Getting ready for the SCU Study Community in the morning and came across this quote from Wendell Berry...
Despite protests to the contrary, modern Christianity has become willy-nilly the religion of the state and the economic status quo. Because it has been so exclusively dedicated to incanting anemic souls into Heaven, it has been made the tool of much earthly villany. It has, for the most part, stood silently by while the predatory economy has ravaged the world, destroyed its natural beauty and health, divided and plundered its human communities and households. It has flown the flag and chanted the slogans of empire. It has assumed with the economists that "economic forces" automatically work for the good and has assumed withe the industrialists and militarists that technology determines history. It has assumed with almost everybody that "progress" is good... It has admired Caesar and comforted him in his depredictions and faults. But in its de facto alliance with Caesar, Christianity connives directly in the murder of Creation.
Amazing.
This has gotten me thinking. With all this talk of being "in this world, but not of it", are we really? I find it fascinating that it seems that most of what we pass off for being "not of this world" is more an adherence to some sub-cultural norm [don't drink, or do this, or that...] rather than truly offering an alternative vision of what this world can be - making this place the type of place that God would inhabit at the end of time.
What if being a "stranger and alien" means we stand against rampant consumerism, or the cheapening the image of God in all of humanity to a commodity to be consumed?
What if being "not of this world" means that we raise our voices against economic oppression of the last and the least?
What about violence? Injustice?
What about extending love and grace to all, regardless of how they live their lives? Could that be counter-cultural?
Perhaps being a "stranger and alien" is more about living a counter-intuitive, counter-cultural life in this culture than creating an alternative culture.
Perhaps being "not of this world" is so much more than we ever imagined.
So, how are we doing, then, at being what we've been called to be? I wonder.
May we be the kinds of people who do not settle for a mere outer gloss of religiousness, passing that off as the life Jesus came to give. May we be the kinds of people who truly live counter-cultural lives, seeking to bring heaven here, the kingdom in our midst.
Great post!!!
Posted by: wes | November 02, 2005 at 12:29 PM
I love that quote. Hope you are well friend.
Posted by: Ryan Sharp | November 02, 2005 at 07:48 PM
Nice post bro. Check my blog for my U2 experience Tuesday night with pics. I can't be at Havurah on Thursday again - bummer.
Posted by: Eric Wakeling | November 02, 2005 at 08:45 PM
This is right on. Been looking for someone to put into words what I was feeling.
Posted by: Russ | November 04, 2005 at 08:33 PM