These two chapters have made me begin to reflect on what it means to be a christian in the suburbs and also a missionary to the suburbs. Here are my thoughts:
So I think I am a suburban Christian and that's a term that always makes me cringe. I really feel guilty, selfish, and ineffective because I was raised in the burbs-an incredibly wealthy suburb no less. I discredit my faith a lot because I live in the suburbs-I am surrounded by comfort and have always had all my needs provided for. I don't know what it's like to go hungry or not have clean water or my own bedroom and when I go out of the suburbs I feel guilty because of these provisions.
In the burbs I don't feel wealthy because compared to a lot of my friends my family is not as well off. But just like the author of this book, it wasn't until I left HoCo that I realized how fortunate I was. Like when I would go to Baltimore and hang with homeless people, I finally saw how wealthy I was and tried to hide it. Are we supposed to be ashamed of having comfort and being provided for?
I really feel like a rich kid; and rich kids tend to be discredited for their achievements because they have everything provided for them (whether or not that's true); it's always so much more impressive, at least in America, to go from nothing to something. And after reading the gospels, it seemed like Jesus was calling us to be poor, to give away everything, and follow him; so I just assumed that to follow Jesus you had to be poor or you weren't a dedicated follower. Then I got this twisted mindset where I started judging other suburban Christians who had nice cars, took expensive vacations, and wore trendy clothes. I have been trying to break from my suburban roots ever since.
But reading this book has raised a new possibility for me. Is being a suburban Christian so bad? I mean it makes sense that in order to be a missionary you would have to live in the area that you wanted to witness to. But the idea that you can be a missionary to the suburb befuddles me. When I think of missionary, I think of some one being able to pick up and go to any location to spread the word. But not every one can afford to live in the suburbs so can it really be mission field if you need a certain income level to serve there?
Reading about the burbs and what they really are has made me begin to question about what it means to be a missionary, what a suburban missionary might look like, and if being a missionary to the suburbs is the same as being a missionary in 3rd world countries or in the inner city because it seems so much more comfortable and less sacrificial.
Yeah so these are my thoughts...sorry I'm a little late in sharing!
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What if being a missionary to the suburbs meant being sacrificial in the sense that mom would have to give up career-life to be an active part in her kids' lives and pta meetings, etc. What if it meant being uncomfortable when your car is a used one and everyone else's was brand spanking new. What if it meant being sacrifical in knowing your neighbors and knowing them well (offering to cut the grass for dear old mrs. robinson and babysitting for the newlyweds so they can have a date night away from the crying baby). I know these may seem like stupid and inefficient ways of ministry- but it may show the light of Jesus to the suburbs (just not in ways like digging a water well in africa).
ReplyDeletealso- i would have to question the statements about jesus calling christians to give up what they have. he called the rich young ruler to give up his possessions, but i believe that He did this b/c the rich ruler wasn't willing to give up his things for the kingdom. Can you point out specific scripture ref. were Jesus calls the christians/believers to give away their possessions? (perhaps I'm not recalling the passages? or remembering these passages of the gospels correctly?)
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ReplyDeleteI think being a suburban Christian is not so bad if you are a Christian who lives with purpose in the suburbs. I think what is bad is when someone is suburban and then Christian, which I think is what usually ends up being the case. Christ is then second to the suburban way of life. Not good. How do we overcome that?
ReplyDeleteBeing a missionary to the suburbs would certainly be possible, but it would also be the most challenging place to be a missionary because that makes it all the easier to slip into the way of life there with which you are comfortable and familiar rather than preaching repentance and a Christ centered way of life, to be the status quo rather than metanoia. And then you cease to be a missionary but are just a suburbanite who happens to be Christian.
Although this shouldn't matter, I'm not going to lie, being a missionary in the suburbs sounds much less exciting to me.
I think being a missionary in the suburbs would definitely involve sacrifice and random acts of kindness, but I think it would have to be somewhat more radical than just those things. Jesus wants more than for us to be nice.
What would intentional community look like in the suburbs? What would it look like to address poverty in the suburbs?
Kaycee -Check out all of Luke 12 (esp vs. 32-34) and Luke 14:25-33. Luke as a whole book is good for dealing with money and wealth issues. I'm sure there are other passages but those are the ones that stand out to me.
Luke 12:32-34 states:
ReplyDelete"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
So considering this passage as well as the passage in Ch 14- we have to look at Scripture in context. The last sentence in the passage states about the place of a person's heart. Where are treasure is there's our hearts also. If I take pride in my children then there's my heart--- in my children's accomplishments, and not in God's love. If my treasure is my successful job then there is my heart and not in God's love. If my treasure is in a vain pursuit of beauty then there is my heart, and it's not in God's. So I think that passage isn't calling us (all) to be "without possessions"--- I think its stating, "if we treasure 'items/etc' then we aren't treasuring God's kingdom (and we should be!)".
Now note: I do believe that some people (probably more than reality) are convicted to live simple lives with few possessions. I've met many people this year who were called to live in the city and live poorly at that. But I think when we look at these passages we need to realize that God isn't a god of disorder (think of this--- if all Christians sold all their possessions/statuses/nice jobs/etc then who would support the missionaries? pagans? probably not.).
Its like the image of the rich young ruler- he wasn't willing to live his lifestyle of the rich and famous for Jesus' kingdom. I think our hearts constantly have to be willing to leave everything (country/money/new house/significant other (who isn't our spouse)/family) behind if Jesus calls us to.
So here's the real question for us. What does it look for my life right now (and over this next year) to live as Jesus calls me to? I think this question is one needing much reflection and prayer but do you two already have given convictions on how your lives need to be lived out over the remained of the semester?
PS-
ReplyDeleteZac, I agree w/ you too- I think living in the suburbs would be boring too, but the question I keep asking myself is--- do I just say that because I wanted an "adventurous life" and if the answer is yes (and btw- I think it is yes) is that a vain desire?... to want an adventurous life?
What's the difference between wanting the coolest new SUV b/c it's cool, or wanting a donkey and cart (think Gambia) as transportation b/c it's cool?