The hardest part of this experience has been saying no to free food. I realize how much friendship connections matter for anybody trying to make it in this world. Unfortunately it typically seems to be the case that most people have friends who generally make about the same amount of money. So if you are poor, your friends will be there for you, but don't expect any miracles.
Maybe that's what makes the church a miraculous body of people. Rich, poor and middle class all together in one place, getting to know one another and being willing to share and care for the needs of each other. Reflecting on yesterday's post, I could say that it is a place for disconnected rich to find real connections and community. A place for the poor to find support. And a place for the middle class to escape the plastic world of suburbia. By place I mean both a church building or gathering place, and a spot within a social group. It is a refuge.
Over the past 10 days I had many people offer to be a refuge for me, and after awhile I stopped turning all of them down. It wasn't really a lack of self-control as much as I believe it is more blessed to give than to recieve, and I want to allow others to give. That's what connections are; a place between two people where both are given the opportunity to look after the others well-being. Friendships are packed full of self-emptying potential. The most important thing is caring for others and hopefully being cared for as well. We just can't do this on our own. Thank God.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Friday, February 16, 2007
Day 9: A Different Guide
Last night I was fortunate enough to go to a lecture by Brain Walsh at Trinity Western University. The title of the lecture was Beyond Homelessness: Globalization and Homecoming in Christian Perspective, which is a pretty good indicator of what he talked about. Apparently he has a new book coming out soon on this topic, and he spoke a lot about facts and statistics, all of which were fascinating and frustrating at the same time. The divide between rich and poor is increasing in our world and even within Western nations.
What I appreciated most, though, was something he said at the end, when he told a bit of a story that will ultimately be part of the introduction to his book. Walsh compared the stories of two individuals living in Toronto, one a homeless cocaine addict and the other a wealthy world traveler living in a luxurious condominium. The homeless man sufferred, but also had a community of people who cared for him and allowed him to do the same for them. He was rooted in his city and had a deep connection to its people, landscapes, and natural elements. The wealthy man, on the other hand, lived quite comfortably, but had no connection to the city or its people. In other words, both men were homeless.
One of the things that has been bothering me in the last year is this nagging feeling that the gospel is rarely incarnated into the lives of wealthy Western individuals. I personally am oftentimes quick to condemn the rich, but I don't think this sort of black/white thinking is either helpful or right. The wealthy are experiencing their own forms of homelessness and disconnectedness. They are just as desperate for Jesus as the poor man on the street. The only problem is it takes a lot more creativity to proclaim and demonstrate gospel realities to a person in this situation. But it needs to be done.
May his kingdom come. Amen.
What I appreciated most, though, was something he said at the end, when he told a bit of a story that will ultimately be part of the introduction to his book. Walsh compared the stories of two individuals living in Toronto, one a homeless cocaine addict and the other a wealthy world traveler living in a luxurious condominium. The homeless man sufferred, but also had a community of people who cared for him and allowed him to do the same for them. He was rooted in his city and had a deep connection to its people, landscapes, and natural elements. The wealthy man, on the other hand, lived quite comfortably, but had no connection to the city or its people. In other words, both men were homeless.
One of the things that has been bothering me in the last year is this nagging feeling that the gospel is rarely incarnated into the lives of wealthy Western individuals. I personally am oftentimes quick to condemn the rich, but I don't think this sort of black/white thinking is either helpful or right. The wealthy are experiencing their own forms of homelessness and disconnectedness. They are just as desperate for Jesus as the poor man on the street. The only problem is it takes a lot more creativity to proclaim and demonstrate gospel realities to a person in this situation. But it needs to be done.
May his kingdom come. Amen.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Day 8: Guiding Texts
Biblical Texts: Isaiah 58 and Matthew 19:16-30
My favorite part of Isaiah 58 is verse 6; “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?” The irony of course is that religion that God wants to see (think of James here) is not a bunch of religious rule-following, sin avoidment, dancing and singing, etc. I don't think God is against those things, but it does feel like Isaiah's pronouncement is that unless you care for the poor, these other acts of religion are useless.
The Matthew text is a good example of this. The young man was good at being religious. Maybe he would have been a good youth pastor. But he apparently wanted to practice the duality of faith where you can have your cake and eat it to. Wealth on earth and Jesus everafter.
I guess today's post matches yesterday's to a certain extent, with the moral still being that personal piety isn't enough. Maybe that's not the best way to say it. It isn't that personal piety is not enough. The truth is, if personal piety is the goal, you're missing the bigger picture. The bigger picture is radical departure from the ways of the world! This involves personal piety, a life of servitude, and renunciation of everything you think you own. I guess it means choosing to be a disciple.
Secondary Text #1: Tony Campolo
"When we talk about Jesus, we must make it clear that he is not just interested in our well-being in the afterlife. He is a Savior who is at work in the world today trying to save the world from what it is, and make it into a place where people can live together with dignity."
Secondary Text #2: David E. Fitch
"Stanley Hauerwas [states] that liberal society and its justice forms us into people that work against us being followers of Christ. '[Democratic] liberalism,' he says, 'becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy; a social order that is designed to work on the presumption that people are self-interested tends to produce that kind of people...'
John Milbank carries the stance of...Hauerwas further by describing how democracy and capitalism are built upon an ontological foundation of violence...one person against the other. But Christians assume something totally different. We assume that the world and all therein were originally created as a unity together participating in the ever-flowing work of God into the world...The work of Christ was to restore this peace...
Democracy and capitalism therefore fundamentally play on a politics that does not restore humanity to a mutual participation in God but replaces such participation with a politics based on the discrete wills of all individuals getting along without killing each other. The justice based in democracy and capitalism does the same. And once we see democracy and capitalism in these terms, evangelical participation in such a justice is heresy. The only politics we can truly participate in is the church as the restoration of God's relationship with humanity in creation. The only justice that makes sense is that worked out in relation to God through Jesus Christ in the church. Only from this standpoint can we enter society with Christ's justice."
My favorite part of Isaiah 58 is verse 6; “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?” The irony of course is that religion that God wants to see (think of James here) is not a bunch of religious rule-following, sin avoidment, dancing and singing, etc. I don't think God is against those things, but it does feel like Isaiah's pronouncement is that unless you care for the poor, these other acts of religion are useless.
The Matthew text is a good example of this. The young man was good at being religious. Maybe he would have been a good youth pastor. But he apparently wanted to practice the duality of faith where you can have your cake and eat it to. Wealth on earth and Jesus everafter.
I guess today's post matches yesterday's to a certain extent, with the moral still being that personal piety isn't enough. Maybe that's not the best way to say it. It isn't that personal piety is not enough. The truth is, if personal piety is the goal, you're missing the bigger picture. The bigger picture is radical departure from the ways of the world! This involves personal piety, a life of servitude, and renunciation of everything you think you own. I guess it means choosing to be a disciple.
Secondary Text #1: Tony Campolo
"When we talk about Jesus, we must make it clear that he is not just interested in our well-being in the afterlife. He is a Savior who is at work in the world today trying to save the world from what it is, and make it into a place where people can live together with dignity."
Secondary Text #2: David E. Fitch
"Stanley Hauerwas [states] that liberal society and its justice forms us into people that work against us being followers of Christ. '[Democratic] liberalism,' he says, 'becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy; a social order that is designed to work on the presumption that people are self-interested tends to produce that kind of people...'
John Milbank carries the stance of...Hauerwas further by describing how democracy and capitalism are built upon an ontological foundation of violence...one person against the other. But Christians assume something totally different. We assume that the world and all therein were originally created as a unity together participating in the ever-flowing work of God into the world...The work of Christ was to restore this peace...
Democracy and capitalism therefore fundamentally play on a politics that does not restore humanity to a mutual participation in God but replaces such participation with a politics based on the discrete wills of all individuals getting along without killing each other. The justice based in democracy and capitalism does the same. And once we see democracy and capitalism in these terms, evangelical participation in such a justice is heresy. The only politics we can truly participate in is the church as the restoration of God's relationship with humanity in creation. The only justice that makes sense is that worked out in relation to God through Jesus Christ in the church. Only from this standpoint can we enter society with Christ's justice."
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Day 7: Guiding Texts
Biblical Texts: 2 Samuel 11 and 12
I'm excited to write about this passage today, and think I might use it for a class in a few weeks. After all, we've all heard the story of David and Bathsheba a million times and been reminded not to commit sexual sin. But I've never heard this story preached from the standpoint of wealth and power.
David uses his power to have Uriah killed on the battlefield. The author uses irony to show the blind obedience of Uriah, who refuses to sleep with his own wife and even carries his own death-letter back to Joab without a thought beyond serving his king. After Uriah's death, who should arrive but Nathan who, like most prophets, cares about justice, the poor, and the misuse of power by the rich.
What is the first line in Nathan's story, after all? "There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor..." This whole problem stems from money! Meanwhile David gets indignant without noticing the mote in his own eye. David is blinded by his wealth and power. Meanwhile, Nathan's message says that David's actions demonstrate that he despises God (v. 10)! Chew on that for a while.
And the worst part is, I don't think David ever really gets it. When he says, in Psalm 51, "Against you, you only, have I sinned," I think he is demonstrating the typical wealthy person's idea of following God. He has what we would call "a personal realtionship with God," which means, to put it bluntly, it's all about him and God and if he's a jerk to other people it doesn't matter. The two quotes below from W.S. Coffin explains it better than I can. All I'll say is that you should reread these two chapters from Samuel and choose to read them from the lens of social/financial sin and see if it hits you differently. The sexual sin was bad, but it was only the aftermath of a much more pervasive, harder to identify sin.
Secondary Text #1: Ronald J. Sider
The following comes from the conclusion to his book Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger. As a quick sidenote, he is Mennonite, which just goes to show how cool he is.
"We know that our Lord Jesus is alive! We know that the decisive victory over sin and death has occurred. We know that the Sovereign of the universe wills an end to hunger, injustice and oppression. The resurrection of Jesus is our guarantee that in spite of the massive evil that sometimes almost overwhelms us, the final victory will surely come. Secure on that solid rock, we will plunge into this unjust world, changing now all we can and knowing that the Risen King will complete the victory at his glorious return."
Secondary Text #2: Two from William Sloane Coffin in Credo
"Public good doesn't automatically follow from private virtue. A person's moral character, sterling though it may be, is insufficient to serve the cause of justice, which is to challenge the status quo, to try to make what's legal more moral, to speak truth to power, and to take personal or concerted action against evil, whether in personal or systemic form."
"In times of oppression, personal faith has to lead us to political choices; otherwise Christianity encourages fatalism on the part of the poor who, to keep themselves going, have only the promises of a better hereafter, and cynicism on the part of the rich, who feel they can do almost anything to the poor as long as they attend church and baptize their children."
I'm excited to write about this passage today, and think I might use it for a class in a few weeks. After all, we've all heard the story of David and Bathsheba a million times and been reminded not to commit sexual sin. But I've never heard this story preached from the standpoint of wealth and power.
David uses his power to have Uriah killed on the battlefield. The author uses irony to show the blind obedience of Uriah, who refuses to sleep with his own wife and even carries his own death-letter back to Joab without a thought beyond serving his king. After Uriah's death, who should arrive but Nathan who, like most prophets, cares about justice, the poor, and the misuse of power by the rich.
What is the first line in Nathan's story, after all? "There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor..." This whole problem stems from money! Meanwhile David gets indignant without noticing the mote in his own eye. David is blinded by his wealth and power. Meanwhile, Nathan's message says that David's actions demonstrate that he despises God (v. 10)! Chew on that for a while.
And the worst part is, I don't think David ever really gets it. When he says, in Psalm 51, "Against you, you only, have I sinned," I think he is demonstrating the typical wealthy person's idea of following God. He has what we would call "a personal realtionship with God," which means, to put it bluntly, it's all about him and God and if he's a jerk to other people it doesn't matter. The two quotes below from W.S. Coffin explains it better than I can. All I'll say is that you should reread these two chapters from Samuel and choose to read them from the lens of social/financial sin and see if it hits you differently. The sexual sin was bad, but it was only the aftermath of a much more pervasive, harder to identify sin.
Secondary Text #1: Ronald J. Sider
The following comes from the conclusion to his book Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger. As a quick sidenote, he is Mennonite, which just goes to show how cool he is.
"We know that our Lord Jesus is alive! We know that the decisive victory over sin and death has occurred. We know that the Sovereign of the universe wills an end to hunger, injustice and oppression. The resurrection of Jesus is our guarantee that in spite of the massive evil that sometimes almost overwhelms us, the final victory will surely come. Secure on that solid rock, we will plunge into this unjust world, changing now all we can and knowing that the Risen King will complete the victory at his glorious return."
Secondary Text #2: Two from William Sloane Coffin in Credo
"Public good doesn't automatically follow from private virtue. A person's moral character, sterling though it may be, is insufficient to serve the cause of justice, which is to challenge the status quo, to try to make what's legal more moral, to speak truth to power, and to take personal or concerted action against evil, whether in personal or systemic form."
"In times of oppression, personal faith has to lead us to political choices; otherwise Christianity encourages fatalism on the part of the poor who, to keep themselves going, have only the promises of a better hereafter, and cynicism on the part of the rich, who feel they can do almost anything to the poor as long as they attend church and baptize their children."
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Day 6: Finding Purpose
At first I didn't know exactly why I was doing this. I knew it would challenge me and give me a (very small) glimpse into what it is like to not have enough money. But I definitely did not have a list of goals or anything else like that, and maybe that's a good thing. Because already this has been very eye-opening for me.
*I have had some very meaningful conversations that would not have occurred otherwise. When somebody says "What have you been up to?" I have to reply with, "Living on $2 a day and dreaming of a burger and a beer." Needless to say, I've had a multitude of conversations about poverty, fasting, wealth, scripture, etc. And it's amazing to see how many people are struggling with this! I thought people were just ignoring scripture, but it seems like most of us are in the same boat and asking the same question: "How does an American who claims to follow Jesus handle his/her money?" Unfortunately, most of us seem to be asking and not doing, but I guess it's a start.
*It's a little corny, but I truthfully feel more thankful for my daily bread than I ever have.
*I've lost 6 pounds.
*There are many more things having to do with food that I take for granted without even realizing it. Finding the best value. Shopping at lower end stores. Nutritional value versus how filling something is. Fruits and vegetables. Coffee. And the amount of energy more calories provide for daily living.
*I am a massive hypocrite. I stand for a lot of things in theory, but not in action. That's the toughest thing I've learned so far. And I learned it when I drove by a homeless man I used to know and realized he probably doesn't even know me anymore because I've been "too busy doing ministry." How's that for irony?
So overall, this has been an eye-opening six days. I have cheated in multiple ways, which is quite pathetic, and I almost gave up on the second day, but I'm sticking with it and looking forward to midnight on Saturday, at which point I will probably eat an entire carton of ice cream.
Peace,
Matt
*I have had some very meaningful conversations that would not have occurred otherwise. When somebody says "What have you been up to?" I have to reply with, "Living on $2 a day and dreaming of a burger and a beer." Needless to say, I've had a multitude of conversations about poverty, fasting, wealth, scripture, etc. And it's amazing to see how many people are struggling with this! I thought people were just ignoring scripture, but it seems like most of us are in the same boat and asking the same question: "How does an American who claims to follow Jesus handle his/her money?" Unfortunately, most of us seem to be asking and not doing, but I guess it's a start.
*It's a little corny, but I truthfully feel more thankful for my daily bread than I ever have.
*I've lost 6 pounds.
*There are many more things having to do with food that I take for granted without even realizing it. Finding the best value. Shopping at lower end stores. Nutritional value versus how filling something is. Fruits and vegetables. Coffee. And the amount of energy more calories provide for daily living.
*I am a massive hypocrite. I stand for a lot of things in theory, but not in action. That's the toughest thing I've learned so far. And I learned it when I drove by a homeless man I used to know and realized he probably doesn't even know me anymore because I've been "too busy doing ministry." How's that for irony?
So overall, this has been an eye-opening six days. I have cheated in multiple ways, which is quite pathetic, and I almost gave up on the second day, but I'm sticking with it and looking forward to midnight on Saturday, at which point I will probably eat an entire carton of ice cream.
Peace,
Matt
Day 6: Guiding Texts
Biblical Texts: Matthew 25:31-46 and James 5:1-6 (and 2:6)
Honestly you just need to take 2 minutes out of your day and read the text from Matthew. Jesus is faily explicit here: if you want to experience salvation in the afterlife, you'd better care for the marginalized, specifically those dealing with poverty and its relating issues, or you're gonna be outta luck. Following this is James' declaration to the rich; "You thought you were piling up wealth. What you've piled up is judgment" (from the Message). These two texts together is a painful reminder that our use of money is a very serious thing, and that we need to go to extremes far more often than we do if we want to be counted among the faithful. This has rarely happenned in the history of Christianity, which is why when somebody actually does do it, it is a remarkable occurrence!
Let's look at James 2:6 for a minute to get a better idea of what I'm talking about. The question posed is "Is it not the rich who oppress you?" This question is posed in the context of not showing favoritism in the church towards wealthy individuals. What would a rich member of this congregation think of James' letter as it was read aloud before the group? Can you imagine? This could be a very awkward moment. And risky. I wonder if the rich in the congregation became quick exegetical theologians and explained these passages away. Or maybe the pastor did it for them because he didn't want to lose some big tithers (probably elders as well, since we typically choose the rich for these positions). My hope is that everybody saw the errors of their ways and they remembered that God's kingdom works differently than the kingdoms of this world, and that it is the poor who are honored and the rich who are not.
Secondary Text #1: Mahatma Gandhi
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him. Will he gain anything by it? Will it restore him to a control over his own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to swaraj [freedom] for the hungry and spiritually starving millions?Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."
Secondary Text #2: Oscar Romero
"Aspire not to have more, but to be more."
Peace,
Matt
Honestly you just need to take 2 minutes out of your day and read the text from Matthew. Jesus is faily explicit here: if you want to experience salvation in the afterlife, you'd better care for the marginalized, specifically those dealing with poverty and its relating issues, or you're gonna be outta luck. Following this is James' declaration to the rich; "You thought you were piling up wealth. What you've piled up is judgment" (from the Message). These two texts together is a painful reminder that our use of money is a very serious thing, and that we need to go to extremes far more often than we do if we want to be counted among the faithful. This has rarely happenned in the history of Christianity, which is why when somebody actually does do it, it is a remarkable occurrence!
Let's look at James 2:6 for a minute to get a better idea of what I'm talking about. The question posed is "Is it not the rich who oppress you?" This question is posed in the context of not showing favoritism in the church towards wealthy individuals. What would a rich member of this congregation think of James' letter as it was read aloud before the group? Can you imagine? This could be a very awkward moment. And risky. I wonder if the rich in the congregation became quick exegetical theologians and explained these passages away. Or maybe the pastor did it for them because he didn't want to lose some big tithers (probably elders as well, since we typically choose the rich for these positions). My hope is that everybody saw the errors of their ways and they remembered that God's kingdom works differently than the kingdoms of this world, and that it is the poor who are honored and the rich who are not.
Secondary Text #1: Mahatma Gandhi
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him. Will he gain anything by it? Will it restore him to a control over his own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to swaraj [freedom] for the hungry and spiritually starving millions?Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."
Secondary Text #2: Oscar Romero
"Aspire not to have more, but to be more."
Peace,
Matt
Monday, February 12, 2007
Day 5: Guiding Texts
Yes, it's true, I didn't blog yesterday. Of course, I don't know if anybody is actually reading this anyways, so I guess it's not that big of a deal anyways. Since I did two OT scriptures yesterday, I thought I'd do two NT today...
Biblical Texts: Luke 16:19-31 and Luke 18:18-30
Last weekend I heard the typical church sermon on money: give 10%, invest and spend wisely, and don't be too into your cash (whatever that means). These sorts of sermons are always Biblically based; and by being Biblical, I mean quoting Proverbs, Malachi, and making mention of Abraham and Genesis. I have never, in my entire life, heard a sermon on money that was based on the teachings of Jesus. The reason why, of course, is stories like the two listed above, which don't really match the way we live. They call us to change. Of course, this means they need to be explained away.
I've heard so many Christians proof-text or common-sense-talk away these passages that it makes me want to give up on them altogether. In Luke 18, Jesus says "it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." First of all, there was no place in Jerusalem called "the eye of the needle," if you are familiar with that myth. That lie was started in the middle ages and has no historical backing. Second, the lives of many of the world's poor are just as bad now as they were then. But the rich in the time of Jesus were not nearly as comfortable as the middle classes in America. Kinda makes you think...
And that's when we go back to Luke 16 to see that not only does Abraham condemn the rich man who refused to help Lazarus, but he points out that the man and if the man had listened to Moses and the prophets, he would have known and repented!
Think about that for a minute...
If he would have really known his scriptures, it would have shown in the way he treated the poor. I don't even want to get into where this train of thought takes me...
Secondary Text #1: From globalissues.org
Half the world (nearly 3 billion people) live on less than $2 a day.
Secondary Text #2: Ralph Waldo Emerson
The greatest man in history was the poorest.
Peace,
Matt
Biblical Texts: Luke 16:19-31 and Luke 18:18-30
Last weekend I heard the typical church sermon on money: give 10%, invest and spend wisely, and don't be too into your cash (whatever that means). These sorts of sermons are always Biblically based; and by being Biblical, I mean quoting Proverbs, Malachi, and making mention of Abraham and Genesis. I have never, in my entire life, heard a sermon on money that was based on the teachings of Jesus. The reason why, of course, is stories like the two listed above, which don't really match the way we live. They call us to change. Of course, this means they need to be explained away.
I've heard so many Christians proof-text or common-sense-talk away these passages that it makes me want to give up on them altogether. In Luke 18, Jesus says "it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." First of all, there was no place in Jerusalem called "the eye of the needle," if you are familiar with that myth. That lie was started in the middle ages and has no historical backing. Second, the lives of many of the world's poor are just as bad now as they were then. But the rich in the time of Jesus were not nearly as comfortable as the middle classes in America. Kinda makes you think...
And that's when we go back to Luke 16 to see that not only does Abraham condemn the rich man who refused to help Lazarus, but he points out that the man and if the man had listened to Moses and the prophets, he would have known and repented!
Think about that for a minute...
If he would have really known his scriptures, it would have shown in the way he treated the poor. I don't even want to get into where this train of thought takes me...
Secondary Text #1: From globalissues.org
Half the world (nearly 3 billion people) live on less than $2 a day.
Secondary Text #2: Ralph Waldo Emerson
The greatest man in history was the poorest.
Peace,
Matt
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