of us, we can be in a community of “houses” that have been assembled from loading pallets, cardboard and whatever other scraps and bits that can be rounded up. A city of extreme contrasts it is.
All around this city abounds advertising—promoting the newest car, the nicest restaurant, the finest stores, the hippest phones—everything! It’s a city moved by the commercialism that has already taken North America. The goals and ambitions of the people are shaped by the products and services pushed on television, radio and public billboards. As wealth grows in some areas, it begins to affect the whole city—everyone wants a piece of the pie. And, the Christian is not immune to it this powerful push.
Pastors, laity and everyone in-between and around-abouts are encouraged to want bigger, better, newer. And, that same “philosophy of excellence” we find in the north is seeping into the church-culture here, tainting this world as well. (The philosophy of excellence—a non-Biblical but fine-sounding line of thinking—says that God deserves the best we have to offer, so we should only do things with excellence, buy products of excellence, live in excellence…of course, “excellence” as defined by the prevailing pastor or culture…and this makes it all very dangerous, and costly!) So, now I see pastors (and pastoral students at the seminary) wanting, desiring only the best and newest; wanting the biggest house possible; wanting the nicest car they can afford.
Christians are said to march to a different drum. But, if my wants and desires are shaped by the same advertisement agencies that shape the dreams and ambitions as my non-Christian neighbor, am I really marching to a different drum? I think Jesus would call us to reject the call of the commercial, that we much throw off the commercialism that seeks to drown us in debt and extreme living (perhaps we see this in, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds…. Rom.12:2 TNIV). Perhaps I can afford an I-Phone…but I really don’t need it; I just need a functional cell phone. So I may be able to afford a $120,000 home…but I don’t really need all that; a $75,000 home will work just fine. Could be that I can afford a $20,000 car…but I don’t need it; I can get a perfectly good used car for $5,000. If I buy all that I can afford, if I insist on always having the very best, I will have nothing left to give, nothing left to share—I will have used all my resources, all that God has blessed me with, to simply bless myself again!
It seems to me that if we consciously determine to live below our means, if we purposely buy fewer “things” and focus on what we need rather than what we want and “can afford,” we’ll have more to use in blessing others, in supporting and advancing causes and organizations that are impacting and affecting lives. In effect, we’ll be able to “lay up treasures in heaven” for having not spent it all laying up “treasures on earth” (Matt.6:19,20). The trick is allowing God to help us define our needs…not allowing the culture to define our needs. The trick is paying more attention to the still, small voice within rather to the blaring signs and slick commercials that shout out from every nook and cranny of our society.
Someone put it this way, “Live simply so others may simply live.” Another gave us this, “I will bless you…and you will be a blessing…all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Gen.12:2-3)--spoken to someone long ago, but I believe it sets a precedent: We’re blessed that we may bless others.
No comments:
Post a Comment