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.