Saturday, November 24, 2007

Christian movement seeks solidarity with poor and suffering

Have you heard about the movement in (American Protestant) Christianity away from spiritual materialism and toward the vision of Christ as representing God's solidarity with "even the least of these"? These values have always been a part of the Christian tradition, although obviously like any cultural institution such values can become subverted for the sake of politics, and apparently they are becoming more of the central focus for many Christians. That isn't to say that the people who helped to bring the "neocons" to power under the agenda labeled "Guns, God, and Gays" have vanished or that for many evangelicals and other Christians issues such as abortion have become passe, but it turns out that more and more followers of Christ are into- well, I'll let someone who is chronicling this "revolution" describe it:
Elizabeth and I have been traveling the country for the past few months working on a couple of different projects. Right away, we kept bumping into these amazing communities of “progressive evangelical” Christians—that is, people who hold a lot of progressive (even radical) political views, but who believe in an almost fundamentalist theology. It’s a huge movement—possibly of up to twenty million active participants. And so I decided to start this blog as way of explaining it to my secular progressive friends and colleagues back in DC.

I have been watching this “Revolutionary Christian” scene for a couple years already. Honestly, I thought I was exaggerating its size when I was trying to get my friends excited about it. But, as it turns out, it’s far bigger than I ever imagined.

When Elizabeth and I got married, I started going to church with her. We were in North Carolina then, and explored many different non-denominational and charismatic evangelical churches. I was shocked at how radical they were when it came to social-economic issues. They all seemed to be whipped up in the beginnings of some sort of conscious mass return to the spirit of Early Christianity—of leaving your wealth behind, not just helping the poor but joining the poor, adopting kids lost in the foster system and HIV+ babies, etc….

Only small handfuls of people in the congregations were actually doing those kinds of things, but they were being held up as the ideal, while the preachers relentlessly laid down the new/ancient theology of building “the Kingdom of Heaven” here on Earth, and of a Jesus who is “the God of the poor and oppressed.”

For me, surprise turned to feverish curiosity when a mostly upper-middle class/suburban/Republican mega-church had a sermon, based on the New Testament Epistle to the Colossians, that railed against the “Empire” of Pax Americana—the empire of “might makes right” and idolatrous consumerism.
I wonder if there is a connection between this movement and the (environmentally) Green movement within American heartland-style Christianity?


Thanks to Metacrock for bringing this story to my attention.c

2 comments:

  1. Unfortunately I can never be a happy person in this life as a human until the demonic force is destroyed. Until poverty is history. Such an insane existence! If only we pulled together as one nation to re-construct healthier living habits for the poor and all rebels put into correction and years of humbling and lessons on God.
    It makes sense we need God and Jesus as our upward rise leaders, because humanity is one big grrrr! One big suffering self-destructive existence.
    If I had all the money and love in the world right now, after suffering which I have been through, which has built heart and character in me. I would not be truly happy unless I live in a world that is fair. Because hey, I could have been born into a country that rapes, where rebels are, where food is hard to find, and disease is easy to have.
    But there is no magic wand. But prayer, hope, effort, love, understanding, influence, sacrifice, ...... there needs to be a powerful law so we can re-construct poor countries ways of living. And to eliminate rebels and negative cruel obstacles!
    Is it too hard to get an American Army to drive out these things, these rebels? What, because they won't have anything to gain such as power? Oil? Money? But they would gain an amazing credibility and humility! It would be brilliant. Then again I am not an educated person, I only speak all this from my heart. I have more seeking God to do, because such things frustrate me. What would life have been like if Adam and Eve didn't eat the apple, we still would have choices right? And because the tree is still there exposed to humanity? Someone would have eventually partaken of the fruit or would the test have been past and Satan put away from humanity? Or is Satan serving an evil existence, more evil than himself because he had the choice in Heaven when he was kicked out of Heaven!! Life seemed more exciting when I never looked into God, but it was dangerous at times, and empty so I have to be greatful, even if I am frustrated, at least I am on some kind of focus. Amen. Angel.

    ReplyDelete
  2. CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHY GOD PERMITTS SUCH SUFFERING AS IN HIM CREATING PEOPLE INTO LANDS THAT PRODUCE ONLY POVERTY? ARE THEY PUNISHED OR CURSED FROM A GENERATIONAL CURSE? OR BECAUSE OF THE MARK OF CAIN? OR WHAT? WHY IS A LOVING GOD CREATING A PEOPLE TO LIVE IN SUCH CONDITIONS ANYWAY? HE CREATED THE EARTH.. WHY CAN'T IT BE LIKE NEW ZEALAND. GOOD CROPS. A SOCIETY WHERE PEOPLE CAN HELP EACH OTHER TO SURVIVE. OF COURSE WE HAVE CONSEQUENCES TO SUFFER FOR OUR SIN. BUT THOSE PEOPLE IN POOR COUNTRIES ARE BORN INTO SUCH BIZZARE SUFFERING, I AM GUILTY TO LIVE MY LIFE IN COMFORT..
    I KNOW I CAN CONTRIBUTE, BUT I STILL NEED AN ANSWER TO WHY GOD CREATED SUCH SITUATIONS..ANGEL XX

    ReplyDelete

Hello! Thanks for leaving a comment.

Everything but spam and abusive comments are welcome. Logging in isn't necessary but if you don't then please "sign" at the end of your comment. You can choose to receive email notifications of new replies to this post for your convenience, and if you find it interesting don't forget to share it. Thanks!

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...