Forget just being our own God, now we get to be saviours of the world too!

By Paul

21 Dec 2008

I love how Christmas brings out a generous, consider the needs of others side in people. The fact that people can buy each other gifts that they’ve taken time to chose knowing it will make the recipient extremely happy and anticipating that smile of delight (hmmm and no socks don’t usually count!) is a reminder of the good in us all.

However this Christmas our generousity does not just extend to our nearest and dearest but the very global economy, or at least our own UK one itself! It would seem that us consumers can save the world by spending, spending and spending. Yes by doing the very things that got us carried away with greed in the first place – spending money we didn’t have on things we didn’t need – we can get back to those golden good times!

I can remember a time when the measures reported were things like GDP, volumes of exports and imports etc. Now its all about consumer confidence, consumer spending, consumer borrowing. Consumer! Consumer! Consumer!In short its what the adverts have been telling us for awhile now, in the market we the consumers are kings (or queens)! Admitedly our kingdom is looking a little threadbare right now but what better excuse for giving it a brand new refit.

Whilst the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams can critique the government economic policy of trying to re-kick the cheap credit cycle as being like “an addict returning to the drug” (is that like a dog returning to its vomit?) the Prime Minister can go all good samaritan on us and respond and say that it is wrong to walk by on the other side of the road when people are suffering (in this case its those irresponsible unregulated bankers that are the thieves who have left us all bruised and battered).

So in the midst of all the staggering enormities of the credit crunch and our own personal fears and worries, where and how do we locate ourselves as christians? Spending money this christmas might or might help us become global economic saviours but how does the world encounter its true saviour through us at this time?

Tagged: , , , , , ,

Share on Facebook

7 comments

Trackback


  1. Comment by Mike

    6.18 am on 21 Dec 2008

    Now the church has the opportunity to be what it was meant to be from the beginning… an alternative to the status quo, as opposed to its staunchest defender.

    1. Comment by Paul

      1.22 pm on 22 Dec 2008

      Thanks Mike. What kinda concrete actions have you experienced or would suggest that we in the church do then?

  2. Comment by steven hamilton

    7.04 pm on 22 Dec 2008

    hmmmm, off the top of my head…how about:

    …giving without expecting “return on investment” (christian generosity)

    …know thy neighbor or the poor, thus enabling you to be the best advocate for them, rather than speaking empty platitudes that may be truthful but not redemptive

    …spend/invest your time instead of your money

    …invite someone who has lost their job in the crisis to have a standing invitation to come round and eat with you

    …speak truth in loving action

    …get out and go to where the people are…especially if that means setting up a stand outside the unemployment office: “Queue up for Free Prayer” and risk God doing something special to people

    …have other people at your free prayer stand serve hot tea with boundless grace and generosity

    …call on your neighbors and do nothing but ask good questions and deeply listen to them

    1. Comment by Paul

      12.57 pm on 24 Dec 2008

      sounds good Steve, concrete christian actions helping to reshape our own outlook as well as caring for those around us…

  3. Comment by Mike

    3.14 am on 23 Dec 2008

    I’d say Steven’s list is a good start and would keep us busy.

    The reality is I’m not talking about adding programs to an existing institution, although that might be a good beginning. When I talk about “the church” I’m talking about the broader People of God. We need to remember who we are. For example, our governments are finding billions of dollars to shore up our prosperity machines, after telling us the money just couldn’t be found when it was to help the world’s poor. If we were living as the People of God we would have something to say about that, but when we’re supporting the status quo we look the other way, wring our hands, and talk about the economy.

    But, we say, without these bail-outs our economy might collapse! If we were living as the People of God we would be taking care of our neighbour, as Steven reminds us above. We would take each other in, feed each other, and give our coats and cloaks to each other. Utopian? Of course. But we are promised utopia. The kingdom is utopia.

    Many of us have come to believe that everything must change. If so, who said our economic models would be exempt? And… who said it would be easy?

    1. Comment by Paul

      12.55 pm on 24 Dec 2008

      Thanks Mike, good follow up comments. It is a challenge in terms of our economic model which is based on fear and scarcity vs the economy of God which is based on generousity and self sacrifice. We are very much creatures of consumerism and as you rightly say, seeing the kingdom of God break into us may actually cost us quite a lot…

  4. Comment by Mike

    5.19 pm on 24 Dec 2008

    Paul – This seems as good a place to repeat what I’ve been saying often on my own blog: Our current economic system of capitalism is based on ‘enlightened self-interest’. The Gospel on the other hand, if I can play with words for a moment, is based on ‘enlightened other-interest’. As such, I think the two are ultimately incompatible. Those who long to see the Kingdom come in its fullness should see this turmoil as a painful but necessary milepost on the way.(And I say that knowing full well some will mistakingly take me for an end times nut, which I am not!)

    Merry Christmas!

Comments are now closed.