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May 18, 2005
Church and the American Dream
In our increasingly secular world, there are many ways in which the church comes into conflict with civil society. These tensions occur between church and state, between Christian values and secular values. These tensions are manifested in places of employment, educational institutions, medical institutions, government bureaucracies, and even our shopping malls. While most Christians likely encounter tensions between their faith and secular values in a number of different places and in a number of different ways, probably one of the most subtle and most pervasive is embodied in the underlying cultural value known as the pursuit of the “American Dream.”
According to The New Oxford American Dictionary, “American Dream” is defined as “the traditional social values of the United States, such as equality, democracy, and material prosperity.” While the concept of the American Dream includes a variety of values, most people equate it with those surrounding success, prosperity, and obtaining material possessions. For purposes of this brief, I will focus on this commonly held definition based on consumerism. As Walter Brueggemann notes, this ideology of consumerism “operates on the claim that ‘more is better,’ that ‘most’ will make happy, and that each is entitled to and must have all that each can have, even at the expense of others” (Cadences of Home, 27). It is this drive for success and material prosperity that seems to most often come into conflict with the perceived values and teachings of the church.
Brueggemann comments that “For a very long time we have assumed that the ‘American Dream,’ which is our version of Enlightenment freedom and well-being, coheres with the claims of the gospel . . . Now we are coming to see, belatedly are required to see, that the American Dream as it is now understood has long since parted company with the claims of the gospel” (30). Examination of some of the biblical resources on the subject is necessary to help us more fully explore Brueggemann’s assessment of the American Dream.
The Bible has plenty to say about such matters as the love of money and accumulation of wealth. The gravity of biblical insight on this issue ranges from acknowledgment of the accumulation of wealth to mild cautions regarding the dangers of accumulating wealth to stern reproach. The Bible’s acknowledgement of some of the wealthy people includes such people as Joseph (Genesis 39 through 41) Abraham (Genesis 13:2), Boaz (Ruth 2:1), Solomon (1 Kings 3-4; 10:23), Job (Job 1), Joseph of Arimathea (Matthew 27:57), and Zacchaeus (Luke 19:2). None of these were condemned by God for having great wealth.
Despite acknowledgements of a number of faithful servants of God who happened to also be wealthy, the Bible contains a great deal of material cautioning against or even condemning those who seek after riches. Cautionary statements include Ephesians 5:15, Proverbs 23:4, Ecclesiastes 2: 1-11, Proverbs 11: 28, Hebrews 13:5, 1 John 2:15-17, and Matthew 13:18-23. These passages demonstrate the futility of the pursuit of wealth, as opposed to living a life in accordance with God’s will. According to scripture, the pursuit of wealth is a futile exercise precisely because such activity leads to separation from God. Passages addressing this consequence include Proverbs 11:4, Matthew 6:19-21, Matthew 6:24, Luke 18:18-25, Luke 6:24-25, Luke 12:13-21, James 1:9-11, James 5:1-5, 1Timothy 6:9-10, and Acts 5:1-10.
While biblical resources regarding wealth range from benign caution to reproach and condemnation, it must be noted that the comments made do not necessarily apply to all people who are wealthy. There were examples of wealthy people who were righteous and followed God’s will, such as Joseph of Arimathea. The Bible does not contain any condemnation against some people, nor do the injunctions against the rich appear to be a blanket condemnation. Rather, the intent of the wealthy appears to be an important consideration. After all, we are told that the Acts community “were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need” (Acts 2:44-45), and that “no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common” (Acts 4:32). In this case, wealth did not appear to be considered an evil per se, but rather a means to helping others who had need. Similarly, the author of Hebrews states “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God” (Hebrews 13:16). Nothing negative is said about having possessions, but only that those who do have more than they need should share their fortune with others.
This is consistent with Jesus’ “lilies of the field” speech in Matthew 6:25-34, in which he tells people that they should not worry about what they will eat or drink or wear or other bodily concerns. God recognizes that we have such needs and will provide what we need. The most important thing is to “strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). Living a righteous life is of more importance than worrying about bodily needs and material possessions. These will be taken care of, presumably through the graciousness of those who have means to do so and the willingness to share of their abundance.
The scarcity of references to the pursuit of wealth for use as a means to providing for the needs of the poor and needy seems to indicate the difficulty of doing so with integrity. I suspect that many people have good intentions of pursuing wealth with the goal of giving back to the community. However, our contemporary, greed-driven society makes implementation of such goals difficult. That is not to say that such societal pressures make altruistic goals impossible to achieve, or that once we start down a path toward accumulation of wealth for personal gain, we cannot change. Ephesians 2:3-5a, 8-10 demonstrates that through God’s grace we are able to turn away from the temptations of the world and live the life God desires for us, doing the works prepared for us. For some, those works just might include striving for wealth that can be used for the good of the kingdom.
John Howard Yoder comments that “the primary social structure through which the gospel works to change other structures is that of the Christian community” (The Politics of Jesus, 154). The Bible’s warnings regarding the use of riches can inform and transform the Christian community’s perspective on how we as Christians use our resources. The community needs to begin to hold its members accountable to the teachings of the gospel as the driving force behind all our actions, including the acquisition and use of wealth. In this way, the church can more adequately fulfill its calling “to be the conscience and the servant within human society” (155). The church can show secular society that the acquisition of wealth can be used for the service of humanity in a manner consistent with the gospel.
The Bible is clear that the accumulation of wealth is not the way to salvation. If anything, the pursuit of riches can be a stumbling block to living a righteous life. Pursuit of wealth can become all-encompassing, to the exclusion of other, more enduring pursuits. But through the grace of God, all have the opportunity to be saved and brought into the kingdom of God through Christ. While the Bible contains warnings about the potential dangers associated with the accumulation of wealth, there is also biblical precedence for wealthy members of the church who have shared from their abundance to help those who are in need. Those who have and accumulate wealth must exercise caution to insure that their wealth does not become an idol replacing God, but rather that wealth becomes a tool for the work of the kingdom. The church, using the warnings contained in scripture, can be instrumental in insuring that the American Dream is not in the service of one’s self, but in the service of God.
Posted by Michael F at May 18, 2005 09:44 PM
Comments
Enjoyed your post and linked to it from my blog. Peace.
Posted by: Milton Stanley at May 23, 2005 01:13 PM
In reading through this post, I thought what would the book of James have to say about the tension between the accumulaton of wealth and the work for the poor? So, I went and read James and the first line that jumped out at me was this: "5 If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you." And, "11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the field; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. It is the same way with the rich; in the midst of a busy life, they will wither away." These two lines speak volumes and get to the heart of the problem when the accumulation of wealth becomes a paramount concern. When I reach for a goal I need to be ready to ask myself, "What in this course of action is about God's promise of renewal and reconciliation in the Kingdom?" I, like others, stray from using this question as a center beacon in my discernment. But James teaching to the community is an important one - ask God to be in your decisions 'cause looking at the promises to the wealthy give a pretty good idea of what awaits those who store up treasures on earth. I think reminding myself of the central question "What will God call me to do in this moment?" leads me into a eschatological discernment. The context of our lives is not to be in a single minded pursuit of wealth and glory. And scripture bears out that the context is to be much broader that just a question of what do I do with my weath for my household and me.
Posted by: Jenni Liem at May 24, 2005 01:21 PM