Friday, July 16, 2010
What I learned on my summer vacation (halfway edition)
I'm at about the halfway point for my internship experience (OK, so a little past, but I uh, might have been at the beach when the halfway point hit...yeah), so I figured it was time for some reflections. I can't really say that I had any expectations coming in, so it's tough to find a standard for comparison. As such, I think I'll talk more about lessons I've learned than about things I've done. The most striking experience I've had was a Bible study I lead last week. The text I used was the passage from Mark about Jesus and the rich young man, and I knew going in it'd be a challenging text for me. I wasn't prepared, however, for how radically I thought about it. For quite awhile now (I suppose partially because of the whole econ major thing), I've thought about how absolutely twisted our idea of necessity is in the US. We "need" a new iPhone or 3-D TV or Macbook. Technology is a status symbol in our society, as it has been in so many before ours. We are not unique in this capacity, but we are obsessed and we have so much more with which to be obsessed. I really, honestly believe that this attitude runs counter to an actually Christian life, but any of us would be hard-pressed to break it. We're so heavily socialized into being "plugged into" our culture, not realizing the cost of doing so. We're numbed from that which is important by the sheer omniscience of what is not. This is certainly not a new thought; it's been around for generations, but not much has changed, in that regard. I've felt it more distinctly recently, though, and I don't think I could live with myself if I didn't do something about it, in my own life if nothing else, but I'm not sure how to cope living outside of this culture. What else is there to do? What does life consist of when the basic necessities come to so many of us so easily? I think that's the issue we've run into with our society, that we've got what we need and are having trouble figuring out what else to do with ourselves. Until the past century, or probably even more recently, existence was a struggle for the majority. I recognize that for many, it still is, and until the attitudes of those for whom it is not undergo a drastic change, that fact will remain.
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I agree with what you're saying. The dichotomy between the rich and the poor in the United States, and the world on a larger scale, is perhaps larger than it has ever been. And as technology increases, the dichotomy between the standard of living of rich and poor increases even more, since most technology is only available to people with discretionary money. With this being the case, what do you think is the right course for those people who are fortunate enough to comfortably afford and access the basic necessities of a comfortable life? The way I see it, our best hope is if society is able to place greater and greater emphasis on people of means helping to improve the lives of people of little means. This means donating to charity, sure, but at the end of the day, charity is only a band-aid. It really has to start with government. While I don't believe in affirmative action, I do agree with its principle of focusing on people of fewer means and helping to improve their lives. Unfortunately, there will always be poor people, but perhaps as society becomes more affluent, there will be more of a push to help the poor.
ReplyDeleteIn your post, you reference the "attitudes" of people who care so much about iPhones, Macbooks, etc. I was just curious what specific attitudes you see in such people that are bothering you in particular. Do you agree with the statement that technology brings out both good and bad aspects of human nature, that would have perhaps not existed or gone unnoticed in previous generations?
I do agree with your last point that technology brings into sharper relief attitudes that would be less important otherwise. Simply put, we have so many options of ways to spend our time that it's very, very easy to choose those that are unfulfilling and ultimately fruitless. This is a problem for both those of means and those without means, and it leads to a dearth of movement towards anything better. The attitudes that bother me most of folks obsessed with the "stuff" of life is that it becomes their only reality. Yes, we often need an escape from the harshness that can be the world around us, but it can't be the only perspective through which we view the world. It's a matter of priorities and perspective...everything in moderation. It only becomes a problem when we buy into the view that our current standard of living is a necessity and not just a blessing.
ReplyDeleteAs to where to start to change things--charity is only a band-aid, but so, oftentimes, is the government. Legalities can change actions, but it has a harder time changing beliefs, and it moves slowly enough just trying to accomplish the former. I really think the church needs to take a leadership position, to set an example. If those of us who call ourselves Christians are to do so honestly, we have to take the initiative to be servant leaders. Christianity is a majority religion in America, and it needs to stop using that fact as a bully pulpit and start using it to show God's love. We need to reach out beyond the church--in fact, I wouldn't mind seeing the traditional "church," the self-contained congregation in a church building, fall by the wayside in favor of a church that is present throughout the community in every way possible, not "evangelizing" but simply serving. We have people in the church of great means and of great influence--until they realize a more selfless view, discard the American dream and start giving others a hand up, the church will not be of any great consequence in the daily life of the greater culture. Of course, I say all this as a church "insider," but I really think the church can be--not is, necessarily, but can be--our greatest tool in moving toward a society that respects the dignity of all humans and allows all to live that out.