The Idol Hath Fallen - the Financial Crisis and the Reshaping of the Landscape for Mission
Thursday, October 02, 2008
I recently sat with a couple at our church discussing church planting. I pointed to the immediate neighborhoods, many of which have 4-5 bedroom homes and 2 cars. I said "do you realize, if you have no debt, you are now richer than 25% of the people who live in these neighborhoods, because 25% of these people are underwater on their homes, cars, credit cards etc. They have no equity and are working 70 hours a week to keep from going further in the hole." The change in the financial landscape of our country in just the last two years is staggering and it has changed the focus of millions of people over night. I contend it could be changing the culture for a new openness to Mission as well. As a result - for those who can live simply, beneath their means, with no debt -the opportunity for Mission is unparalleled.
Let me explain the shift in culture as I see it. In the post World War 2 period, people looked at jobs, money, houses in terms of the necessities of life. We went to a job to earn an income to support our families and if we were Christians to contribute to the Kingdom of God. We bought a house (we could afford) in order to live in it. We were not obsessed with having a large sum of money for retirement that would enable us "to maintain our lifestyle" (insurance salesman lingo that became canonized in American life as part of what every person should do if he/she is responsible). Starting in the 80's however, our jobs became "careers" for personal fulfilment, our homes became idols of excess pouring thousands of dollars into upgrades, our money became a scorecard of our success. Each of these things became identity shaping idols. And these idols squeezed out community, Mission and even family from everyday American life. The obsessive focus on these idols emptied American life of depth, meaning and purpose beyond the thin veneers of American consumerism. The zenith of this excess reached its peak in these last 5-10 years. Today we are seeing the leveling of these idols. The idol hath fallen.
I have argued that vast swaths of the American church has accommodated itself in some of the worst of ways to the values inherent in these idols. I believe the missional church movement has emphasized a different response to this culture: that we should live more simply, live beneath our means, reject these idols of career, house and money. We must come together to cultivate communal life, communal sharing, transformational practices that resist consumerism and above all the everyday participation in the Mission of God. Our jobs, our homes and our money each in turn become captive to God's Mission.
It is my opinion that the current financial crisis, its pure magnitude, is revealing the emptiness and falsity of the idols of the past thirty years of American life. I intend no gloating over this. Much pain is sure to follow. Yet amidst the crumbling home values, the new emptiness of work and the loss of community in our society, I believe Missional living (Acts 2.42ff) becomes compelling in new ways as it calls us to be a community of the redeemed, sharing one another's burdens, offering each other housing when in need, sharing housing if need be, living simply beneath our means (even in the rich suburbs), offering help to the struggling (even those with a foreclosure sign on their front lawn). As the crisis unfolds, this could create a whole new openness for church as a Missional way of life. Could God be preparing the new fertile ground for His Mission in the United States? What do you think?
Posted by David Fitch | 9:39 AM
COMMENTS:
Great post. Economists have been warning for years that our American economy is built on credit and it will eventually catch up to us. Unfortunately, I think, even in a crisis such as this, people fail to see how they idolize their job, their castle, and the American dream. It seems so doom and gloom to play the I told you so game as followers of Jesus. But we often learn better through suffering. Hopefully this will be a wakeup call.
1:56 PM
Is the search for meaning and purpose in the work you do for 40 hours (or more) of your weak always idolatry? I think there's a difference between finding one's value in work (which leads to workaholism that's bad for person, family, AND office) and finding satisfaction in that work, especially if that satisfaction is in the context of offering one's work for God's use, "serving as unto the Lord." So in some sense, I don't think it's wrong to find personal fulfillment in one's career.
I think the fertile ground for missional work is in proclaiming, through word and deed, "Fear not." There is so much fear, because the market we trusted has failed us. If we live in the reality of God's love, we witness to the eternal Kingdom founded on his unshakable love that never fails.
2:03 PM
I do think God aims to turn this into a wake-up call. It is scary though, because our gut reaction is to do whatever it takes to restore what we've come to see as normalcy, which probably means more sub-human conditions elsewhere, etc. So we do have an opportunity, but many of us will have to be shocked into the kind of repentance that comes on the other side of our fear. Great thoughts.
4:56 PM
I see the possibilities but this will require Christians to see their life as being church (mission) rather than church just being one facet of life. For many, this is a monumental paradigm shift.
Grace and peace,
Rex
7:26 PM
What a timely reminder. It took us many years to experience the liberty of freedom from debt. When we reached it doors began to swing open to a World Christian lifestyle. Since then we have circled the globe a couple of times and taught in Asia.
8:16 AM
For years, I've written on my own blog (Cerulean Sanctum) about many of the issues you raise in your post.
One of the perplexing puzzles, though, in a move away from a consumeristic lifestyle, concerns employment. Our economy is such that it is extremely difficult to provide for even the most simple living situations on an income of less than $30,000 a year.
Where are the mission-minded people going to work? What jobs are they going to take that blend with a missional mindset? How will missional Christians participate in the economic life of the country? Even considering massive scale-backs in our ideals about work, how do people who wish to step out and step back withdraw from the system we've created without falling victim to ordinary cost-of-living issues?
While I fully support a simpler lifestyle, I am finding few people who are able to pull it off without getting in trouble financially or failing to meet essential needs (like healthcare).
Also, I am concerned that making a bogeyman of the wealthy businessman who works 80 hours a week may be cutting off our nose to spite are own face. For instance, is it not the captains of industry who often shoulders the greatest monetary burden in our churches? Aren't they the ones who are most likely to pony up the largest amount of money when the uninsured single mom gets up and announces her child has cancer and the surgery is so costly that she can't pay for it?
All these are tough questions that get lost in the rush to withdraw from the lifestyle choices we have been making.
What resources would you recommend that would address these difficult problems from a missional Christian perspective?
9:15 AM
dle ... there are no simple judgements to be made...it is really a metanoia that transforms an entire way of life. The economic realities will force adjustments ... but no one hopes for a depression ... I don't know ho it will look ... but just changing the way people see their work, families and homes,will bring about big shifts for the church that has been accomodating itself too closely to the American Dream ..
gratias for your thoughtful reflections ...
DF
6:44 PM
David,
But what does that "metanoia" look like in practice?
We can say that we Christians need to transition to a simpler way of life, to consider employment that doesn't end up dominating all we do, and so on, but if we do not have practical examples of how to do this, aren't we just talk?
The young person who has sees the pitfalls of the consumeristic lifestyle has some ability to steer clear of it before buying in fully. However, people who are already entrenched in it, who have their life networks erected to support that lifestyle, don't just decide one day to pull out and BANG!, it's a done deal.
How do they get from A to B? Who in the Church today is providing that leadership? Especially leadership to the 40-ish couple who have been running the rat race for 20 years or more but can't just choose right then to retire early and "go Amish"?
Can anyone point to resources from Christians who are successfully making this transition? If we can't, then we're putting a millstone around people's necks, asking them to consider a move that no one is able to make successfully.
9:43 PM
I am a domestic missionary and have seen support drop drumatically. I also have three other close friends who are missionaries in other countries and one of them hasn't even received his support money in 2 months. We need to give in faith know that God blesses his people for giving. Thank you so much brother for covering this important topic. God bless you and your ministry in a powerful way. Keep up the great job you do with this blog. It is truely a blessing to me and has helped strengten my faith. I hope you and your family have wonderful week.
8:28 PM
thanks preacherman ...
dle ...
I get that you need practical steps ...from A. to B. ... but really it starts with just very simple things? eh?... I don't suscribe that there can be a formula. And it looks differently from context to context ... it starts by choosing less, living simply, calling people to a missional lifestyle ... I admit it is extremely difficult ... I know it has been a challenge to the core of my character in so mnay different ways ... but this in and of itself may be forced upon all of us (many of us) very soon. Now the challenge is to lead our communities to see this as a blessing ...
peace DF
9:09 PM
dle,
Here's one simple idea. You could start by having Christians read together Richard Foster's chapter on "Simplicity" in Celebration of Discipline. There he lists I believe ten things we can do to fight consumerism, and many of them can be translated into slow steps. Foster may be considered old school in some circles, but I regard him as a gem nonetheless, and he knows about meeting people where they're at. Here's his list in brief:
1. Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status.
2. Reject anything that produces an addiction in you.
3. Develop a habit of giving things away.
4. Refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry.
5. Learn to enjoy things without owning them.
6. Develop a deeper appreciation for the creation.
7. Look with a healthy skepticism at all "buy now, pay later" schemes.
8. Obey Jesus' instructions about plain, honest speech.
9. Reject anything that breeds the oppression of others.
10. Shun anything that distracts you from seeking first the kingdom of God.
Perhaps some of these are oversimplistic, but I work in a suburban church environment where people are deeply entrenched. I could see great benefit in getting together smaller (or larger, for that matter) groups of Christians and reflecting on how we can practice these simple steps. Maybe then we'd develop the character and discernment to see solutions to our larger problems. Hope that helps.
8:02 AM
It seems to me that a lot of people who are stuck in the rat race ARE living lives of simplicity--at least in comparison with peers.
Michael, thank you for the list. I think it is a good one for addressing general consumerism.
However, I think what David discusses here is more sweeping. I'm just not sure how to put it in play.
For instance, if the rat race is so bad (and it is), and we need to get out (and we should), how do we address the simple problems that keep us in it?
For instance, it would not be unusual for a family of four to have a $800/mo. health insurance bill. Most states have mandatory car insurance. Since the cost of a home is so high, you're nuts if you don't have home/property insurance. Then, because of the Great Giveaway of the Church by not really taking care of widows and orphans, you need some kind of life insurance to help your family should you pass away unexpectedly.
Right there, in just insurance alone, you could be paying $1200-$1500 a month. That money has to come from somewhere, right?
So how does one pay that and at the same time extricate a family from the rat race?
Fact is, most people can't.
This is something the Church is not speaking to in all the "simplify your life" rhetoric. If the Church can't provide the backup systems that allow people to drop out of the rat race, then it is only putting millstones around people's necks. It's making people feel like less than a good Christian if they don't drop out, but then it gives those people no ability to do so because it does not provide any of the support needed to do so.
That's the problem as I see it.
Yes, it would be nice to afford to work a simple 9-5 job that pays $30,000 a year and doesn't put you on-call or ask for 70 hours a week. But most people can't pull that off when they have a family.
The Church is asking a great deal but not giving people the means to put those requests into action. That only makes the simplification message yet more background noise to ignore.
6:13 AM
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