Repent of your politics

I think this article has some interesting points and implies a few actions I feel are relevant.

http://biblicalawakening.blogspot.com/2009/05/politics-power-pride-how-american.html

We read about the Old Testament nation of Israel missing the Messiah because they were looking to their politics/religion for a national savior. Are we, today, any different? Jesus has come, we (theoretically) do his work, and, yet, many American Christians still get more excited about politics than their spiritual lives. Of course, we are not looking for the Messiah as president. But, the amount of energy and attention we devote to being "politically aware" seems largely misdirected.

My gut feel is that we are dissatisfied with our country and the powers that be. So, we start focusing on how power is used in our civic lives (politics) and get sidetracked trying to understand (and hopefully restore) a sense of just rulership. If that's the case, it is a flawed approach from the start. No government will ever create a just society. Am I advocating we ignore our social responsibilities. Absolutely not. I am saying that we have mistaken God's work for that of our leaders.

Lastly, I think many people want things to change, but, they want someone else (or something else) to do it for them. Social activism is the parable of the good Samaritan. That man gave of himself to help another in need. He didn't rely on the police to find this person, EMS to retrieve him, a public health policy to heal him and taxes (i.e., everyone/no one) to pay for it. He took it upon himself. I wonder, more as a challenge than as a question, how focused would the church be on politics if it took its own actions (as did the good Samaritan) and didn't wait for government to do it.

Materialism

I have started going to an early morning Bible study with my neighbor Matt. For a while now it has been hard to get together with anyone, so, riding with the neighbor seems like a natural reason to take advantage of some good time and conversation. About two weeks ago the group leader brought up a topic that began with materialism. We never completely finished the lesson, but, got through the first few points. He took a pretty standard definition of materialism and began with that point. It made sense, though his transition to the points he really wanted to make didn't quite flow. Nonetheless, it got me thinking.

The think that stands out about materialism to me is the notion that people get wrapped up in having and getting more things. Where I part ways with most folks, when it comes to trying to understand why, is at the root cause. People tend to point out human nature, hedonism, stoicism, and a laundry list of ideologies to give a framework for this kind of behavior. I can't recall if it was something I read or a conversation I once had, but, the idea of materialism boils down to this: people need things to have the fullest set of experiences a person can have.

Typically, it starts out with kids. Give a kid a TV and they are mesmerized by it. A loud car. Bright toys. These things are over-stimulating. Because this over-stimulation gets repeated over and over and over kids begin to expect that as being normal. With this idea of "normal" it is very easy to think that certain things, and only those things, can bring happiness. Kids may witness adults devoting their whole lives to getting specific things and never understand why. Yet, they themselves will grow older and do the same exact thing because they have never had another example to follow.

In the end, people will sacrifice great portions of life to try and gain experiences and means to have these experiences. In reality, the majority of their lives is spent in the pursuit of hyper-stimulating experience and empty power, not happiness and satisfaction. Ask ten people. See how many of them can tell you they are satisfied. See how many of them even know what would bring them satisfaction. The problem is not materialism, but, the obsessive lifestyle that comes as a result of trying to be able to create a sense of transcendence at will. It seems to be a weird type of self-oblivion mixed with instant gratification that is the real goal.

Looking at the recorded definition, I see a few different strains of thought:

1 a: a theory that physical matter is the only or fundamental reality and that all being and processes and phenomena can be explained as manifestations or results of matter

This first one is borne out of the traditional philosophical arguments in the 18th century...and along with it all the implied, technical underlying themes.

b: a doctrine that the only or the highest values or objectives lie in material well-being and in the furtherance of material progress

This second one comes closer to the Roman epicurian philosophy than anything else.

c: a doctrine that economic or social change is materially caused — compare historical materialism

This is pretty clearly tied directly to the Marxist realm of politics and cultural criticism.

2: a preoccupation with or stress upon material rather than intellectual or spiritual things

This last definition comes closest to what I think the group leader was intending to discuss although he seemed to start thinking about the epicurian perspective as well. That all being said, hope was his ultimate message. Without hope, we cannot exist. He was going down the road of pointing out the fact that materialism can never provide a lasting hope. The conditions that are required to be happy, according to materialistic standards, are almost impossible for most people to meet. Beyond that, they do not meaningfully take into consideration the Christian message. In a sense, they are diametrically opposed, although materialists would try to downplay that fact.

Going back to the first point I made, spending most of one's life intentionally sacrificing time, energy and life to gain things so that you can then have the experiences those things allow you to have seems backwards. It really is the epitome of the notion that "the things you own really own you". Your whole life is devoted to a hope that after you have sacrificed yourself to possess it, it will then allow you joy. Yet, too often, people realize, only after they possess it they still do not know how to have joy. Unless you regularly experience joy the obtainment of a specific thing will not mysteriously enable you to have something you never had to begin with. It's as it the thing is has magical powers. It's as if what is pursued is more than just a thing or an experience. That deception is what I think is the underlying cause of this deadly movement.

In addition to this is the dangerous situation of technological advancement. (I keep coming back to the dangers of technology don't I?) As people struggle to gain more and more power over nature their ability to understand, interact with and find value in the spiritual realm decreases. This is not a new concept. Contrast, for a moment, the west, with all its material wealth, and the east, with its abject poverty and largely destitute conditions. It is well-known that the east is ripe with spiritual power the west longs to possess. Ironically, the west presumes the east desires its material wealth. So far, it doesn't seem to be true.

Although I am only thinking of this as I write, I imagine there is a thread worth pursuing in the arena of considering how the "status" of a culture as a first, second, third--or less--world power relates to its spiritual status. I noted that the degree to which a culture can "control" the effects of nature on it roughly correlate to its status in the ranks of world leaders. Adding the spiritual dimension to that consideration might simply highlight the dangers (and both inherent and implicit warning) that naturally come from forsaking a reverence of God and attempting to possess the authority only He deserves.

As I write, I keep sensing overtones of the Tower of Babel (with the destruction that came as a result of mankind's hubris) and the prayer we as first-world cultures who do not live lives with Agur's prayer in our hearts (Proverbs 30:8-9). The mindset I have been reflecting on is one, I suspect, that stems from having strayed from the prayer to be neither rich nor poor. The process of loss would seem to go like this:

1) receive blessing
2) feel God's restraint urge one to not trust it
3) experience conflict and confusion not knowing how to handle this blessing (riches)
4) turn to God (or to self); in this case, to self
5) hear God less and less because we ignore what He said
6) having become numb to true counsel and guidance (God's word) turn to experiences that comfort and satisfy us temporarily
7) at this point, we repeat the process over and over and this is how people become stuck in the slavish pursuit of experience

Laying down one's life for experiences and forsaking God. Choosing self (wealth, pleasure and self-satisfaction) puts you at the whim and mercy of your things. Through this you no longer can respond to God because you choose, over and over again, to see happiness only where you are over-stimulated. God speaks not in the thunder or the storm (through obvious, powerful means) but in the still, quiet voice. We often do not hear the voice because we are mistaken about what it is we expect to hear. In the end, it is what you knew to be right all along, but, pushed far, far away. I believe this is one of the reasons it is quiet...because we have forsaken Him. We have tried to bury Him in the sounds, the rush, the thrill, the wow. Hoping that the bliss will erase Him from our memory, only to come down from the sensory high, empty and aching for something real inside. Again, we hype ourselves up, create another false hope, a better one, and shoot for the moon again. Each time, the high has to be better. It's very much like a drug addict, only the drug is life itself and the high something bigger than life...only exactly what that is never really seems to be clear. Just, something. Or, I should say, some thing.

It's late, so, I haven't the energy, motivation or time to work this out at length, but, I had a notion that seemed to be a fairly good use of resources. My struggle with a lack of clear direction and purpose has been around for a while. To have clearly identified a career path by now seems like it should have been a piece of cake. Not really. As frequently as I wrestle with the "What am I doing with my life?" type questions it only recently occurred to me there is a brilliant opportunity for our country to blend the military resources and educational system. An old employer of mine once considered enlisting in the military. They ran a battery of tests to help identify potential areas of expertise and ability. The accuracy was surprising. This was a few decades ago. I can only imagine what they do today.

Since our educational system aims to empower our youth and invest in the development of tomorrow's leaders, why would we not utilize these diagnostic tests on our high school students (or early college). This would be a marvelous application of an existing system (the testing) that would greatly benefit the current and future country. Now, I can already imagine the immediate uproar: you're potentially forming a militaristic state by interloping in the lives of impressionable men and women. Yes. That's precisely the point. By giving them knowledge to guide and direct their lives in meaningful ways. Absolutely. I'm sure some folks would only see a power-hungry militaristic state intruding in the pure, unhindered world of the free-minded academics. But, in reality, there are so few who go down this road. The rest of us, all 99.5% of the educated American population, go through school, do our time, and come out on the other side saying, "Ok, what now?" Why should we not benefit from the insight we have paid to develop?

Our age sees itself as superior to those of the past not because of its superior wisdom, but, because of the power it exerts over nature. This power is not just the immediate events, such as the ability to provide comfort in harsh environments, such as rain, wind, cold, heat and raw physical elements. But, a larger perspective. The understanding of seasons, of periods of time. Of meteorites. Of solar flares. Of large scale events that affect entire parts of the globe. The ability to control these things and allow people to do what they want when they want is a key element of what makes one able to belong to a first-world country. Exactly how much of this power a given culture possesses ranks it. If you look at “third-world” countries, they would be identical to what Columbus encountered. Slightly below subsistence level are the uncultured communities who have no grasp or control over nature. To them, nature is still a raw power to be appeased and awed. To us, those of the “civilized” world, these powers are merely natural phenomenon. To them, God is still alive, everywhere. When we begin presuming the power of God, he is not longer present. It is when we begin to see the power of nature as something we possess that we move up in the order of world powers. I contend it’s not anything special that makes higher-order powers unique, but, what portions of nature they have control over. Whether it is in understanding naturalistic phenomenon and being able to adapt or plan accordingly or whether it is the actual ability to predict, prevent and “control” natural events.

I need to look into the etymology and history of control.

Sometimes I just wonder.
...how sad Facebook makes Jesus. All the time I could be spending getting to know my neighbors and telling them about the amazing things Christ has done for me.
...what it is really like to be a prophet, not just some person who gets fancy thoughts and calls it revelation.
...what is my reason for being here.
...why it is so easy to know what Christ was like, but, so, hard to live what Christ was did. And I don't mean the miracles and messiahship. I mean love and care for others.
...what the other side of the mountain is like. Valleys get deep you know.
...what it's like to stop being confused about the truth and just know, in your bones, what God has said and what he hasn't said.
...what it must have been like to be a cyclops.
...how it feels to finally grow up.
...what it feels like to be holy.
...what it feels like to really be the best at something, anything.

Not a fan of modern economics

As with politics, I am not much of a student with money. The few insights I have are typically random observations that come to me throughout the day. Today, while listening to the sermon, an old notion came back to me. As I reflected on it this afternoon, a new aspect of it came under consideration.

In recent times the concept of a "fixed price" market has become a significant--if not predominant--force in western (and more recently global) economics. The idea that something must be sold for a specific price and only that price removed an entire dimension to commerce. The fact that corporations (not individuals) are the producers it is quite interesting that the personal dimension of business has vanished. As a result of corporations, that is to say, of non-personal groups selling items there really is no person with whom one can discuss price. Think about it, if you go to Walmart, who are you going to talk to about the price of milk being too high? The manager, even if it did matter, cannot talk to a person. And, even if they found a person, who would they talk to? True, you could eventually find a person who makes the determination of what something costs, but, doing so would be completely impractical and, in the end, have no real influence whatsoever. What things cost is what things cost. The implication is that we, as individuals, have no influence (or power) to change the market. This truism, while self-evident and seemingly unquestionable in today's world, was not always the case.

It is as this point I see a larger problem. When Newtonian mechanics provided a mathematical framework for creating a deterministic philosophy several centuries ago people went wild with the idea. Never did people think, I sense, that commerce would become like a machine. Today, people buy things at fixed prices based on their needs. Prices, the theory goes, are determined by the demand for an item based on how scarce it is. Very simple idea, or, at least, very obvious. At any rate, people whose needs are fixed (you need food, housing, clothes, etc) are simply part of a complex, powerful financial system. I prefer to think of this system as a machine in all candor. Being aware, first, that things can be different, and, second, the world is not one large machine, I see a real need to redefine some of our economics. Not in theory, but, in practice.

When we work within the economic system where corporations set prices, produce goods and we, the consumers, simply are part of the equation, the objectification of man is nearly complete. I remember vividly the first time I read Revelation 18:11 where it talks about the trade of human souls. Although I think the Bible is not saying what I am writing about here, I will boldly emphasize the fact that this is my opinion, not something I am trying to imply the Bible meant. At any rate, I see the list at the beginning of verse 11 as those things least important to God and ending with those things most important to God. Here are the items in order as written in the verse:

gold
silver
precious stones
pearls
fine linen
purple cloth
silk
scarlet cloth
all sorts of things made of citron wood
all sorts of objects made of ivory
all sorts of things made of expensive wood, bronze, iron and marble
cinnamon
spice
incense
perfumed ointment
frankincense
wine
olive oil and costly flour
wheat
cattle and sheep
horses and four-wheeled carriages
slaves and human lives

These items could be categorized, but, getting sidetracked with Revelation is not my point here. My point is to say that I see a long-standing tradition where sinful cultures have perverted life by thinking of it as a thing to be bought and sold. The only thing that's new with our age is the language and the application of math as a means to justify it.

The mathematics used by economists today is something completely different from the mathematics the Greeks used. At one time, mathematics used to possess an almost religious or spiritual dimension. When things were discussed mathematically, it was not just a financial calculation. Furthermore, Greek thinkers would never have treated people and their needs as objects, things for reckoning. But, times have changed. Now, numbers are used as tools to create new industries, to scheme new ways to convert life and real value into artificial systems, financial translations, you could say. The monetization of life has made it a dangerous age in which to live. Though I am not a fan of the platonic or pythagorean relgions, I at least recognize the ethical manner in which they considered mathematical truths in relation to human life. Sadly, as Simone Weil touched on in the last part of the Need for Roots, the specialists are now in charge and their nouveau riche subcultures. No longer is the world community ruled by politics, but, by the science of wealth and the mental machinery (both ideological, socio-political and propogandist) that cultivates a world in which this mentality can thrive.

I know this post rambles, but, I had to get it out. Perhaps I can clean it up and make some sense soon enough. I, sadly, sense my point is, to some degree, related to Chomsky's criticisms in Manufacturing Consent. This ties into some of my ideas on marketing and propoganda, but, that is another story.