Richard Dahlstrom

FOCA - not just a four letter word

Richard Dahlstrom — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:00:08 -0800

Yes: this is a long post. Yes: it requires careful reading. Yes: it's one of the more important posts... please read, pray, and consider responding

Now that the election is over, it might be easy to slip into a state of either passive bliss, or passive despair, depending on your point of view. Both would be wrong because, as I've stated often, the calling of the church is to vote prayerfully, and work hard for the good of the culture where we live.

Towards that end, I urge you to consider the potential impending train wreck that might occur, should the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), actually become law in the coming year. Our President elect has already declared that he will sign this bill into law if it passes.

Perhaps you know me will enough to know that I'm hesitant to point you to the petition site where you can sign on and urge Obama to reject this legislation. My hesitancy comes from the fact that sites like these are nearly always propagandized in a way that preaches to their choir of believers but offers nothing substantively persuasive that would speak to the unconvinced.

I'll point you there anyway, but first ask that you carefully read this article from left leaning "Slate", written by staunchly pro-Obama, Melinda Henniberger. She points out the very real threat to the future of Catholic Hospitals in America that awaits, should this legislation pass. Remember, this isn't Dobsonesque fear strategy- this is SLATE magazine.

If you don't have time to read the whole article, I'll simply offer this quote from it (but please, take the time to read the whole thing at some point... it's important to remain informed on this, and many other issues). Ms. Henneberger writes:

"as I think I have made clear——I have high hopes for President Obama, I was so looking forward to dancing at this party. Yet, although abortion was not a major issue in the race, the pro-life argument that he was the candidate most likely to decrease the need for—and number of—abortions did make it easier for many Catholics to cast their votes for him. I think we should hold him to that commitment now.

At the very moment when Obama and his party have won the trust of so many Catholics who favor at least some limits on abortion, I hope he does not prove them wrong. I hope he does not make a fool out of that nice Doug Kmiec, who led the pro-life charge on his behalf. I hope he does not spit on the rest of us—though I don't take him for the spitting sort—on his way in the door. I hope that his appointment of Ellen Moran, formerly of EMILY's List, as his communications director is followed by the appointment of some equally good Democrats who hold pro-life views. By supporting and signing the current version of FOCA, Obama would reignite the culture war he so deftly sidestepped throughout this campaign. This is a fight he just doesn't need at a moment when there is no shortage of other crises to manage."

The petition? As I said, I don't like these sites because they can be, often justifiably, charged with sensationalism. Still, if you believe the protection of life in the womb is as at least as important as the protection of Iraqi civilians, or granting the poor and marginalized access to health services, then signing here ought to be seriously considered. Do you agree?

Thanksgiving...or Festivus?

Richard Dahlstrom — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:48:22 -0800

"...there was famine in all the lands..." (Genesis 41:54) I know all the talk about the cup being half full or half empty, depending on one's perspective. I know that we've much for which to be thankful if we'll but open our eyes and see. "There's still plenty of turkey and all", and "look at the starving children on the other side of the world". These are the things we tell ourselves this year as we gather around tables laden with feast to celebrate and express gratitude for God's provision.

But this year, more than many, is a year when "giving thanks" might feel a little strained, a little forced, as if we hope that by saying it often enough, or loud enough, we'll actually begin to feel grateful. After all, thousands have lost their homes in fires just in the past week. Before that their were floods in the south. Draped across the entire country there's been an epidemic of foreclosures so that tens of thousands who sat around their own table last year are somewhere else this year; jobless, homeless, and afraid. Let's throw in the impending implosion of the auto industry, the realization that two wars and mountains of debt will make it difficult for any incoming president to fulfill promises made in the heady days of campaign speeches, and one might begin to wonder if this might be a good to skip thanksgiving, or at least downgrade it from "turkey" and "thanksgiving" to "tofu" and "airing of grievances" - more like Festivus than anything else.

Ah, but this is precisely where we go wrong. We thank that gratitude is all about remembering the good things God has done for us and giving thanks. Surely this is a piece of gratitude and thanksgiving. But if we limit our thanksgiving to recalling the visible gifts, the stuff we wanted either materially or emotionally, we will miss most of the story, because most of the story is about how God transforms us right in the midst of challenges in this fallen world.

"And there was a famine..." is what Genesis says, and only then are the wheels set in motion for God's chosen family to begin their process of profound transformation. Up to this point, the family chosen to represent God's heart had instead been a tragic display of pride, jealousy, hatred, lust, greed, fear, deceit, self-righteousness, rape, polygamy, and murder. But when the famine came, a whole story began to unfold that would eventuate in the confessing of sins, the forgiveness of wrongs committed, the healing of a family, and the establishment of a nation from which would eventually come the Light of the World. It all began, not with a campfire moment, but with a famine. Without it, the brothers might have died in the tragic prisons of selfishness which had held them for so long.

The famine's begun for many in our own land; right here; right now. The reality is that we only come to know Jesus as the bread of life because we've known hunger. Whether we hunger for meaning, freedom, intimacy, freedom from fear, or our next meal, when we find the one who can satisfy the hunger, our gratitude becomes a natural wellspring of praise. The same thing is true again and again. We know Christ as light because we've walked in darkness; know Him as life because we've been in the realm of death; know Him as father because we've stood by the grave of our own dad.

However it works for you, I hope you can see that real thanksgiving is always born out of the transformation which comes from crisis. So perhaps this is the year when we'll give thanks, less for what's happening in this present moment (though God knows that there's still plenty of reasons for gratitude if we take even a cursory look around us), and more for what God will do as we collectively walk through these 'very interesting days', as I recently heard them described. I hope and pray that on the far side of these crises, we who claim to follow Christ will be shaped, liberated, and transformed, so that our lives will overflow with the purity, generosity and joy that is the heart of Jesus. Happy Thanksgiving! God is at work! May you have the eyes to see His hand in this glorious, beautiful, fallen world.

Mr. Potato-god

Richard Dahlstrom — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:05:17 -0800

When I finished seminary, I was working as a carpet cleaner in Los Angeles, traveling throughout the city in a van and pumping steamed water into stained fabric. This trade allowed me conversation with a large cross section of humanity, and the many conversations I had about God during those days were, in retrospect, a profoundly valuable part of my theological education. It was because of these rug cleaning gigs that I got the chance to learn what people really thought about God.

It turns out that most people had lots of respect for "God". It also became quickly clear that for most, the god they respected was of their own making. Picking and choosing from the gamut of values and character qualities, they built their own unique notions of deity, resulting in endless 'designer gods', created in the same way I used to turn a potato into a character using my "Mr. Potato head" toy box, choosing this nose, those eyes, that mouth until...Presto! I've made a creature unlike any other.

The history of religion shows us that the biggest danger of all isn't walking away from the truth entirely; that would be blatant, obvious, bringing our desire for autonomy into the open. Much worse is to keep fiddling with all the genuine character qualities of God, pasting some on our designer god, while being careful to leave others in the box. When I do this I build a god that's just like me, a god that reinforces my basest natures, while providing enough idealism to convince me that I've the coolest, truest god on the block. Church history is rife with these distortions, but rather than breaking open textbooks, we can simply go to the Bible, where Jesus told the religious experts that the searched the scriptures because they thought it was there life could be found. The scriptures pointed to Christ, but those same experts were unwilling to come to Him that they might have life, preferring their designer idol to the real God. You can read about it here.

I'm of the opinion that it's not the real God that's been fought over and defended in the enormously destructive culture wars and denominational divisions during these past decades. Instead we've been busy hurting each other because of our defense of "Mr Potato-gods" - and mine is better, stronger, truer, than yours. The greatest tragedy of all is that every little group, it seems, has only a few pieces in their box, and could never find the true God without coming together with the other boys and girls to see what parts there have to offer.

I'm hoping there's a place where we can come together and throw all our pieces on the floor so that we can work together to build a testimony of the real Jesus. The right has some things to offer; some of their pieces are forgeries, and other pieces have gone missing from their box, so much so that the poor children don't even miss them. The left faces the same problem. Established and emergent churches face the same dilemma. Pray with me that we'll have the courage and humility to do this - each of us in our own circles, so that Jesus can have His way with us, and His real character can be seen.

O Lord Christ -

You've watched us try to scare each other into voting for God's man, as if one party had all the pieces in place and was committed to using them. You've graciously stuck with us, and we watched history this week, and pray that your mighty and merciful hand would be upon our new leader. You've faithfully brought us closer to your heart by breaking down walls of racism, even while we remain far from you in so many ways. I pray that we, your church, would have the humility and courage to come together in prayer, dialogue, prayer, and service, trusting that as we do so, we'll all become exposed to the missing pieces that might better represent your heart. To do this will require grace and love that none of us, on our own have. So we ask for your indwelling and the stirring of your spirit, to take us down this path. We'll thank you for it, and give you the glory, even as we pray that your glory would find expression through our lives, homes, and communities of faith in these amazing days. In your great name I pray...

Amen.

Yes we must...

Richard Dahlstrom — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 07:19:35 -0800

The votes have been cast. Two stirring speeches were given, both striking in their humility and call for unity. American democracy was on a world stage last night and we collectively demonstrated that the ideals of giving everyone a voice are still alive and well, perhaps more visibly demonstrated this year than any other.

But now that it's over, millions of believers are waking up either elated or exasperated, overjoyed or angry, delighted or despairing. I know this because this is a time of seismic political shifts among people of faith, with fractures growing along geographical, generational, theological, and economic lines, depending on your particular situation. I know this because in this first election since the rise of the blogosphere, infammatory pixels have been hurled, believer at believer, with such intensity that outsiders would think the left and right worship different Gods.

Millions of Christians are feeling that the country is headed, more than ever, in the wrong direction, while the rest are conviced that better days are finally ahead and the right man won. Many are angry at the other side, incredulous that Christians could vote as they did. But behind the sound bytes, blog attacks, and flashes of apocalyptic rhetoric, if one listens carefully, there's a humble Jewish man saying, "by this all men will know that your are my disciples, in that you have love for one another." This love has largely gone missing during the recent political season. Continuing to wallow in bitterness or gloat in triumphal pride are not acceptable options for people who follow Jesus. We must find a way to move towards the healing of relationships and unity of heart and purpose that is foundational to our calling. Yes, we must.

Recovery begins by realizing that the winner is neither Messiah nor Anti-Christ. Believing that any party is God's party leads to heights of elation or depths of despair unbecoming to those who claim that Christ is our true king, His reign our true hope, and embodying that reign our true ambition. The reality that Jesus stands outside the confines of our political structures was demonstrated during His short stay on earth, when He was no party's poster child, no ideology's champion. He came offering a different kingdom, whose ethics and calling stand apart from the warring systems of this world. This is where we must place our hope.

We must realize that our calling is to live, right now in the present, in accordance with the priorities and ethics of our eternal King, and His coming kingdom. This will mean offering bold critique and resistance at some moments, and enthusiastic support at others, for various positions and reforms offered by both the left and the right. As we seek to embody this Kingdom, the walls that have divided us will fall down, because we will care about life in the womb, and life on the streets; we'll care about justice and mercy; we'll care about loving our enemies and standing up for those who are unprotetcted. We'll become artisans of genuine hope, spilling the colors of beauty, reconciliation, celebration, serivice, justice, peace, and compassion on the canfass of our communities. This, I'm convinced, is not only our calling in Christ, it's what our world desperately needs in these immensely challenging days. We must lay our weapons down and commit to being the presence of Jesus in the world. Yes. We must.

further revelation needed...

Richard Dahlstrom — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:16:26 -0700

I drove 400 miles yesterday and ended up back where I started. The whole event was a comical series of miscommunications. Scheduled to teach for a week long intensive at a Bible School in Canada, I'd made my way north and was waiting at the float plane dock on the Frasier river, pondering why the airline had no reservation for me. I'd checked my e-mail before leaving, and confirmed the dates, but also had heard from the school that they'd reserved my flight. I decided, just before boarding the plane to call the school and confirm that I was supposed to be there this week. "Nope" came back the reply. "You're scheduled for next week."

"But my e-mail says it's this week"

"Here's the one I sent you" she said, and proceeded to read a note confirming that I was to begin teaching, not tonight, but one week from tonight.

Thankful that I didn't get on the plane, I turned around and drove home to Seattle in time to watch one inning of the world series before it was called due to rain. Then I checked my e-mail and sure enough, the one I read, said that I was to be in Canada THIS week. Sadly, another e-mail had been sent subsequent to that, changing the dates. I'd only saved the original though, and my rejection of further revelation cost me four hundred miles. I'm glad gas is cheaper now than in July!

REJECTION OF FURTHER REVELATION... maybe you're busy reading NT Wright's book about Hope, and you come across some teachings that challenge what you once thought regarding the rapture and 2nd coming of Christ. What do you do with that? Maybe someone challenges your view on divorce and remarriage, or economics. Problems will come our way if we toss any challenges to our existing views too quickly, or embrace new views too readily. What's a pastor to do?

Read everything - I think I tossed the e-mail that had changed the date without ever reading it, and it cost me. Sometimes we're quick to categorize someone we're listening to and put them in a box, and when we do this we end up tossing them in some bin, liberal, conservative, fundamentalist, post-modern, presuming that we know what they're going to say before they say it. We do this to our own loss my friends. In the blogging world, in the church, in the neighborhood, and in the classroom, I've continually been amazed at how people defy categorization, and even more amazed at how much I can learn from those with whom I disagree.

Consider the source - Had an e-mail come from a total stranger, indicating that I was teach a different week than the scheduled one, I'd have tossed it. Had it come from a friend who was unrelated to the school, I'd have considered it a joke. We're not invited to put people into box, but we are invited to consider the source. When I read NT Wright, I'm convinced that this is not a man who's trying to lead me to the doors of hell, and so I listen. I still might not agree with everything he says, but his command of the Bible and church history mean that I'll trust his propositions more readily that some other people's.

Double Check - I should have called before I left the house. If some new discovery or revelation (new for you anyway) is going to require that you live differently, it would be wise to consider if there are others who are living on the terrain you're heading. Are you moving towards a position of non-violence? Read Bonhoeffer, and perhaps CS Lewis piece, "Why I am not a Pacifist" before going there. Are you changing your position on divorce and remarriage? Read from some who think like you do now, and some who espouse the new position you're considering. This is how we grow.

400 miles between Seattle and Vancouver on a crisp fall day is really not that big a deal. But the lessons learned, if applied to how I live out my faith in all areas of life, could be priceless.

seeing...

Richard Dahlstrom — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:45:38 -0700

"But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear..." Matthew 13:16

I woke up in the middle of the night once to turn off the heat and walked into the corner of a wall. I wasn't drunk or angry, just presumptuous, thinking that I knew the lay of the land in our apartment better than I really did. Embarrassed, I crawled back into bed letting my wife know that the thud wasn't an earthquake; it was just my head. She asked how serious it was and I said I felt fine. It wasn't until she turned the light on that we discovered blood was soaking the pillow and the sheets, and that I needed to get to the emergency room. The only thing worse than not seeing is not seeing while presuming to know the way.

This, of course, is the danger that comes from being religious, from being 'churched'. The people who thought they could see because they knew their Bibles so well, were the ones who accused Jesus of being demon possesed, and who were careful, after arresting the Messiah, to stay out of the Gentile's courtyard so that they could be ceremonially clean for the ensuing Passover meal. The wonderful paradox of life with Jesus though, seems to be that the ones who ultimately see are the ones are understand that they're in the dark. The disciples, who Jesus commends for their capacity to see, need Jesus' help to interpret the parables He speaks, and they're not afraid to ask for it. The blind man in John 9 ultimately sees, not only trees and flowers, but the identity of the long awaited Messiah, while Jesus tells the Bible scholars that because they presume that they can see, their sin remains. And of course, the rock-star of 1st century Christianity, the great Paul, begin his life in Christ by being plunged into literal blindness, thus creating a receptivity of heart and mind that would lead to his transformation.

I'm old enough now to have seen lots of fads dance across the stage of Christian history. The world was going to end back in the 70's, and then again in the 80's, not to mention Y2K and the fans of stocking up on canned goods and weapons in Jesus name. There have been manias about spiritual gifts, and reactionary phobias; spiritual warfare and rumors of spiritual warfare a plenty; prosperity promises; liberation revolutions; and more recenlty emergent/post-modern/anceint-modern/foundationalist, post-foundationalist..blah blah blah. These days I just roll my eyes and yawn.

It's not that we don't need new perspective. We do. Seeing is supremely important, so I want to hear and learn from every corner of the theological globe. The irony, though, is that as soon as I believe that I know with great clarity ('with all caps, like, K-N-O-W), I begin to defend doctrinal turf, or promote it, or both. Such postures and attitudes carry an undertone of arrogance rather than humility, and it's the arrogance of the one who presumes to know who will, in the end, find himself walking into walls. This isn't a calling to live in a some sort of 'conviction free zone' where I declare that since I can't know anything with certainly I'll just not believe anything at all. Rather, it's a call to hold my convictions and live them out with courage, but also with humility, open to reordering when further conviction and enlightenment comes, when I see more clearly. After all, Paul said that we don't get it perfectly yet, so let's continue to enjoy the journey, calling each other to Christ, looking for answers, living out our convictions with an openness to ongoing repentance and transformation. Such a posture of heart and mind is eye-opening, and God knows that in these days of heightened fear and rhetoric, seers are in short supply.

O Lord Jesus;

We thank you that you call us to shine as light in the midst of these amazing days, and we are quick to acknowledge that, apart from your light shining into our lives, our hearts remain darkened. Create in us both an awareness of our own darkness, so that we might have a holy desire kindled for your light to shine, granting us the capacity to grow in wisdom, and mature in our capacity to live as people of joy, hope, and generosity in this fallen world. In your great name we pray. Amen.

Negating the Fear Factor

Richard Dahlstrom — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 11:05:37 -0700

We who know Christ are in the midst of an incredibly opportune season. Economic stories have completely overshadowed all others because of both the breadth and depth of the crisis. As markets meltdown globally, fear and anxiety are evident everywhere. People have lost paper wealth, and as the crisis deepens the number of people losing real assets like cars and homes will increase too. No matter what your view on either the source of the crisis or the solution (and I know we won't all agree on these matters), one thing is certain: we are called to confidence and boldness, not fear. Here's why:

1. Our calling is simply to allow the resurrected Jesus, who lives in us, to find expression through our lives. If I'm confident that Jesus is alive in me, confident that He has a good measure of freedom to express His life through me, then I'm able to walk into each and every day with the assurance God will be at work. As I've encountered fear among people in this past weeks due to economic matters, I've realized that there are many ways to be paralyzed be fear. For some, in the present, it's money matters. But numerous fears paralyze: fear of confrontation, fear of rejection, fear of intimacy, fear of being alone, fear of rejection, fear of ideas different than our own, fear of people who are different than us. And here's the thing: If I live my life with the primary goal being to avoid that which I fear, I will lose my capacity to display Christ. "Fear Not" is a governing theme throughout the life of God's people, and we can clearly see how God's people lost their light because of fear.

2. Times of upheaval have the great effect of helping us sift through our priorities and determine what really matters. In 'normal' times, many of us allow a great deal of chaff into our lives, as we squander moments and dollars on things that either don't matter, or are terribly destructive. But when shaking occurs, the things that matter are things to which we are instinctively drawn. As a result, times of shaking often have the effect of clarifying and purifying our lives. Job, at the very end of his journey of trials, said that before his trials, he'd heard God, but now he sees God. Periods of shaking are a small price to pay if the fruit of them is a greater capacity to see God!

3. We're not here to build private little comfortable lives. We're here to embody the hope of Christ, and history tells us that this light will shine brightest in the midst of darkness. This is why Habakkuk's questions about why God's people would need to go through suffering ultimately vanished. Habakkuk's bold, fearless conclusion can be found here.

4. Paul could see, behind the twists and turns of both macro and micro history, that God was providing opportunities. Thus he was able to write from a prison dungeon that his circumstances were resulting in the furtherance of the gospel. The theme of 'rejoicing' permeates his letter from prison, as Bonhoeffer's letters from prison would do centuries later. For both, the proper of focus of being a voice of hope in the midst of troubling times allowed them to rejoice, right in the midst of meltdowns.Our goal in life determines our anxiety level. If my goal is have my party win in November, or preserve my 401k, then I've got a lot of anxiety right now. Sure; I care about who wins. I care about my financial future. But my goal is to embody Christ's hope, live generously, and declare through my life, that of my family, and that of my church, that the kingdom of God is near. And this is a hope that no stock graph can shake!

Waves of Transformation

Richard Dahlstrom — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 11:32:55 -0700

It's Friday. I'm driving back to the Eugene, OR, airport after teaching Thursday night and this morning for a small group of people who love words, reading, and wriring. They're the editing team of Harvest House Publishing, the publishing family of my book: o2 Breathing New Life into Faith, also available through this web site. I've thoroughly enjoyed the convesations with them, from the moment I arrived yesterday at the airport, until I said goodbye this morning.

The rain is falling as I drive south on the Oregon coast, the road dropping off to my right offering glimpses of the waves crashing against the rocks. I see a sign for "Cooks Chasm" and impetuously pull off out of curisoity. There's a sign at the far end of this tiny parking area and I walk over to it. From there I can stare straight down into the chasm, maybe 100 fee deep. Waves are crashing into this narrow gorge with explosive force, but nothing has prepared me for what happens next. As I'm looking down into the chasm, what appears to be a geyser suddenly shoots hundreds of gallons of sea spray out from the rock, about 50 feet into the sky. This is accompanied by a loud explosion, like the sound of thunder. This is called a 'blow hole', and it's the result of the pressurized wave water shooting into the chasm, finding a hole in the rock, and finding it's way out with tremendous force.

I spend the next 20 minutes watching the blow hole perform, and each shot is pure delight. Between shots, I gaze across the landscape of wave and ocean, mindful that these waves have been crashing upon this shore for generation, and the rise and fall of political systems, economic systems, and world views. There's something about standing in the face of that which points to power, eternality, and steadfastness that invutes me into the Fahter's arms. It's good to be here, by the sea, with the Lord.

I ponder the working of sea on rock, ponder the metamorphosis of stone that comes because of water's relentless caresses. This is how our Lord transforms us as well. As we allow ourselves to be touched by His caress, we beomce, inevitably, shaped into His likeness. It happens through our renewal, through our repentance, through our response to love's caress. It happens progressively. It happens so slowly at times that we don't think anything is happening. But like waves against the rock, it happens. Can we rest in this? Can we find peace in this? I do. And I wish the same for you.

Learning how to pursue our God, how to allow that caress, how to embrace our long journey of transformation, requires discipline on our part, placing ourselves in the path of transformation so Christ can be seen. This is why silence, solitude, prayer, and Bible reading are so vital in our lives. They are the waves the nurture our soul and transform our minds and hearts. Little by little, as we show up, we place ourselves on the path of transformation.

We are rocks: stubborn, resistant, rooted. I pray that in these exciting days we'll learn to receive the waves of His life, day by day and moment by moment, so that His shaping can occur.

No surpise. But WWJT

Richard Dahlstrom — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 13:11:25 -0700

Here's the quote of the day: "We're all worried about losing our jobs," Rep. Paul Ryan, a Republican, declared in an impassioned speech in support of the bill before the vote. "Most of us say, 'I want this thing to pass, but I want you to vote for it — not me.' " What else could you expect from an economic system predicated on the notion that everyone acting in their own self-interests will always lead to a win/win situation. Somehow, I wonder: WWJT. What would Jesus think? He'd think that we should put the interests of others before our own. He'd think we should put the interests of the kingdom before our own. He'd think we should live generously. He'd think we should open our homes, share our food, and care for those who can't care for themselves, and that these kinds of things should be our priorities. We've been trying to reconcile Adam Smith and unregulated economics with the gospel for a long time. Can we please stop? What's needed is a new model where the government rewards, not self-interest, but service and sacrifice. This might be an opportunity to build a new energy and technology infrastructure. Maybe America can begins producing goods again, rather than trying to live off fabricated wealth. Maybe, but I'm not sure. If Christians, who have the very words of Christ about money refuse to altar their view of self-interest economics, how will the rest of world do?

The Money Pit: Gospel Revisited

Richard Dahlstrom — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 08:24:38 -0700

The Headlines are pouring in from around the world: 500 point market 'adustment' evaporates billions. Major banking institutions melting down. Government bails out major insurance company. Global Economy. Foreclosure crisis. Consumer Debt. Energy Consumption declines with economic downturn... etc. etc.

"Yes, yes, all very interesting, author, but you're here to talk about spiritual things, So please, a little Bible study?" Since you asked... here we go:

James 5:1 tells us that we who are rich will have our own share of miseries so that, rather than rejoicing in our riches, perhaps we should acknowledge that they've come, perhaps, at the cost of unjust treatment for those who live elsewhere, far away, working for wages that fail to provide adequately.

I Timothy 6:10 reminds us that the love of money is the root of all evil, and that those who leave their love of Christ behind in the pursuit of riches fall into a ditch somewhere along the way, finding themselves filled with grief. The might just mean that all that speculative buying of real estate, rooted as it is, in the desire to get rich quickly, might actually be as serious of a spiritual problem as sleeping with your neighbor's wife. Of course, we evangelicals don't see it that way because we've often elevated workaholism and the acquisition of wealth by any legal means, so that men and women guilty of these sins are put on boards, honored for their wisdom, and courted for their donations. This is not to say that all wealth is evil, but Timothy pleads with us to avoid the pursuit of more than we need, and you can learn about that in I Timothy 6:8. My desire to acquire more than I need might just be making a contribution to the present global crisis... might just be sin.

Jesus had a lot to say about money too; in fact, he spoke more about money than heaven or hell. He told us to live like birds and flowers, intent on declaring and displaying the glory of God, working at our callings, and leaving the results and provision in God's hands because, as He said, God will take of us. You can read about all that stuff here.

Before Jesus, John the Baptist was on the scene offering a foretaste of Messiah's coming. Interestingly, when people asked what they should do to be saved, he said nothing about praying the sinner's prayer, nothing about atonement, nothing about getting to go to heaven when you die. These elements of the gospel aren't illegitimate, but they're only part of the story. John the Baptist told people that if they were going to follow Jesus they needed to change their financial priorities. You can read about that here

Shall I continue? We could talk about caring for the poor, speaking to the power structures that oppress the poor, assessing our own lives to see if our economic ethic of operating in our own self interest by always paying the cheapest price for a product is in keeping with Jesus pirorities, or Adam Smith's, whose economic gospel has framed our buying and selling in America for two centuries.

It turns out that this present economic crisis is, indeed, not only a crisis, but a spiritual opporutnity, if we will but open our eyes to see the economic implications of Jesus kingdom ethic, adjust our own lives towards generosity, and see that when core values of a culture are shaken, there's a glorious opportunity to rebuild on a better foundation. It's an opporunity that many might take advantage of if the church is able to offer an alternative to the gospel of Adam Smith. For some of us though, we'll be unable to offer an alternative until we see our complicity with the structures that are presently melting, and repent.

I've written more on this subject in the chapter on generoisity, offered in o2: Breathing New Life into Faith. May we pray for eyes to see and hearts to respond in the midst of these amazing days.