Of Bruised Camels and Other Challenging Questions
Expanding on some of our recent discussion, I’d like to share two challenging sets of questions.
Last week, I pointed you to the fantastic piece that Nicole wrote as part of a discussion with a family member about the church and poverty. This week, she posts part of his response. And his questions are worth considering:
My question is, how, as an evangelical almost fundamental pastor, do I lead my church to see that our very lifestyle — our love affair with lavish worship facilities, padded pews, air conditioned facilities, etc. — is a denial of the faith as it relates to the most needy of our nation and the world? And, to add to that, how do I come to see that my own lifestyle is no different from anyone else’s except for the fact that I expect the church to support me? This attitude is as deeply entrenched in the theology of American Christians now as slavery was in the antebellum South. How do we “establish justice” in a market place whose existence and prosperity are rooted in and supported by injustice?
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Along the same lines, in a post titled ”Bruised Camels,” Natalie at panta ta ethne asks:
How then do I repent of structural sin? I know what to do if I lie, steal, or get an abortion. In those somewhat personal-level situations, I feel that repentance can truly occur and things can be made right again. What about the results, however, of being a super-wealthy North American who participates in an unjust system? With this barrier always in the background, or perhaps always in the forefront, does what I represent always hinder my ability to be a good Christian and work for the kingdom of God? What about the fact that Jesus was always on the side of the poor, the hungry, the afflicted, and the exploited? What does that mean for me as a rich, overfed, comfortable person who daily benefits from and reinforces systems of exploitation?
I’ve been thinking about both of these posts for a few days now, and I still don’t have a lot of answers. But I’m glad Nicole and Natalie are asking tough questions.