Beyond Greed.

I haven't really fallen behind in my reading, just in my blogging about reading!

This is the latest book to help with the chapter on 'Simplicity'. I think the main themes are going to be simplicity, greed, generosity, contentment and stewardship (though the last one might not get much more than a mention...)

I bought the book yesterday, and read it today :o) The joys of a chunk of time to work in! (The HUGE downside is that I've spent the day working while Anna and Joshua are at Legoland - the sacrifice is great)

I found it helpful in the way it considers greed. There are also a whole bunch of 'Briefing' articles in this edition, which I guess fills it out a little, though obviously there's some overlap between the articles and the main text.
The book starts by claiming (I think rightly) that greed was viewed by the OT Jews and the early church as a very serious thing, and should be viewed no differently by us today. However, this is not a criticism of wealth, per se, but of greed. "Most of the hostility to wealth which can be found in the Old Testament is linked to the failure of the rich to act justly towards the stranger, the widow, the orphan and the poor."(p30)

There's a good (new) chapter on the 'prosperity gospel'. One thing that grabbed me was the prosperity gospel's interpretation of 2 Corinithians 8:9 [For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. NIV] The argument seems to be that Jesus left the riches of heaven so we could have the riches of earth... Two problems. One, the riches of heaven do not boil down to the fact that Jesus had piles of cash. They are not material-possession type riches. Two, it's ignoring the context of the passage, which isn't promising wads of cash, but equality in the (global) community of believers, so that no-one is in need (not so that everyone is well-heeled!)

Chapters 3 to 6 look at greed as idolatry, noting that greed is loving, trusting and serving the wrong thing.
Chapter 7 looks at contentment. "Enough is enough". Although, having said that, I think contentment would stretch to "less than enough is enough" otherwise Paul wouldn't be able to say he has learnt contentment, while also knowing what it is to be in need.
Chapter 8 looks at giving/generosity. Together with ch7, the 'solution' to greed is thus offered. "Giving and contentment are two sides of the same coin." Contentment is a willingness not to be grabbing possessions regardless of the cost, while giving is the willingness not to be keeping your possessions regardless of the cost.
There's a good section on Christian lifestyle (it's not really a chapter, as it's articles between chapters 8 and 9!)
The book concludes with a chapter on True Riches. Making the point, of course, that the greatest wealth is not financial, but spiritual. We are freed to be spiritually rich. There's a nice analogy in the final chapter. "The train is truly free only when it runs on the tracks, and, however inviting the alternative might appear, it would come to a grinding halt if it were free to plough into the field."

I think it's a great book. Challenges prosperity gospel and then challenges us to be radical in our Christian lifestyle. The trick now, of course, is to go and do it! To follow Christ's example in living sacrificially for the sake of others.

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...