"Instead of antimaterialism or generalized "hostility to wealth," we find specific theological and moral rationales for the attitude toward material possesssions in the New Testament. Material wealth is problematic because it is often a hindrance to heeding the gospel; it is dangerous because it is a temptation to the sin of idolatry; it is suspect because it is frequently the result or the means of social injustice; finally, it's disposition is a matter of great moral weight, as the response to human needs is a sign of the advent of God's kingdom and a test of the love that identifies Jesus' true followers."--Preach it, Sista!
So, I take this to mean...wealth and ample material possessions in and of themselves are not inherently "sinful." whew. But lest we think we're off the hook, we need to maintain an accountable level of eduation and awareness regarding the production and disposal of the products we do buy and own, so as to avoid contributing as much as possible to a vicious cycle of neglecting human rights in order to acquire more--a very Western and colonial ideal, I might add--the quest for more, that is.
2 comments:
This is a great quote, Lauren. She seems not to overstate the issue, which is definitely a tendency in theological discussions of this topic. I wonder however if one could argue, based on her quote, that since wealth IS so tempting in SO many ways, that it rarely ends up being used effectively or in a life-giving way, especially given that humans are so silly and sinful anyway.
In other words, most Christians in our contemporary world are too wrapped up in consumerism (or another bad -ism) to deal effectively with wealth. Of course, I'm not saying that I wouldn't mind trying out some wealth at least for awhile to see how I deal with it!!
I totally agree. And it's an interesting question. If it's not the end all issue on how to get close to God, then that certainly leaves us with quite a bit of ambiguity. This is the part of this entire blog discussion I am working to embrace--the parts that aren't so black and white. Then again, maybe it is more black and white then I want to admit--give away your stuff and see the face of God. Seems pretty straight forward. And more importantly, seems pretty contrary to everything our culture tells us.
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