Read this piece in der Spiegel: “The End of Arrogance: America Loses Its Dominant Role.” It may be one sided, nonetheless it summarizes a lot of what I perceive has been going on for quite some time in the world and its attitudes towards U.S.A. Yet it has now exploded for all to see in the events of the last three weeks for it is as if the “emperor wearing no clothes” has been revealed in the horrible financial shakeout being experienced around the world. Even with all this however, there are attitudes and ideas that remain unshakeable among many of us in the ways we see the world. I want to urge therefore that we have discussions around a few issues at this time lest the American church misses a crucial opportunity to reassess what we are supposed to be doing during this time. I offer the following topics:
1.) Is America the richest nation on the earth and does this change how we think about Global Mission? I keep hearing people on both the right and the left persist in calling America the richest nation on earth. I contend we are not. We are broke. As a nation-state we are the most indebted industrialized nation on earth. Per capita, we are the most individually in debt. We are broke! The debt loads on individuals are suffocating. And so the expectation that the U.S. should be the economic engine for world social justice and democratic reform, or more importantly, global mission, must come to an end. Granted, our insatiable consumerism, and morally bankrupt Christian discipleship when it comes to money is coming home to roost. The fact still is however, at this time and place, we are broke and we cannot expect the churches of undisciplined desire (my nomenclature for late- American evangelicalism) to provide the moral or material capital for world mission. Brazil, India, China and even Russia have more money than the U.S. In some ways, if individuals of the third world have no debt and a sustainable living wage, they are wealthier than the people who can no longer afford their “upside-down” mortgages on these 5 bedroom, 2-3 garage homes in the suburbs. For these people are left enslaved to their debts for at least the next 10 years.
It is time then for American churches, mission organizations to rethink our place in world mission. I know this is old hat, but we need to rethink America as a Mission-sending country. The current financial crisis is the time to come together to remap world Mission. We, in post Christendom N. America, have become a mission field and we must take our place alongside all other countries as mutual participants in the Mission of God.
2.) Do the fears of market capitalism influence the way we do church too much? (The first paragraph here is a good definition if you need it of capitalism). Perhaps we have become too over confident in our faith and trust in market capitalism? Is this possible? Has it influenced the way we organize ourselves socially and economically even among the people of God? Amidst the demise and/or corruption of capitalism (depending on where you’re coming from) how do we become churches that display a Christian economic in these times of financial crisis? How do we display ways of exchange, participating mutually in God’s bounty that free us from the fear of losing our own financial security? Why is it we hide our finances from even our closest Christian friends in the same church? Why do we not know who is hurting and being foreclosed upon even in our own church? How can we resist and indeed overcome the ways the “System” is falling apart and indeed taking down many people with it? We had a meeting at our church along these lines this past Sunday.
Any other issues this article brings up? Any answers/disagreements to these questions?
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I can understand your point. It will be good for us -especially in Germany- to realise that we don’t have to do things the same way, but that we should work in our way as an indeginous European church.
We’ve often been confused, sometimes hurt by the way some leaders in the US talked to and about Europe as if we were all helpless and needed your Amerocentric mission teams to come and help -sure, you were welcome, but often you spoke as if you had all the answers, before you’d worked out all the questions.
I think it’s now time for us to stop looking to you for leadership, bcause that’s unfair of us as well, and to get on and find out what works for us here, making our own mistakes and telling stories in our way. As the article said:
“In the past, the US government’s solo efforts provided the Europeans with an all-too-comfortable excuse for simply doing nothing. But that excuse is no longer valid.”
Amen.
“Perhaps we have become too over confident in our faith and trust in market capitalism? Is this possible? “
Sometimes I wonder whether our problem is that we are unable to say, as Peter said…
“Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you.”
I read an article a few years ago where a non-American was quoted that he wanted to immigrate to America because even the poor are fat. Missions leaders are not surprised to “find out” that America doesn’t control the world. Some churches expanding churches don’t dirty a shovel until they have built the building for their sister in another country. And this brings up the question of whether we should build our own buildings at all. Those involved in the global commandment love the partnership with brothers and sisters going from everywhere to everywhere (even if some are more patriarichal/imperialistic than is desired in these times).
Yes! more North American involvement in the global commandment and YES!! more of people being sent from everywhere to everywhere.
I was thinking about the year of Jubilee and it occurred to me that usually we think of others forgiving our debts, but rarely do we think about loaning out money so we can forgive others’ debts. As Christians, we forgive debts so that those who owe us can forgive the debts of those who owe them. It seems to me that economics naturally goes through times of expansion and contraction. If during the times of expansion Christians were able to loan out money, then in times of economic contraction if they were to then forgive the debt the economic contraction would be mitigated. Yes, the Christian wouldn’t get the financial return on his investment that he had hoped for, but I’ll bet he’d get an eternal reward that was much more sizable than the earthly reward he lost. A Christian could cancel debt because his future did not depend on the financial reward of loaning money.
Interesting idea, Maria, but I was wondering about how to cope with the “moral hazard” that such an approach might develop? What I mean is, if Christians are known to forgive loans when times get rough, how to avoid this encouraging irresponsible, parasitical behaviour (The OT year of jubilee was actually structured to avoid this kind of hazard, or at least mitigate it)?
Please note, I am not knocking your idea, it has much to commend it, but how to help without unintentionally encouraging sinful behaviour is something one always struggles with when ministering in deprived communities.
I think this housing crisis is a testament to problem of having anonymous lenders. When people borrow money from some big corporation, which then gets passed on to some other big corporation, people don’t think that skipping out on their responsibility to pay their debt will have any major consequences. In fact, they’re jealous of the CEO’s making big bucks off the mortgage payments they’re struggling to make. But if Christians are loaning to people they know, there can more accountability and transparency. People can know that if they don’t pay the lender, that it will put him in a tight spot, that it will prevent him from giving a lending hand to someone else who needs it. People who struggle with money can recognize their limits in managing money and appreciate someone who is willing to do that for others. When they realize that paying back their loan helps the next person to have a loan, it motivates them to be more faithful.
The big business lending situation has limited transparency. Christians who enter loaning/lending situations should have more transparency. Christians who loan need to understand how their privilege can discourage or cause jealousy. Christians who borrow need to understand how their spending and saving habits can make them vulnerable and put them in a hole. When people know each other, it is easier to start a dialog between them about how each spends money.
Heifer International is a good example of a constructive loaning program might work.
I agree that a reputation for forgiving loans might make Christians more susceptible to those who would take advantage. However, throughout history we have seen governments take advantage of Jewish people because of their money. Governments gained financing from Jewish lenders and then changed political climate and expelled them and took property from the whole community (or worse killed them). I would much rather forgive loans than have a group of people try and deny payment through strong-arm political tactics.
Besides we are commended to give our tunic to those who would take our cloak. We can expect people to try and take us to the cleaners, but when we are satisfied to live as Christ, the amount of wealth(or lack of it) is inconsequential. When we experience the love of God nothing else matters.