Continuing the theme from the last post, that 'the pendulum is swinging back to community', I have been considering the evidence. There aren't many indications, from what I can see, of people saying "let's move in together and share everything". But there are definite signs of thinking Christians reaching out for particular strands of what make up community.
One of these is sustainability: the belief that there are enough resources on earth to provide for its population, if only these resources could be used wisely and equally. The Breathe Network (see last post) is "a Christian network for simpler living, connecting people who want to live a less consumerist, more generous, more sustainable life". Their clip "Enough" will give you a flavour (read the comments too).
So, is sustainability in the New Testament mandate? It is certainly the thought behind 2 Corinthians 9:8. God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work.
But there is a much stronger tie-up with the monastic community vision. Basil, bishop of Caesarea (c.330-379), wrote at some length on this issue. In his sermon "To the Rich", he writes:"But how do you make use of money? By dressing in expensive clothing? Won’t two yards of tunic suffice you, and the covering of one coat satisfy all your need of clothes? Is it for food’s sake that you have such a demand for wealth? One loaf is enough to fill a belly."
Basil inveighs against those "who leave grain to rot but will not feed the starving", who choose ivory sofas and silver tables when ordinary wood is just as suitable. This is more than cheap swipes at material wealth. For Basil, a man steeped in the Christian community vision of the Desert Fathers, the inherent sin of such behaviour is its refusal to accept simplicity for the sake of sustainability. It is as much a sin against the earth as it is against the poor.
This is the context in which Basil in his day, and concerned Christians like the Breathe Network today, saw the devious lie of consumerism and turned against it. To this we shall return.
I'm glad of your upbeat look at community prospects. I suspect there are trends running in both directions. The cultural backdrop is still bleak. This was one of my first radref posts from three years ago (http://radref.blogspot.com/2008/11/gold-medal-for-third-place.html) but I'm sure it makes Christian exploration of community all the more necessary. Blessings to you Trevor. Shalom, Phil
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ReplyDeleteI'm grateful for this, Phil. Such exploration really is necessary, not least because community is so easily set up as a straw man and knocked down. Yet I talk to Joe (or Jo) Average here in the UK, who may not have any faith at all, and I often hear "we've got to pull together and share more; it's the only way". Unconsidered, raw in outline it may be, but there's a definite sense of people starting to say enough is enough - the moral revolt that is behind the start of any revolution.
ReplyDeleteGelassenheit!, Trevor