Feb 19, 2009
Jesus is Here to Ruin Your Sweet Little American Dream
If there’s one thing the financial crisis has taught me, it’s that our dreams of wealth and stability are fragile. Life is full of uncertainties, and the whole show can fall to pieces in no time.
The American Dream is a fragile thing indeed. It’s something we may very well lose.
That’s the kind of thinking that can keep me up at night. I like the idea of having my very own little piece of the pie. And so I see the uncertainty of these times as a healthy exercise in learning to let go of our sweet little American Dream.
Thankfully, Jesus wants us to give up on these little dreams we carry and protect. He knows they can’t last and must fall to pieces one day, and so he’s offering an alternative that will not perish or fade away. Jesus is offering us a place in God’s Kingdom, but the catch is we have to leave it all behind to follow him.
The dying American dream that we can’t hold on to must be surrendered if we are to follow Jesus.
And yet, I want to hold on to both… Oh for eyes to see and ears to hear.
Jesus can’t be your all until all you have is Jesus.
…and that’s all there is to it!
But man, that’s a tough one to get a handle on.
love it. D. Willard was really the first to get me on this with the Divine Conspiracy.
Confession time… I haven’t read The Divine Conspiracy, but really need to. Thanks Tim.
I think Jesus declared the American Dream dead on arrival. I find comfort in that, oddly enough, but I also why insist on acquiring pleasure from this dead thing. A strange fetish to be sure.
[I'm catching up on your posts. Can you tell?]
We have to remember, too, that Jesus’ “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!” is another way of saying, “Turn away from your ways of bringing about heaven on earth and follow mine!” America has often attempted to bring its own “heaven on earth,” and I think this economic crisis is humbling for Americans. We aren’t indestructible.
Adam, at least that fetish can keep us humble in a way…
Evan, you’ve hit on why the Gospel is more than a matter of personal salvation. There really are some staggering implications to consider.
Hi Ed, I follow you on Twitter (I’m wiselywoven and sustainabletrad).
I would love to feature this post on our upcoming SustainableTraditions.com blogazine we’re about to launch. We would credit you and included a link back here.
If you are interested please let me know.
Thanks!
-shalom!
J Fowler
Ha. Down with capitalism? Liberate the proletariat?
I’m not missing your point – it’s a great one, an important one – but am I detecting some Marxism in your gospel? The Bible’s and Marx’s plans for the “little man” are pretty different from each other.
Luke,
For starters, I’m a huge fan of Stick World. I’m so happy you’ve stumbled across my blog.
Without wanting to be sound combative, I have to say I’m a bit concerned that you’re equating a discussion about the cost of discipleship with Marxism. I’m not interested in upending capitalism or supporting Marxism. I’m interested in taking Jesus seriously when he says you can’t serve God and money, when he says it’s hard for the rich to enter the Kingdom, and when he tells us to carry our crosses.
Whatever you want to call it, America says we need to work hard, accumulate, and rise in status. Jesus says we need to seek the Kingdom, give away, and take the place of servants. To speak of Jesus’ Kingdom vision as opposed to the American Dream is not an underhanded way of supporting Marxism.
Having said all of that, I know that Jesus can be read in a way that supports a Marxist agenda, but my focus here is the cost of discipleship in an American context.
Interesting discussion. The Bible is very clear in warning us against placing our faith and trust on monetary pursuits. Ed is right. It is very clear that we cannot depend on Social Security, our nest egg, an IRA, our investment in property, our six figure income, etc… because all of these things are dependent on external stimuli. There value can change almost over night as we have seen in our recent history. I believe the question that Ed is raising is “What happens when all of that is gone?” We are then left to realize that God is ultimately in control.
Now, on the other hand, The Bible very clearly shows God’s favor for his people when they live according to his way of life. This includes wealth from a worldly perspective. Is it a must? No! But it seems to be God’s way.
I personally believe that is why America is still the richest and most powerful nation in the world. We have a heritage that was built on a Godly foundation. The problem is that we are watering down what it means to follow Christ and paying the price for it.
I believe the circumstances in America right now are divinely inspired to call God’s people and a nation to repentance.
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