Work, Leisure, and Full Engagement

This chapter finally discusses what I've been waiting for: local community involvement. One reason Crawford's job is so appealing to him is the fact that he generally knows his customers. The same bikes come in time and time again because the people coming in live in the area and part of a bigger community of motorcycle riders. Relationship from community even helps improve the quality of work; what you're fixing is no longer something distant that the consumer would never take the time to figure out who actually did it. This can be applied to pretty much everything, but especially important for the current push for local foods. Knowing where your food comes from makes a big difference, and keeps the farmer accountable to actual people instead of some big corporate plant.

Crawford also makes a point about how children who were rewarded for drawing eventually lost interest because the reward turned into the reason for drawing. Reading that sounded exactly like college. There are many things that I was interested in before I had to be graded on it, but once a grade was at stake it became more about getting an A than actually enjoying the material. I am definitely looking forward to good grades no longer being the goal for the first time in almost my whole life. Weird.

There are some things computers just can't replace.

Crawford discusses the difference between "knowing that" and "knowing how" in his chapter "Thinking as Doing." I think this is an essential part of our bigger question of whether or not college has really taught us anything. In my experience, college has taught me a lot of "knowing that," which makes sense considering "knowing how" in many cases would require cutting into a person. But there is also the benefit of having labs, where I have learned a lot of "how" (for instance, by cutting up animals, as cruel as it sounds. I've even performed surgery on a rat before, and yes, it did live).

Knowing that and knowing how are also important in the career world. Multiple times I have talked to people about possible paths to take after graduation and there are always questions on whether or not I have ever tried a certain job. A good example of this is research. In science, it is important to do research while you're an undergrad if you plan on going to graduate school. In fact, a lot of times they don't even care what kind of research you do, as long as it's mostly science (and that's a really broad category). The idea is that by doing any research, you get experience for what it would be like to work for the next six or more years of your life doing research. Now, there is a difference between different labs, but the essential ideas are still the same: formulating hypotheses, testing them, retesting them, explaining it to people, figuring out what when wrong and how to fix it, etc. It requires your mind to work a certain way, and no matter how much you read about what research is like, you can never really know until you do it. Knowing that office jobs can be boring does not do justice to how boring they really can be if you've never worked in an office (I'm a little biased against them, but so is Crawford). In doing something you really get to know it, like growing a garden for the first time and figuring out different nutrient requirements of plants. It goes beyond all the theoreticals you learn by surfing the web and makes it real.

The Contradictions of the Cubicle

Crawford switches his focus from the shop to office politics to show the differences between an office team and a manual labor crew. In the end it basically comes down to the office being a place of subjective standards that are prone to frequent change, while in jobs of manual labor there are concrete standards. Oddly enough, this chapter closely paralleled my feelings toward college. I have always liked the sciences because science is ruled by concrete theories and laws. Granted, this is also why many people hate science, because it seems like a ton of memorization. It is similar to the apprentice who just imitates the teacher and after a lot of practice finally figures out why. The office is more like the Dialogue classes or any English class: it is graded by subjective standards. These subjective standards tend to stress me out, because whether it's right or not, grades have a lot to do with getting into graduate school.

In some sense, I thought that Crawford was a little hard on office workers. As much as I hate working in an office, it is important to recognize that there are many offices where people are allowed to think and contribute to the betterment of the company/consumers. These tend to be the smaller companies, because once a company gets too big the employers become more distant from upper management.

Crawford also touches on the fact that as college students or college graduates, we often feel like we are an elite class of people and therefore unwilling to do more menial work or manual labor. Unfortunately, it just sounds so much more prestigious to say you work for a company like Google than be a plumber. Until our society can consider plumbing as prestigious a job as the manager of some big company it is going to be hard to promote Crawford's idea that we don't all need to go to college to have a better life.

The Further Education of a Gearhead

In this chapter, Crawford takes us through his change from a beginner to a professional. I can relate a lot to Crawford in the way that sitting around being part of a think tank was not something that he enjoyed. I would rather be out doing something than trying to come up with ideas to make "the best arguments money can buy." Crawford also addresses how we all live in a shared world and because of this we must see the whole situation of what we do, as Crawford had to go through the whole problem in order to fix the Honda. This is a quality that makes Crawford good at what he does: his passion as well as his ability to think through the whole problem even if it seems pointless. This also become a reason why when a hobby turns into a profession it can ruin the hobby, because it no longer exists for our own pleasure, but becomes subject to the needs and criticism of others.

The Education of a Gearhead

In this chapter, Crawford discusses how being a good mechanic "offers a counterweight to the culture of narcissism" (102). Ironically, most of the chapter seems like he is sure that his profession and how how much he knows about it causes him to be better than others. While he starts off his chapter telling us that we aren't all meant for the same field, he goes on to rave about why being a mechanic is basically the better profession. That's probably not what he meant to do, but is the impression that I got. However, that could be because he seems to base his thoughts on science on his father's theoretical physicist influence. Not all science deals with theoreticals; some of it deals closely with material reality.

He does make some good points in this chapter as well. The ethical virtue involved to make work great instead of just another "idiot" is something that is definitely true. The more passion you have for what you do, the more likely you are to be careful and thoughtful in your work to do the best job possible. Work is no longer just being someone on an assembly line, but something that is a big part of who you are. This is why it is good to know if you are "careful or commanding" or a number of other personality traits (and why going into something just to please your parents almost always turns out bad).

To Be Master of One's Own Stuff

As I've mentioned a few times already, I am the type of person that loves taking things apart and fixing things. I've always loved creating my own things, too, but creating things takes a lot of time and sometimes a lot of money. While I was home over spring break, I got together with a couple friends from my church back home and we met a refugee who needed curtains. We could have just gone out and bought some at Wal-Mart for less than $20, but instead we went to a fabric store and picked out the fabric to make them ourselves, making the price go to about $50. But there's something to be said about creating something. Picking out fabric, laying it out, pinning it together to make it look just how you want it, and then sewing it to see the final product is just great. It's also time-consuming and requires more money (if it weren't for the fact that I wasn't paying for it, I probably would have ended up at Target or Wal-Mart). So I usually buy things that are cheap and bring them home and fix them to be how I want them to be. Crawford would point out that even customizing is not the same as actually creating, but when I have little money and time it's about as close as I can get right now.

I enjoyed Crawford's example of music, also. Because of my majors, many people are shocked when they find out that I'm still in band (my roommates often forget, even). I think Crawford's explanation of a musicians obedience to the mechanical realities of the instrument has a lot to do with why I can't give it up, even if it often doesn't count as a credit so I don't have to pay for extra hours. I know my instrument. I know what it can do, what it can't do, and the second my fingers touch the keys they feel at home. The real reason, though, is that I just enjoy using my hands and I need that to keep me sane. But I've also never been the type to just sit down and create my own music. I can play whatever you put in front of me but I am terrible at making things up, and that's because while I've mastered my instrument mechanically, I know close to nothing of actual theory. But playing is something that is constant and has "concrete limits" that are "external to the self." It's a structure thing, and one of my biggest worries after I graduate is what to do with no more band.

The final tactic: Give to Caesar what is Caesar's

"Whatever steps we take to live the abundant life that Jesus has made possible, we can't ignore the fact that we live in the midst of political systems that affect us and our neighbors" (pg 188).

In this final chapter, Wilson-Hartgrove reminds us that our money is not really ours, but our government's, and we are really God's. It is often hard to separate ourselves from money, but that becomes necessary if we choose to live a life for God rather than for ourselves. If we begin to look at money as something that doesn't actually belong to us, life would be a lot different. But how can one live a life separated from the ownership of money? The only way really seems to be live in a community. If we separate ourselves from others, money becomes so much more important in our lives as we fight to make enough to survive, and then fight some more to live comfortably, and continue fighting to make more and more. If we live within a community, we have people to back us up when we're behind, and we can focus on things other than making money. When our focus changes, giving money back to whom it belongs seems a little easier. We must live our lives focusing on the fact that we are God's, and money is not ours. It seems that within this final tactic, the rest of them fall into place.

The separation of thinking from doing

I had never really thought about the downside to the assembly line until reading this chapter. The assembly line allowed us to mass produce things, but also took away thought from action. As Americans, we are incredible consumers. We can have pretty much anything we want if we have the money. We never have to wait until crops are in season, or even only get what is available locally. Our goal as a country is to get more stuff to the point that we don't even care if it's coming from sweatshops in Asia. Our need for everything right now has driven us to replacing knowledgeable craftsmen with machine-like humans in assembly lines, to just replacing humans with machines. Thought has been taken out of so many things, which also makes us more likely to throw something away and buy a new one than try and get the old thing fixed. The knowledge that once was required to make something is gone, and one big contributor to why blue-collar jobs are often so looked down upon.

I've always thought it would be great to live in a time where cities were self-sustainable. There were people who were farmers, tailors, blacksmiths, carpenters, etc. and each was an expert in his or her field, gaining them more respect. When you put thinking back into doing, jobs automatically become more important. Crawford even talks about the degradation of white-collar jobs now. I worked in an office at North Park for my first three years here and most days I felt a little bit of myself dying inside because everything I did required very little to no thinking. While I now have a lot of respect for people who do that for a living and their soul remains alive, I hope to never work in an office setting again. As Crawford points out in his closing paragraph, not everyone needs to be working in an office, or even go to college. And even though it was really directed toward people looking to go into college, it made me feel so much more encouraged in my crisis of grad school vs. no grad school next year.

Tactic #4 - Give

If there is one thing that I have learned from my last year at NPU, it is the importance of serving others. It all started last semester when I realized that in my busy life I rarely serve others. Luckily, Christian Spirituality forced me to join a Umin ministry and my life has never been the same. Without trying to become the next umin poster child, I have learned more about God by serving than from my entire life at church. This chapter reiterates a lot of what I have learned this year. As Christians we are called to give, whether it be time or money or a meal. Wilson-Hartgrove even touches on one of the biggest issues living in a big city: should I give money to the homeless man begging on the street when I can't be sure it's not being used for drugs or alcohol? W-H would say invite him over for a meal. While I believe that this is what Jesus would do, I always struggle with whether or not I would put that into practice.

I like when W-H says "...the church needs the poor as much as the poor needs the church." When the church fellowships with poor people, we can learn so much more about the mission of Jesus. We are not asked to give in order to fix the poor, but in order to be children of God. This is actually encouraging, because if we look at giving as a way to fix the poor it becomes so overwhelming and seems impossible. If we look at is as a characteristic of being a child of God, giving seems much less of a lost cause and becomes completely possible. This also gives us no way to throw out excuses for not giving; if we call ourselves "children of God" we must give.

Shop Class as Soulcraft: A Brief Case for the Useful Arts

I come from a blue-collar family, so a lot of what Crawford talks about has always made sense to me. When I wanted a computer, my dad and I went to a few computer expos and bought the parts we needed to build one. I learned what the parts did and how they fit together, and how to bargain for cheaper parts. I was in 5th grade, and as far as I know that computer is still working for someone today. If something went wrong, my dad and I would figure it out and fix it. I now refuse to give my computer away to anyone, other than my dad, to fix. (This is also the biggest reason that I am a PC person through and through even if I'm currently stuck with a Mac.) Now I am able to diagnose most problems on a PC and fix them, and each time I do I feel more accomplished than when I get an A on a paper. Manual labor is something that is always needed and almost always taken for granted by those who haven't experienced it. When you've got money, there's no need to take apart and fix your hairdryer or VCR because you can just go buy a new one, and for things like cars you can just send it in to the mechanic. But I'm the type of person that's always enjoyed building and fixing things: the second anything broke in my house I would be taking it apart to figure out what went wrong. It's also the reason I'm a scientist who loves experiments and despises working in an office.

I also think that if society appreciated manual labor there would be more jobs available and we wouldn't constantly be buying things from China. I could really go on and on but for now I should probably wait and see what Crawford will cover, so I will leave you with my current effort at manual labor: my basil. I am currently growing basil in my apartment and I cannot wait for it to be large enough to use. The process is teaching me patience and also continues to show me how great God's creation is. There is little more exciting than seeing the first little bud poke through the soil. Plants themselves are even great examples of the importance of manual labor often taken for granted, but that would turn into a lecture that would be sure to bore all of you.

It's a Wonderful Life! ...when you've got economic friends!

Reading this chapter I could think about one thing: It's a Wonderful Life. This movie is a great example of economic friendship. A man, George Bailey, becomes the owner of his father's bank and loan business after his father passes away, keeping him from his dreams of travel and college. In his work he constantly helps people out, trusting that they will pay back when they are able. The bad guy in the movie, Mr. Potter, is constantly trying to take over the Bank and Loan and, in turn, take over the whole town. Through an unfortunate turn of events, the Bank and Loan misplaces $8,000 that it had to pay back the big bank. George Bailey does not know what to do with himself and thinks about jumping off of a bridge but is saved by his guardian angel. He soon sees what life would be like if he weren't around, and it's not good. People he had helped get housing don't have it because no one would trust them or help them out with loans. When George ends up back in the real present, he returns to his home to find that his wife is not there. Soon, the doors open and everyone George had helped in the past comes through the door with whatever money they can spare and gives it to George. The total amount is just the amount that was lost and Bank and Loan is saved from the evil Mr. Potter.

The people coming to George with their money always makes me tear up. The trust and compassion involved in such an act is beautiful, and is a perfect example of economic friendship as described by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove. Because of George's compassion for others when it came to financial matters, he had secured himself a safety net that he didn't even think about. This is a great way to follow the previous chapter about earthly insurance. Wilson-Hartgrove gives us an answer on how it is possible to live without saving up our own money instead of using it for God's kingdom. This doesn't answer all of our concerns, though. Just because we help out others by making economic friends, it is hard to imagine that they will help pay for a college education. For this, community is still a necessity.

Disciples break bread together

This chapter of Yoder has completely changed the way that I view the Eucharist. Growing up, I had always viewed it as something Christians just did - ate a cracker and drank a sip of grape juice - to remember Jesus' death and resurrection. Aside from the moments of contemplation and prayer surrounding the act I never really felt like much was gained from the actual act, and it is something I have often felt ashamed for. I can remember a few times where the actual breaking of bread and drinking of wine have meant something to me, and each of those times was in a small group of people around a table. Yoder's simple way of going back to the Bible and seeing what the breaking of bread and drinking of wine meant to Jesus and the disciples at that moment in history is pretty powerful. There was no celebration of mass, no "Lord's supper," no first-of-the-month church service. It couldn't even be a Passover celebration because of the way it was carried on by the disciples. It was simply sharing a common meal.

I found this chapter very encouraging because of the ways I have struggled with the Eucharist in the past. I would like to see my home church have a common meal (such as a potluck) and remember Christ through the breaking of bread and the drinking of wine (grape juice in my church- one can only dream so much) in that type of setting. Maybe I have found my paper topic?

While I agree with a lot of what Wilson-Hartgrove has to say, I struggle a lot with putting it into practice. This book is directed at people who have money and are looking to use that for God's kingdom, but what about a college student like myself that has no money to spend? My current income allows me to buy groceries, pay for class expenses, and if I'm frugal enough, go out to lunch with good friends once every other month. And in all honesty, I enjoy living this way at this point in my life because it has made me wiser about needing vs. wanting. I know a lot more about the value of a dollar than I ever have before, and I have gotten very good at getting by (I am extremely fortunate to be living on North Park's campus and not having a monthly rent to pay, also). But all of this has left me questioning how I can better serve God and others. While Wilson-Hartgrove is trying to tell us that in the end money doesn't matter, reading this book makes me feel like I have to have money in order to serve others and I know that is not true. Because of this, however, this chapter has convicted me to figure out what I treasure most and whether that treasure is of the world or for the glory of God.

Yoder: Binding and Loosing

In the first chapter of Body Politics, Yoder deals with one of the most important aspects of Christianity: forgiveness and reconciliation. I have heard this topic preached on multiple times, and each time I try and imagine what the Church would be like if this was actually put into practice. On page 5, Yoder says "We can pursue reconciling confrontation because we trust one another and because we asked to be placed under this kind of loving guidance." This sentence is what stood out most to me in the entire chapter. We asked to be placed in this type of community. If we all looked at this type of confrontation as something we asked to be a part of, I think the members of the Church would react a lot differently when confronted. Although, it is also very hard to confront someone and not make it sound like you aren't trying to punish them. This whole idea of reconciling confrontation is completely fascinating to me. While I'm not sure I've ever witnessed or experienced anything like this, if taken to heart this simple act can burn bridges. Yoder says it himself when he states, "Conflict is socially useful; it forces us to attend to new data from new perspectives"(8). Through true reconciling confrontation, the body of Christ can grow and unite in a way that the world sees us as something different.

God's Economy: Tactic #1

"Lives of Significance and Service" is the wonderful North Park slogan we all know too well, and I must admit that in my time at North Park I really have learned more about being a servant than I have in all the church events I went to in high school. I am still not a very good servant, but have met a few who love to serve and in doing so shine with the light of Jesus. It is through watching and talking with these people that I have been more convicted to serve. However, it is also because of this that I found this chapter of Wilson-Hartgrove rather dull. For almost thirty pages Wilson-Hartgrove tells us why we should serve, but does not offer much advice on ways to put that into practice (that is, unless we are like St. Francis of Assisi or Peter Maurin). It really all goes back to love. By loving others, serving them becomes something we want to do rather than something we know we have to do.

Ain't no mountain high enough

There were two things that came to my mind when reading Thurman's chapter on love: "Remember the Titans" and natural disasters.

I assume we all remember "Remember the Titans," but just in case there is someone who has never seen it, I will summarize it. Two high schools, one black and one white, must merge together. The movie focuses on the football team, the Titans, as a black coach takes over the position of head coach from a title-winning white man. The team is forced to interact and end up coming together through their mutual love of football. This movie came to mind when Thurman writes "It is necessary, therefore, for the privileged and the underprivileged to work on the common environment for the purpose of providing normal experiences of fellowship" (pg. 98). After football camp the black players and the white players have become friends and return to a school and a hometown that is still very segregated. The white players, however, realize the good in their new-found friendships and hang out with the blacks in public. This is where the town begins to change (although it helps that the football team wins every game). Seeing the football players interacting positively helps many see the other race as another human being: one who is worthy of love and friendship. A cheesy movie, but one of my favorites.

Thurman briefly mentions a natural disaster in Vanport, OR which caused many whites to open their homes to other races that were made homeless. While I am somewhat hesitant to say this, I love natural disasters and this is one of the reasons why. Aside from the amazing power of God's creation reminding us that we are not as in control as we think, natural disasters bring people together. It is something that no one is safe from and no one is above. Natural disasters happen to everyone, regardless of race or social status. These become a common denominator between people, and where there once was much hate, love begins.

All that said - love is difficult, and it is only through remembering how much God loves and forgives us that we can even attempt it. Love God. Love others. Love yourself.

God's Economy: Eating at God's Table

Wilson-Hartgrove discusses many big aspects of Jesus' life and teachings in ways that many Christians in America may be shocked. One of his analogies even suggests that Jesus and Al-Qaeda have something in common. This statement was hard for me to read. Al-Qaeda has been responsible for so many innocent deaths that I have a hard time putting that aside and seeing the part that Wilson-Hartgrove is writing about - their structure and tactics. While Wilson-Hartgrove states, "Al-Qaeda might be the analogy we need to jolt us from our addictions to power and control"(pg 72) I have a difficult time accepting that. I would not want in any way to be associated with having a similar lifestyle to Al-Qaeda, and I think that most would agree with me. The analogy of how hard they are to destroy is probably the most powerful part to me. My favorite part is where Wilson-Hartgrove says that Al-Qaeda's isn't radical enough for us to model after. We need to be more radical than Al-Qaeda in a way that strives not for power and control, but the understanding that God's kingdom will take over one day.

Community, Thurman, Deception, and Hate

Today, while doing an interview for a covenant camp, I was asked "What role do you play in a community?" I had to laugh a little, but I still wasn't sure of the answer. What is MY role? We've talked about the benefits of community, and we've experienced a little of what living in community is like, but I am still uncertain about personal roles. If someone were to ask you whether or not you knew your role in community, would you know? This will be something I think about as we continue fellowship at Reba.

Thurman discusses both deception and hatred as something that stems from being constantly discriminated against. They are both ways to make up for being disinherited, so as not to lose your soul. Hatred, especially, can be a way to provide the weak with a "basis for moral justification" (p. 84). It is through hatred that they are able to rebuild rather than hate themselves. When I was a child my mother always told me "hating others hurts you more than it hurts them." This great piece of advise took me a while to understand but has made more sense as I've gotten older. As Thurman points out at the very end of his chapter on hate, Jesus rejected hatred because it was death. Hatred meant death of the mind, spirit, and communion with God. Hatred consumes you, just like money can. However, hatred is something that is very difficult to reject, especially when an entire group of people are constantly discriminating against you regardless of what you have done. While I can sit here and reject hate, I cannot even begin to fathom how difficult this would be if I were a black man in the south before the Civil Rights Movement. Knowing that love is better than hate, and that Jesus tells us to love even our enemies, is much harder than it sounds.

God's Economy: Hungry for More

Out of all the Disney movies I've seen, Pinocchio is not one of my favorites. The part on Paradise Island always creeped me out too much to enjoy the rest of the movie. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove is the first person I've read that focuses on what Paradise Island resembles instead of using the story to show kids why it's bad to lie. Paradise Island shows what happens when people give in to their desires to a point that they become a slave to it. In this case, they get turned into a donkey. This is how it is with many people in America and money, and can be seen so easily at this point in our lives. I am sure many of you have experienced a time where a friend or relative asks you what you plan on doing when you graduate college, and if you don't answer a career that is associated with making a lot of money they try and persuade you to change your mind. I get this all the time. My uncle always tells me to go into pharmaceutics because that is where the money is. The fact that I think working in pharmaceutics would drive me as crazy as working in an office for the rest of my life doesn't matter to him because it would mean I would be making a lot of money. After all, success is defined by how much money you have, right? Most of us know that this is not right, and Wilson-Hartgrove does a good job at making sure we know this is wrong. Last Wednesday we were encouraged to figure out the audience for Wilson-Hartgrove compared to that of Thurman. Thurman wrote to those who are disinherited, and Wilson-Hartgrove seems to be writing to those who are just the opposite. He writes to encourage them to stop and think about the way that they are spending their money, and that they spend it in a way that is glorifying to God.

Oh them lions they can eat my body but they can't (slinky!) swallow my soul, no no no

The second chapter of Thurman's Jesus and the Disinherited is on fear. Everyone experiences fear and there are many different types of fear. Thurman writes a lot (S & W Rule 17 - Omit needless words) on the constant fear of the disinherited, as well as its influence on their children. While we consider ourselves extremely blessed, my family is relatively poor. I have never thought much of it because the Lord has blessed us with an amazing support system, and growing up my friends were in the same boat as I was. Since coming to North Park, I have realized the fear that Thurman talks about for the children of the disinherited is a reality in my life, though not too extreme. It comes in the smaller things, such as a fear of letting others down by my unwillingness to go to Olive Garden, use too much public transportation, or see a show that costs more than I am willing to spend. It is a fear that is only possible in comparison to others. However, Thurman goes on to say "If, on the other hand, the elders understand in their own experiences and lives the tremendous insight of Jesus, it is possible for them to share their enthusiasm with their children." This is how I consider myself blessed. My parent's commitment to Jesus and to our church have kept my dreams from ever reaching a ceiling. I know that I am God's, and that He can get me through anything. One of the verses Thurman mentions is one that I keep constantly by my side: Matthew 6:25-34. This verse is a wonderful help for those who fear, but you really have to believe it.

Chapter 1 of Jesus and the Disinherited

Some of the things in this chapter really hit home for me. The most significant being the questions the Hindu asks Thurman about how he could possibly be a Christian after all that "Christians" have done throughout history. I have heard this argument in many different forms, and from someone very close to me. This is the argument that keeps my brother from being a Christian, or even believing in God at all. How can a people so dedicated to believing in Jesus and what he stands for do such terrible things to others? Thurman does not really answer this particular question, but continues by showing that Jesus himself was in the position of the poor and oppressed. Unfortunately, throughout history people proclaiming themselves to be Christians have caused much of the oppression, as the Hindu points out. I think an important issue here is that many Christians are not really working hard to live out a Jesus-led life, myself often included, which can cause others to suffer unjustly. I think together as a community we must work toward becoming more like Jesus and show the world what Christianity was meant to be.

Disclaimer: I am not trying to say that as a whole, Christians are bad people. There are so many people in this world who really do live a life like that of Jesus. Unfortunately it is often the bad things that get remembered the most.

This blog is intended to be a reflection of my experiences and readings for North Park's Dialogue III class on Intentional Christian Community.