God's Economy

A newish book by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove. Here's the blurb about the author:
J W-H is an associate minister at St. John's Baptist Church. A graduate of Duke Divinity School, Jonathan is engaged in reconciliation efforts in Durham, NC, directs the School for Conversion (newmonasticism.org), and is a sought-after speaker and author of several books. The Rutba House, where Jonathan lives with his wife, Leah, and their son, JaiMichael, and other friends, is a new monastic community that prays, eats, and lives together, welcoming neighbours and the homeless. Find out more at jonathanwilsonhartgrove.com
(I added some links for you!)

The book opens with a sort of gentle undermining of the author's original position on economy and justice - he questions his early desire to get to the White House (he was planning to become President and change things from the top down...) as simply another desire for power. His background and current life (as part of an 'intentional community) seem to lend more weight to his arguments. He clarifies some of the issues with economy and justice ("the rich spend more on diets than the poorest of the poor spend on food") and examines the desire for power as a means of helping others. He notes that, according to one survey, the average American wants 40% more than they have now, regardless of their current financial state.
Following Jesus' teaching, he suggests that we should live lives of service. He also notes that, in the time of Jesus, the main economic 'system' was family households, and when Jesus calls us to be like children, this is a state of financial worthlessness and utter dependence on the father of the house.

He reminds us that "we have to struggle with the challenge of how to rely completely on God in world where it looks like we have to fend for ourselves to survive."
He also makes a brave (considering it's a largely American audience) link between the methods of Jesus and those of Al-Qaeda. A subversive approach that offers hope and a future to those with little or none.

I'm still only about halfway through, but am enjoying the book at the moment.
Don't think I'll manage to convince the family into a commune right yet though...


*** part 2 ***
(Part two of the blog, that is - the book itself isn't in parts!)
JWH questions our desire to 'safeguard' our future on earth with insurance and savings and the like. He says rather that "God's children plan ahead by investing ourselves now in the never-ending kingdom of abundance". What God has given us should not be diverted to the world's system of abundance, but should be reinvested in the kingdom from which it comes. Thinking about it like that makes sense - when you have a guaranteed eternal future available, invest all you can in it! 'For where your treasure is...' Jesus doesn't offer us unbridled success in the world's system, but indestructible/irremovable certainty of 'return' in heaven. JWH does a better job than I'm doing of clarifying the Bible's position on prosperity though (read the book, not this blog...). Kind of like if you're wanting to get prosperous by following God's laws right, then you've missed the point. I guess because blessings on earth are a gift, not part of your earnings...