Discipleship in a Consumer Society

People who know me well know how much time I spend at bargain sections of bookstores primarily because it is the best place to find theological books at dirt cheap prices. Two weeks ago I was able to buy a copy of John F. Kavanaugh’s Still Following Christ in a Consumer Society.

The book was first published when the “greed-is-good” decade of the 80s was just beginning, where words like ‘globalization,’ the ‘WTO’ and ‘free trade’ were still buzzwords in economic circles; and Evangelical Christianity is still getting itself acquainted with Republican Politics and yuppie middle-class consumer culture.

What captured my fancy with this book as I began to read it this afternoon is the fact that it finely articulates the subtle flaw that springs out of what most of us has come to call as neo-conservatism within Evangelical Christianity:

“The rise of the “new conservatism” is a case in point. As I see this movement, often associated with morality and a form of Christian faith, it is not conserving of what is richest and deepest in human beings, but a preserving of ourselves from the facts. It is conservatism not of principle, but of pragmatism. It hungers for the legitimations of power and prestige-especially economic, military and ideological. And it represents all suggestions that right order has yet to be achieved in our country. It is a conservatism of self-interest.

This new conservatism is the fruit of two complementary but dangerous tendencies: the tendency to separate faith from the work of justice (active love and service) and the tendency to equate faith with a particular form of social, political or national power.”

I believe that this statement is even more appropriate today more than it was in the 80s. The book is a really penetrating diagnosis of our culture of consumerism as contrasted with the personalism of the Christian Gospel, which speaks of a God who ‘became flesh and made His dwelling among us.’

In the book Kavanaugh speaks to the socially concerned, showing why working for peace and justice needs to support a culture-transcending faith. While to believers, the authors show how authentic faith requires doing justice –in our society, in our places of work, in our places of worship, and our personal lives.

The book offers glaring contrast of the Gospel’s meaning and social implication to that of the present Conservative Right’s support to post-911 foreign and humanitarian policy as well as on issues as varied as pre-emptive war, the environment, foreign debt, human rights and militant Islamic fundamentalism.

Bonhoeffer on Discipleship

“God is a God who bears. The Son of God bore our flesh. He therefore bore the cross. He bore all our sins and attained reconciliation by his bearing. That is why disciples are called to bear what is put on them. Bearing constitutes being a Christian. Just as Christ maintains his communion with the Father by bearing according the Father’s will, so the disciples’ bearing constitutes their community with Christ. People can shake off the burdens laid on them. But doing so does not free them at all from their burdens. Instead it loads them with a heavier, more unbearable burden. They bear the self-chosen yoke of their own selves. Jesus called all who are laden with various sufferings and burdens to throw off their yokes and to take his yoke upon themselves.”

~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Discipleship (DBW2), 90-91.

starting the new year with a bang

To start with let me just say that as I look back to the year that was 2004 I could not help but crack a smile in my face, mainly because of the fact that I had a lot of worthwhile memories during that past year and not to mention it was that year that this blog was initiated.
I just got back from church camp a few days ago, and it was quite a very intimate spiritual experience for me I must say since it revived me with a new sense of purpose in my life to serve the Most High and express my genuine concern for the lost and it has also revealed to me the evangelism style that best suits my personality. Another is that it is an eyeopener for me to understand how far I am now from my dearest friends who have chosen to stay in the sidelines in what is to be called Christianity, and how they are now somewhat jaded by the fact that I have decided to move on with this act of surrender to God, and that they're still busy with thinking and weighing it out, I have nothing against them, I just pray that they'd soon realize the need to nurture their newly sowed relationship with God. Its also worth saying that I've also had a great time at camp with my church friends that have no political and punk/emo musical clingings just the kindred identities we had in Christ, its quite amazing also to think that the God of all creation was versatile enough to share His love for all people regardless of their cultural, racial, etc backgrounds, which I observed when I got the chance to interact with the other campers from LA's Saddleback Church. All in all it was more that worthwhile for an activity during the holidays it was God sent.
Another is that I just got bad news from work though up to now I am not yet that entombed with a sense of distress and despair upon after hearing the news that the outsourced web content management project that I'm working on here at the office has its contract terminated by the client from the states, causing me and my other teamates in the project in a state of limbo for another 30 days here at the office. We're allowed to stay for another month paid without having much to do until the company finds another project for us to work on or until we find a new one outside the company which is a very viable option. But true enough if there's no work that is to be rendered to us for the next 30 days it will be bye bye for us.
And as I look back at a previous post I was reminded of a vow that I made that this January I'll be leaving this company for good, but it looks as though that I am taking my entire department with me in my exodus. To me I guess it is a good indicator that God has something better for me outside of this company and that I was at least able to fulfil a written vow that I broadcasted here in this blog.
But it is quite sad to think about the fate of my other officemates who are now busy with their jobstreet accounts to search for a new job. I often manifested my angst in this blog by allegorically describing myself as cattle or a commodity to my boss but I overlooked the fact that though I regard myself as one there are others who liked or never really did looked at themselves as such, mainly because they enjoy what they're doing or are just contented with the fact that they have a stable source of income.
But whatever reason it may be the future is but a bleak disrupted by this sad news, and for all we know maybe we're better off with a new start at new occupations at some other company or whatever vocation it may be.
For now I look forward with a lot of uncertainities at what the coming days holds for me as well as that persistent thinking in my head where I am grasping for words so as to break this sad news to my parents. I am scared. I feel helpless and uncertain. I see a lot of options. But one thing is certain it is this conviction that I have to such a profound statement: "I may not know what the future may hold but I know Who holds the future."
I guess it is where I'll hold fast for the moment....