Anyone else feeling overwhelmed? This material is so though provoking but so intimidating...at least this morning at 4 am. Okay so we think we're flying but we're really crashing. The first industrial revolution is flawed. Our economy is based on property and has failed in its distribution and we're on a unsustainable crash course. We need a new economy built on love and sharing God's resources instead of gathering and hoarding. Sounds pretty easy right?
Don't mean to sound jaded, and I do find this material both convicting and compelling, but it is a lot to take in. I love where he says in 204 "If Jesus is indeed a hero who can inspire others to heroism at this critical moment, then hu must address this carelessness about future generations inherent in our conetmporary societal narrative....he must bring a better story." Yes, I agree. The Good News we often preach? To most it looks like bad news. But if we live for more than ourselves we have a hope to bring a better story to the world. I like that.
Pg 208 he branches into sustainable development and having a triple bottom line. As someone in business I found this part interesting but so difficult. Running a business is so hard right now and yes I do think about doing things in a new way when possible, but so often when money is tight and you are just trying to survive, the idea of economic sustainability goes out the window a bit to the more glaring fact of how do we pay the bills today? This one left me asking more questions about how I can do more.
I found it really interesting how he compared Adam and Eve to consumption and that the root of there problem was they didn't live within their creaturely limits. I agree but I think it is a bit simplistic. He then rattles off the entire problem of emergence of sin in Genesis and says "it can all be traced back to a problem of consumption beyond limits." And although I found his take on Genesis interesting, I feel like it is a bit manipulative to his argument....
Loved the section on Gratitude. "Gratitude becomes an acto fo deiant contemplation, expressing rebellion"....I like this thought that gratitude is an act of rebellion to the controlling mindset of the world. I can handle this.
Wish we could be all together and have a beer and talk about some of these issues. Is he dead on in so many ways? heck yes....the challenge is just in the implementation. You can see why so many people don't choose to look deeper into these issues. Because once you start looking, change is required of ourselves. And change is hard!
Miss you guys!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Part 6 - "The Prosperity System", So its GROWTH, POSSESSION/CONSUMPTION, COMPETITION, and UNACCOUNTABLILTY...these are the four laws of current Capitalist society. I understand this framework and see it running throughout America; it makes sense to have a single bottom line when it comes to business. I have never heard of a triple bottom line, running my own business why do I have worry about the "greater good", I always thought that was something separate, its a selfish way to think but it part of how we are taught. It seems like these chapters look harshly on the prosperity, I would have like to seen a few examples of people doing it right, while there was the mention of Interface CEO, it doesn't go into much detail about how his business faired after he made changes.
Alan its true page 208 is powerful in the description of heaven and hell. How do we make these decisions of "good deeds" on a daily basis? There was a story i read recently about a guy that is around 65 and runs a very successful business at the end of each year he gives away and profits. Is this how we are called to live, I want to go on great vacations with my boys and travel the world but should I trade in these desires to complete more "good deeds"?
I can relate to the story of Zaccheaus on page 221 when he talks about giving away half of his possessions since that is what a divorce causes, but then again I guess they were never mine 100%. It’s not fun giving away anything, maybe God can change my heart in this area so I give more joyfully. It sounds weird when McLaren calls a new kind of economy the "love economy", it makes it sounds like its God's responsibility and not ours, but then again he wouldn’t be writing this book if he didn’t believe we need to make some sudden changes.
Post a Comment