Kevin Lum

Glenn Beck Advises Christians to Leave Their Church

2010-03-08T15:31:00.007-05:00

I try to avoid talking about Glenn Beck. To me, he’s not much more than circus clown – truthfully, I’m not sure he views himself as much more than that. But, he finally crossed a line, when he said,

I beg you, look for the words 'social justice' or 'economic justice' on your church Web site. If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, they are code words. Now, am I advising people to leave their church? Yes!"

Personally, I’m not really that concerned by Beck’s rejection of the term social justice. So be it. But, I am concerned that millions of folk watch Beck on a nightly basis and have no idea what the term means. So I thought it might be helpful to quickly explore the term.

The term social justice was actually coined by a Jesuit priest, Luigi Taparelli (based on the teachings of Aquinas) in the 1840s. Since then, the term has been used by lots of different groups. Truthfully, outside a particular context, the word really has no meaning. But, for most Christians, the term social justice is shaped by a biblical understanding of what it means to be a just society. We discover glimpses and visions of this society throughout scripture. It is not some nebulous Rawlsian idea of justice and rights, but it is a vision of justice rooted in the holiness of God.

Sojourners magazine (my employer) published a great article a couple years back, that sought to give a better definition of social justice – pulling from Catholic social teaching. The author, Rose Marie Berger, a Catholic said,

The principle of social justice, according to Catholic social teaching, requires the individual Christian to act in an organized manner with others to hold social institutions accountable—whether government or private—to the common good. The “common good comprises the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully and more easily,” according to Pope Paul VI. However, social justice can become hollow if it is not constantly in touch with real people’s experiences.

What is Glen Beck afraid of? Why should people run when they hear this term? It seems that conservatives and liberals can agree on a society where individuals are able to reach their full fulfillment, in the easiest manner possible. When society becomes unequal in opportunity, it is time for people of faith to hold those in power accountable.

Am I missing something? Even the Heritage Foundation published a small group study entitled, “Seeking Social Justice?” Sure, there are disagreements about the path to social justice, but to reject the idea of a just society – that’s simply ridiculous.

Pete Rollins - Resurrection as Insurrection

2010-03-08T10:51:00.001-05:00

I've not read much by Pete Rollins, but this is an interesting interview. Pete basically says, belief in the event of the resurrection is nothing less than participation in an insurrection.

Nothing to Offer But Fear

2010-03-04T16:33:00.013-05:00

I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry at this story.

Somehow, a GOP fundraising strategy presentation, given by RNC Finance Director Rob Bickhart, to top donors and fundraisers, was leaked to the POLITICO yesterday. The contents of the presentation exposed the worst of American politics. The goal of the presentation was simple: play on the fears of our small donors and the egos of our large donors.

I think these two slides really sum up the presentation and give us a glimpse of what we can expect to see over the next few months from the GOP, leading into the mid-term elections:

When will Americans decide enough is enough? Republicans, not Democrats, across the country, should rise up in disgust and call the party leaders to account for their deplorable tactics. It seems that the GOP leadership has nothing to offer other than irrational fear.

Note to GOP: there’s a model for winning political elections with without stooping to fear, it’s simple - lead.

Leading up to 2004 mid-term elections, Newt Gingrich kept a copy of the "Contract with America" in his coat pocket. Every candidate knew the pledge by heart. The contract contained ten legislative priorities that the Republicans promised to pass if elected. 9 of the 10 where passed. Obstruction may win short-term electoral gains, but it will not help a country in crisis. Leading up to the November elections in 1994, the Republicans had not controlled both the House and Senate in nearly 50 years. But, armed with a clear vision of where they wanted to go - they accomplished the impossible – the GOP took control of both chambers of Congress.

Imagine what would happen if the two political parties actually stopped yelling at each other and led. Sure there are disagreements, but that’s the beauty of political debate.

Until we move beyond a politics of blame and fear, we’ll never be able to solve the grave challenges our nation faces.

By All Means, Reach Some

2010-03-03T22:48:00.014-05:00

It seems no story is too inane for CNN these days. Case in point, this story about a nudist church in Virginia. Although, the story doesn't interest me nearly as much as the churches choice of hymnal. It's the Church of the Nazarene's, "Sing to the Lord." I wonder if this is a new church plant?

The Candle Problem

2010-03-03T22:23:00.007-05:00

In 1945, Carl Duncker created a research project, where he gave participants a candle, a box of thumbtacks, and a book of matches, and asked them to attach the candle to the wall so that it did not drip onto the table below. Duncker found that participants tried to attach the candle directly to the wall with the tacks, or to glue it to the wall by melting it. Few thought of using the inside of the box as a candleholder.

But, more recently, researchers added a twist to Dunker’s theory. They split the test subjects into two groups. One half was simply asked to complete the task with no reward and the other half was told the person who finished first, would win a cash prize. Over and over again, the team with the reward, with the carrot if you will - failed miserably. Taking on average three and a half minutes longer to complete the task.

Then researchers added another twist. They took the tacks out of the box and simply left the empty tack box alongside the matches, candle, and tacks. The solution was now obvious and both teams found the solution much quicker - but this time, the incentivized team won, over and over again.

The conclusion was that the incentivised participants were “fixated” on the box’s normal function of holding thumbtacks and could not re-conceptualize it in a manner that allowed them to solve the problem. The prize actually narrowed the participant’s focus. The cash prize somehow prohibited them from thinking outside the box - or inside the box in this situation. On the other hand, if you have a narrow goal and vision – rewards work.

This situation caused me to think about the Christian spirituality. It seems that the Christianity has often been reduced to a narrow view of reward and punishment. Follow the right set of rules and you'll receive the reward of heaven. Disobey the rules and well....you know what happens.

I still remember my first youth revival I preached. I preached my heart out to nearly 300 teens. But, at the end, I said, "My goal is not to keep you out of hell, although I don't want any of you to spend eternity apart from God, but my goal is to help you experience a relationship with a God who loves and cares for you deeply." I finished and almost immediately, a local youth worker jumped to the microphone to make sure the children knew about hell and eternal damnation.

Like the participants fixated on the financial reward, a narrow Christian walk does well when incentivised by reward (and punishment), but if you choose the narrow view of Christianity, you will miss the fullness of God's grace, love and majesty. You will fail to notice God in unusual places and unusual people. In your fixation upon the "reward", you will miss the full life that God has for you.

Faith, Food & Holiness

2010-02-15T16:39:00.005-05:00

Food. Few things affect our lives on a daily basis, in a more intimate way. We all eat.

Yet, I cannot remember the last time I heard food mentioned from a pulpit, unless it was to announce a potluck or make a passing reference to gluttony - often followed by an awkward joke about the pastor’s weight. When was the last time you heard a Sunday school lesson about food or small group study dedicated to healthy eating? I'd guess it's been a while.

I mention this, because the United States is becoming an increasingly unhealthy nation, as we consume copious amount of refined and unhealthy food. Now, I'm not a health nut, nor do I claim to be a particularly healthy eater. But, Charla and I are trying. We're taking small steps. Less refined food. Eating more vegetables. Cooking more meals at home. But, my foray into healthier eating has also been an eye opening experience for me. Eating healthy is expensive! Buying fresh fruits and vegetables can be cost prohibitive. Not to mention the time it takes to cook at home.

As a minister, and someone who is concerned with justice issues, I've begun thinking about food as an issue for the church to address. What are practices that congregations embody or would address this issue? What if churches started vegetable gardens and cooking cooperatives? What if a church offered cooking classes? Because as James Oliver reminded us this week at the TED Conference, if we don't change our ways - our food habits will kill us.

But, even if we realize our need to eat healthier, the cost can be prohibitive. Low-income families are the hardest hit buy the food crisis, because empty calories are cheap. Fruits and vegetables are expensive. Cooking at home is expensive for my wife and I, two decently paid professionals, I cannot imagine what it must be like for a family of four barely making ends meet. For more on this issue, check out LaVonne Neff's blog about eating healthy on food stamps.

I've been reading a lot about the holiness revivals this week. Revival was never confined to simply an internal salvation, but spilled over into ethical concerns in all areas of life. What does it mean to live a holy life? Some of the revivalist concerns seem outdated and antiquated to our modern ears, but their concern was living out the gospel in a public way. There prohibition on dress or even their crusades against alcohol may be hard for us to understand, but the goal was simple - how do we live out the gospel in an authentic way.

Revivalist fought against alcohol, because they saw the destructive influences alcohol on had families and communities. Diabetes is skyrocketing, weight related illnesses are on the rise and obesity is off the charts. I can't help but wonder if food issues should not be the temperance movement of our time.

Food and a shared table are central themes throughout Scripture. Not to mention the idea that our bodies are the temple of the Lord and that we have a responsibility to care for our bodies. What if food once again became central to congregations? I'm not sure what the answers are; I've only just begun to think. I'd be interested to hear other thoughts and ideas.

Changing face of the church?

2009-05-11T00:02:00.001-04:00

Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Ft. Lauderdale, FL was an epicenter of the religious right and by many accounts one of the countries most prestigious pulpits. Led by Dr. D James Kennedy, until his death in 2007, the church was political powerhouse for much of the last two decades. After going without a pastor since Kennedy’s death, the Church board decided to merge with New City Church – a new church plant led by Billy Graham's grandson, Rev. Tullian Tchividjian.

It’s clear that Tullian Tchividjian is different than Dr. D. James Kennedy, but I think he also provides a further glimpse into the changing face of the church. Two things stood out to me in a recent profile of Tchividjian by Christianity Today. CT says, “Tchividjian credits Anabaptist theologian Stanley Hauerwas for showing him how the church should be the church and not worry about winning cultural approval.” As a fan of Stanley Haurewas, I see that as a hopeful sign. But even more interesting is his thoughts on gospel. Tchividjian says, "The gospel is both individual and communal....The gospel is not simply the story of Christ dying on the cross for sinners. It also involves Christ rising again as the first fruits that will eventually make all things new. There is a universal dimension to the gospel." As CT points out, this sounds more like John Stott than Billy Graham or D. James Kennedy. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Tchividjian and Coral Ridge Presbyterian.

Mike Gerson on the "Nones"

2009-05-08T00:00:00.001-04:00

Mike Gerson, former Bush speech writer, has an article in today's WashPo that provides even more insight into Putnam's study. Gerson says, "The politicization of religion by the religious right, argues Putnam, caused many young people in the 1990s to turn against religion itself, adopting the attitude: 'If this is religion, I'm not interested.' The social views of this younger cohort are not entirely predictable: Both the pro-life and the homosexual-rights movement have made gains." But as I pointed out, all hope is not lost. In fact, there are signs for serious encouragement. Gerson continues on, "But Putnam regards the growth of the 'nones' as a spike, not a permanent trend. The young, in general, are not committed secularists. 'They are not in church, but they might be if a church weren't like the religious right. . . . There are almost certain to be religious entrepreneurs to fill that niche with a moderate evangelical religion, without political overtones." I might add, complete political disengagement on the part of church folk is not the answer. Although young people are not interested in a religious right or a religious left, they are interested in seeing structural change and are savvy enough to realize structural change cannot preclude political involvement.

Robert Putnam on Religion in America

2009-05-07T00:00:00.003-04:00

Historically, the number of individuals who say they have no religious affiliation in America ranges between 5-10%, but a new poll conducted by Robert Putnam (ofBowling Alone fame) and the Pew Forum on Faith in Public Life shows the “nones” is skyrocketing to 30-40% among Generation X and Y. At first glance this would seem like a disturbing trend, at least for those who care about the church and evangelism, but Putnam believes the opposite may be true. The declining trend in religious affiliation could in fact provide an opportunity for a revival of faith in America. In other words, as the religious right declines and the American civil religion dies, there is room for something new to arise out of the ashes.

According to ABC News, Putnam makes clear that the majority of the “nones” are not atheist. In fact he says, “Many of them are people who would otherwise be in church,” He continues. “They have the same attitudes and values as people who are in church, but they grew up in a period in which being religious meant being politically conservative, especially on social issues.” Young people are rejecting the overly politicized religion of their childhood and what they see as an increasingly corrupt institutional church – not God. Putnam sees an opportunity for the church. “Jesus said, ‘Be fishers of men,’” says Putnam, “and there’s this pool with a lot of fish in it and no fishermen right now.”

It is becoming increasingly clear that young people are tired of a religion that stays silent on the great issues of our day, issues like the environment, poverty and education, but they are energized by a faith that leads to social action. Last week at Sojourners’ Mobilization to End Poverty, a young man approached a staff member to tell a familiar story. He grew up in a conservative church, left the faith because he could not believe in the God of his childhood, and then, one night, he heard Jim Wallis speak. Jim shared the gospel of a God who cares for the poor and the marginalized of the world and of a God who calls us to do the same. That night, he returned to Christ.

In social settings, I am often asked to explain where I work. At first, when they hear I work for a religious organization they start looking for someone else to talk with, but as I continue to explain our work you can see the spark in their eye and they’ll almost always reply, “tell me more. I’m not a person of faith/I left the faith, but I like the sound of this.”

However, I see time and time again that young people are not interested in a watered down faith that simply does good work or a faith that replaces the religious right with the religious left. Young people are attracted to an authentic faith in Jesus, grounded in Scripture that leads to social action. A friend of Sojourners tells the story of growing up in a home that taught social justice, but not knowing why she should get out of bed for church. Then during the midst of a struggle for racial justice in a small Texas town, a group of activists - that had been ostracized from local churches for shaking up the social order – began to sing together, pray together and read Scripture together. It was the worshipping community, she says, that gave them the strength to continue on. She had a reason to get out of bed on Sunday. In my opinion, the church must learn to weave together social action, evangelism, a commitment to Scripture, and a worshipping community if it is going to attract the growing number of “nones.” In the midst of what appear to depressing news for religious folk I am hopeful and believe that God is doing a new thing.

TIVO + Netflix = Cable Killer?

2009-05-06T23:59:00.000-04:00

A couple months ago, with fears of the world economic collapse looming, Charla and I decided that it was time to cut back on discretionary spending. Looking over our budget, we realized cable was an easy first cut. With the government mandated switch to digital TV, local television channels often look better when viewed with a simply antenna - the quality amazes me at times. But, we had become attached to our Comcast DVR and hated to miss the Daily Show. Then I discovered Boxee - think AppleTV interface - that allowed me to stream the Daily Show and tons of other shows, to my HDTV for free. Daily Show dilemma solved. Next, I purchased a TiVo HD from Amazon at a significant discount (along with three free months from TiVo) and I was on my way. But finally, and maybe most exciting, I can now stream Netflix through my TiVo box. The quality of the stream movies and TV shows is definitely better than via DVD. Since cutting our cable, we have not looked back and we enjoy spending the $80 we save each month on things we really enjoy, like eating great food.

Small Group Resources

2009-04-21T23:58:00.000-04:00

If you're looking for a small group study, I would highly recommend Hungry for Justice; a six-week study for individuals and small groups that I co-edited last year along with Rose Marie Berger for Sojourners. I feel a bit uncomfortable recommending a book that I helped edit, but the quality of this study had little do with me and everything to do with Jim's ability with words and Rose's excellent editorial skills - I simply come up with ideas.

The study is based on Jim Wallis' 1981 classic, The Call to Conversion and provides the reader a daily reading, a scripture on the same theme, a provocative question, and a prayer. Every seventh day is arranged for use with a small group, including a story-based group organizing model, worship suggestion, stimulating discussion questions, and action suggestions.

A Church You Can Believe In

2009-04-18T23:57:00.000-04:00

It’s hard to believe, but it has been almost a year since my last post, right after the Columbus Justice Revival. Oddly, a year later, I'm again blogging about Vineyard Columbus and pastor Rich Nathan.

When you walk away from a conversation with Rich, you cannot help but be hopeful about the future of the church. Rich is unabashedly committed to evangelism and equally committed to poverty reduction and creation care. That's why I wasn't surprised to read this article from the Columbus Dispatch:

The Rev. Rich Nathan knew that the 8,000 people in his congregation were generous. They've given hundreds of thousands of dollars to causes. But even he was surprised by the size of a special collection to help the unemployed. Over Palm Sunday weekend, the congregation at Vineyard Church of Columbus gave $586,000 in cash and checks. Since then, the total has grown to $625,000... The money will support the church's programs that help people find jobs and offer counseling for the emotional toll of unemployment.

Rich’s church serves as an interesting model. In an economic downturn, Columbus Vineyard managed to raise over $600,000 – in two weeks. At the same time, across the country, churches are increasingly struggling to encourage congregants to give generously – especially young people. But, congregants are no longer willing to give money for bloated budgets and overpriced buildings without understanding the church's strategic output. Charla and I are not interested in giving our money to support the “ministry of the church” when in reality the money and impact never moves far beyond the four walls of the church. We want to know how our money is making a difference in our community and the world. I don’t think people are becoming stingier or that young people are less willing to give (as some would suggest), but we want to be given a vision and story that we can believe in.

Columbus Justice Revival

2008-04-24T23:57:00.000-04:00

I just returned from a week in Columbus, OH after staffing the first ever Justice Revival. What an exciting experience. Sojourners (my employer) partnered with Vineyard Columbus and First Church of God(along with 38 other churches) to host an incredible city-wide event that called people to Christ and a commitment to social justice. The response was phenomenal with upwards of 100+ people coming forward each evening for prayer, to commit their lives to Christ and to deepen their commitment to justice. Just imagine a mix of charismatic zeal, old-time altar calls and Jim Wallis preaching. It was quite an event.

Rich Nathan (senior pastor of Vineyard Columbus) said, "God is healing the divorce between the mainline and the evangelicals." The gospel is no longer limited simply to salvation or social justice, but the church is being brought together together as we say both are equally important. Each evening, the pastors of the partner churches processed in and would stand on stage, while the members of their congregation cheered. It looked like the kingdom. Mainline pastors in their collars, next to emergent pastors in flip-flops and shorts, next to African-American pastors, next to suburban pastors - all gathered to say the gospel is not either/or. Those assembled did not agree on everything, but they did agree that God has a deep concern from the poor and oppressed of Columbus and the world and they that had a responsibility to put their faith into action.

As the book UnChristian has pointed out, the church has a serious image problem, but events like the Justice Revival in Columbus are helping to reshape the churches image. Five years ago, if you asked for a definition of an evangelical, it would be, "white, suburban Republican." The definition is changing and slowly the political baggage is disappearing, the answer is increasingly becoming, "evangelicals are those who care for the least, the last and the lost."

Click here to read a front page article from the Columbus Dispatch about the Justice Revival.

National Pastors Convention

2008-02-22T23:56:00.000-05:00

Each February, Zondervan publisher sponsors the National Pastors Convention in San Diego. This year, along with my colleague Aaron Graham, I will be facilitating an early bird seminar entilted, "From Compassion to Action." If you're going to be in San Diego, be sure to stop by and say hello. Also, my boss and all aground great guy, Jim Wallis, will be speaking on Thursday evening for a few minutes at the plenary session and on Friday morning at a workshop.

Dobson to Endorse Huckabee

2008-02-07T23:56:00.000-05:00

According to an AP story, James Dobson is going to endorse Mike Huckabee. I have to wonder, why did he wait until the GOP primary is all but over? This boost could have potentially helped Huckabee early on, but now it will provide little more than a blip. Does this mean that Dobson has been secretly supporting Romney or is this driven by his odd hatred of McCain?

I'm still confused by the American Spectators certainty of Dobson's endorsement of Huckabee, only to withdraw the story a few hours later.

Romney Ends Bid for the Presidency

2008-02-07T23:55:00.000-05:00

Well it's official, Mitt Romney has ended his bid for the presidency and set his sights on 2012. His supporters have many excuses for his failed candidacy, in particular, perceived prejudice from evangelicals against his religious beliefs. In my opinion, Romney didn't fail because evangelicals are prejudiced against mormons - although prejudice may exist - Romney lost, because he appeared to be the most inauthentic candidate to run for president in my lifetime. No one had any idea what he stood for and that scares everyone - Republicans and Democrats alike.

Everything Must Change

2008-02-07T23:54:00.000-05:00

I spent this past weekend in Charlotte, NC with Brian McLaren and his Everything Must Change tour. I always enjoy my time out of the office, because I meet great people and make great new friends.

This was my first time to Charlotte, NC and it proved to be a very eventful trip, including a wild taxi ride across the city and a SERIOUSLY delayed train that caused me to miss a meeting in DC. But, with that aside, Charlotte is a great city. I was particularly impressed with Area Fifteen - a wonderful prayer and arts community - that helped host the McLaren event.

One of my new friends from Charlotte is Melvin Bray. He describes himself as a learner, teacher, writer, storyteller, lover of people, connoisseur of creativity and believer in possibilities. A man after my own heart. Melvin recently interviewed Brian McLaren in response to a critical article in Christianity Today by John Wilson of Books and Culture. The CT article and Brian's response on Melvin's blog are both worth reading.

Karl Barth Is Going Back to Prison

2007-10-01T23:53:00.000-04:00

Here's an update on my previous post from God's Politics:

To everyone who took action and emailed the Bureau of Prisons, thank you! On Sept. 14, Sojourners helped break the story that the federal government had created a list of acceptable religious books and purged all other books from the religious libraries. Often these stories fade away and are quickly replaced by the latest crisis, but because of our readers' dedication and persistence (demonstrated by sending over 21,000 emails in just over a week), the Bureau of Prisons has reversed its policy!

According to their statement provided to NPR yesterday:

In response to concerns expressed by members of several religious communities, the Bureau of Prisons has decided to alter its planned course of action with respect to the Chapel Library Project. The Bureau will begin immediately to return to chapel libraries materials that were removed in June 2007, with the exception of any publications that have been found to be inappropriate.

I received a note today from a friend who works with prison inmates that I would like to share with all of you. It states, "On behalf of all federal inmates and chaplains, I thank you for your crucial part in accomplishing this." This is not just a thank you to Sojourners, but this is a thank you to each and every one of you who took action.

Karl Barth Belongs In Prison

2007-09-10T23:52:00.000-04:00

Here's a blog post that I wrote for God's Politics:

Before coming to Sojourners to serve as the congregational coordinator, I had the unique opportunity to teach Protestant faith formation classes at Leavenworth federal prison in Kansas. Leavenworth was experimenting with a program called Life Connections that allowed Muslims, Christians, and adherents of a variety of faith traditions the opportunity to live together in community and participate in spiritual formation. Participants had the opportunity to deepen their own faith and, at the same time, build trust and friendships with people from other faiths.

I will never forget arriving at the "Big House" for the first time. I approached the ominous guard tower, announced myself, and ascended the long staircase toward the prison entrance. There is something unsettling about the first time you hear the door click behind you. Yet the biggest surprise was not the unsettling confinement, but the students I was about to meet. I had great plans for imparting my superior knowledge of Christian faith and its life implications to the program participants. But when I arrived, I realized that the awaiting class would not only be students, but they would be fellow dialogue partners on the Christian journey. In particular, I was impressed by their knowledge of church history, theology, and the ability of one student to quote Thomas à Kempis.

The participants, who would soon become friends, had amassed an incredible knowledge of the Christian faith and its history from an extensive religious library in the prison. I was a little jealous of their selection. That's why I am outraged this week to read the following in The New York Times:

Behind the walls of federal prisons nationwide, chaplains have been quietly carrying out a systematic purge of religious books and materials that were once available to prisoners in chapel libraries.

The Bureau of Prisons has created a list of acceptable religious books from various faiths and excluded all others. In the name of cleansing the library of radical beliefs, some of the greatest Christian authors have been removed. Who are some of the purged authors? Karl Barth, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Cardinal Avery Dulles, just to name a few. Additionally, the Bureau of Prisons has refused to pay for re-stocking the libraries after the purge, leaving many religious libraries near empty.

In our world and especially in a prison system, where religious faith often seems to divide, my friends in Life Connections, assisted by their extensive religious library, deepened not only their faith but had a profound and positive impact upon Leavenworth federal prison. The purging of religious books from a federal institution hampers not only the discipleship of prisoners, but it should cause us to pause and ask ourselves how this happened in the name of freedom and safety.

Christian View of Economics?

2007-08-08T23:07:00.002-04:00

I ran across a blog post by John Armstrong (Acton Institute blog) this week dealing with economics, Christianity, and social justice. My interest was peaked. I was especially intrigued by a quote directed towards young people who care about economic justice that states, "Until you have done this serious work in economic thinking Jim Wallis will appear brilliant and consistently Christian in most of his arguments. I believe you will soon discover the opposite to be the case if you dig into these issues that I have mentioned." The author suggested that his own economic journey had been helped along Milton Friedman and F. A. Hayek’s classic, The Road to Serfdom. I have a couple of comments about this post.
First, Jim Wallis does not claim to be an economist and makes no claim (at least that I’m aware of) to any particular economic school of thought. He does make clear, on a regular basis, that a society has a responsibility to care for each of God’s children – that includes making sure children do not go hungry and ensuring that healthcare is not a luxury of the privileged few. Take from that whatever economic theory you wish, but to me that is good theology.
Second, this post intrigued me because my first economics book was Road to Serfdom and I understand well laissez-fair economic liberalism. Hayek, Freidman and others of their ilk believe that markets are amoral and are best guided by an invisible hand and without government involvement. The basic premise is this, people will pursue their own self-interest and by doing so, if the government stays out of the way, great economic prosperity will come. When asked about the poor - they would claim that everyone, including the poor, benefits from a robust economy (a compassionate libertarian would say charity should fill in the gap).
There is truth to the laissez-fair economic theory. People do prosper, at least for a time, when the government removes itself and allows the market forces to operate. Unfortunately, the market is not “intrinsically good” as the Armstrong says in his post. The market rewards greed and individualism and thrives on self-interest. These characteristics do not fit with the biblical view of justice that we find in scripture or with the call of Christ upon our lives.
We can argue about differing schools of economic thought, Keynesian or laissez-fair economic liberalism, Freidman or Galbraith, but whatever the chosen school of economic theory - we must be unified in our commitment to care for the needs of all God’s children’s. The market will not make sure that every child has healthcare, the market will not put an end to child labor, and the market will not make housing affordable for all. While the charity is useful and I applaud the market’s ability to bring economic prosperity to formerly poor countries, we must realize that this cannot negate our need as a society and especially as Christians to work toward justice for all.

Imagination Problem

2007-07-15T23:06:00.001-04:00

For the past couple of years I have been fascinated by the concept of imagination. It seems that our imaginations are deadened by the stories we are told each day. The movies we watch, the news we hear, the history we read - all seem to validate a particular picture of the world. We are bombarded on a daily basis with the story of power, wealth and consumption. It is hard to move beyond what appears to be reality and imagine another way of living.

While working for Sojourners as a congregational coordinator, I am often asked, "how can we as a local church embody justice." I encounter people at coffee shops that say, "we have a church full of people who want to make a difference, who want to live differently, but we're not sure what to do next." The problem is not a lack of desire, but a lack of a concrete vision. While acknowledging up front that I'm wrestling with the same questions, this blog is an attempt to think imaginatively about the church, about Christian vocation and embodying the kingdom.

Introduction

2007-07-15T23:05:00.000-04:00

Like writing the first paragraph to a paper - the first post on a blog is the hardest, I hope. How should I begin? Should I introduce myself? Should I be particularly witty, should I wow with my brilliant insight that the world (I'm sure) cannot do without, or should I even care, because who reads a first blog post anyway?

I begin my journey into the world of blogging with a bit of reluctance. What can I say that has not been said a hundred times? Yet, maybe my own journey and questions about the role of the church, Christian vocation and the kingdom of God will be of some help to others on the same journey.

Currently, I serve as the congregational coordinator at Sojourners in Washington, DC. Working at Sojourners and my position in particular, are a perfect fit for me and my life's journey. I am a theologian by training, but I have been captivated by the question, "What does it mean to embody justice as the church?" My time at Sojourners affords me the opportunity answer that question.

My journey has led me from holding statewide leadership in College Republicans and serving as a youth ambassador to the 2000 Republican convention - to working and living among the poor and oppressed of Oklahoma City. It has led me from local parish ministry to my current position at Sojourners. It has led me from studying theology to seeking to understand how to best live out my theological convictions.

What else can I tell you? I enjoy reading, studying theology, and drinking coffee. I am also a licensed minister with the Church of the Nazarene and live with my wife in the Washington, DC metro area.