Buenos Aires, economics and discipleship

In recent months I have come to a realisation that for some years I have lived with a similar dichotomy to that which caused the Church in South Africa to sanction apartheid.  This is a rather shocking confession, I know, but it is true!

Let me explain:  In South Africa the apartheid system was held in place by the Nationalist government because the citizens who had a right to vote did not remove that government.  What is shocking about this is that the largest majority of these voting citizens were adherents of the Christian faith, and in fact many of them were regular attendees in their local Dutch Reformed (and other) Churches.  The Churches frequently told their members that faith and life are separate issues - most particularly that faith and politics do not mix.  So, devout Christians could live a 'Christian' portion of their lives on Sunday, but on Monday they could enter into an unjust political dispensation without feeling that the one compromised the other...

Here's where I've been making a mistake.  I have come to realise that liberal Christians like myself have created the same separation and dichotomy when it comes to economics and faith.  In my instance there are two reasons why I have tried to separate economics from faith:

1)  Because I have seen so much abuse of economics by persons who claim to be Christian (pastors, priests, evangelists etc.,  One need only switch to just about every Christian television station and you'll see preachers manipulating money out of well intentioned believers' pockets!  This shames me, and so I have always tried to separate faith from any form of money.  The sentiment is good, but it has a weakness, which I shall discuss in a moment).

2)  A second reason why I have separated faith from economics is because I have always felt that the dominant economic system of our world is incompatible with the grace, provision, and blessing that I read about in Christian scripture.  In essence, my experience has been that capitalism is driven by greed, personal gain, and it is cut-throat, frequently dishonest, and that it is motivated by a side of human nature that is not truly Christlike (i.e., it frequently is selfish, individualistic, has little care for the desire to see others blessed...  I think you get the point - my perception, which I think is largely true, is that to enrich one's self the pressure has to be shifted elsewhere in the economy, which frequently (most often) means that someone else is impoverished).

So, for these two reasons I have shied away from considering economics in any way other than a critical fashion.  I have written two chapters in books on the problems of the world's dominant economic systems (one in 44 sermons to serve the present age, and one in Methodism in Southern Africa - a celebration of Wesleyan mission).  

Yesterday, however, I came to experience for the first time how destructive perspectives such as mine are for the poor!  As long as I remain on the sidelines hurling insults, and don't address the struggles and deficiencies of this system the poor remain poor and the unjust have claim to more and more wealth!  In the economic forum discussions that we held yesterday were scientists, economists, politicians and educators who have understood that a healthy, Christ driven, engagement with economics, from the perspective of God's Kingdom, can bring about change.

What I realised yesterday is that those persons from the Christian faith who have abused economics are doing so from the same capitalist system that drives persons who do not submit to Christ's Lordship.  There is, however, another approach to economics that can be Christlike.  It is not motivated by greed, personal gain, or self enrichment.  Rather this approach is radically accountable, it seeks to apply one's gifts, abilities, and training to reclaim systems, companies, and economic policies that could be used destructively and redeploy them for the good of the poor.  I met scientists yesterday whose technology could be sold for multiple millions of dollars - yet they have developed them with venture capital funds to deploy 100% of their profits to care for the poor!  I met commodity brokers whose sole purpose in life was to shift the economic weight of nations away from the wealthy few in order to put the gains into social entrepreneurial ventures in their countries, and in so doing to make broad based economic shifts.

The reality is that I am not an astute business person, and that I am still frightened by money, and concerned with my own capacity for greed.  However, the one thing that I can do is write (and of course pray, think, and engage others).  I believe that it is time for me to break the dichotomy which allows the economic systems to continue to oppress the poor.  It is time for me to begin to think about an alternative reality in which the Christian can have a healthy engagement with the economy for the sake of the Kingdom of God and the purposes of that Kingdom.

Of course, this is risky business!  I shall need to think very carefully about what I think, write, and say.  I shall need to remain equally critical, but add to that critique creativity and insight in order to reclaim that which is frequently used to work against the principles of God's Kingdom.

It was great to make this realisation in the two-thirds world!   Argentina has many of the same struggles that we have in Africa - the dominance of American wealth, international debt, a rate of international aid that exceeds 18% (which according to a number of 'secular' economists is the point at which aid becomes a noose to steal the natural and human resources of a nation for generations to come).

I have just recently read two significant books, The Bottom Billion which speaks of why the majority of the world grows poorer, and Confessions of an economic hitman which tells of how America and the World Bank have strategically targeted mineral rich nations to enslave them in debt.  I shall be going on to read Free lunch quite soon which deals with a similar topic.

Have a blessed day!

Some wise words on hate.

A few years ago a very good friend of mine, Piet Greyling, gave me some of the best advice that I have ever received - he encouraged me to 'live on the side of hope' (these are my words, but his sentiment).  He encouraged me to escape cynicism and overcome prejudice and even hate, in order to find the freedom to truly live and honour God with the very best, and first fruit, of my life.

Today I was reminded of that advice.  Piet gave it to me when I was facing some rather harsh pressure and attack that was racially motivated.  I believed, at that stage, that I had every right to be angry with those who were prejudiced towards me because of nothing other than my race.  I believed that I had a right to be angry, and even to judge them, because of what they were doing.  Then I realised, if I should do so I would place myself under their power and control.  You see, I had a choice to overcome my feelings of self-righteousness and operate on a level of gracious transcendence that would give me freedom and choice to live fully and freely, not just in response to the actions and views of others!

I have seen how hatred eats up individuals and communities.  Have you?  Here's some good advice from Martin Luther King Jr.

Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man's sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true. 

- Martin Luther King Jr.

The courage to do what we believe in.

Compromise is a difficult state to live in.  I realise that all of life requires some flexibility and compromise in order to make things work, and to allow some space for cooperation and growth (if you only ever get your own way, it's likely that you're either a bully or a brat... Sorry to be so direct, but that has been my experience of my own life!)

But, sadly many of us tend to live in compromise much more frequently than we live and operate within within what brings us joy and blessing!  If I'm wrong here, please set me straight!  But, I feel that people get into debt, they end up working to repay their loans and bills, and eventually they 'sell themselves', their time, their dreams, and many other costly things (like their values) to serve the taskmaster of mammon!

I have, a few times in my life, met some people who spend their lives doing what brings them life and joy.  Their energy is simply infectious!  I have frequently longed to live that way.  I work towards it, I keep it constantly in mind, and I try to do all that I do with this spirit of joy and blessing behind it!

Here's a lovely little quote that may offer you some challenge and comfort in this regard!

There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do. - Freya Stark from The Lycian Shore

They all look pretty much the same - some comfort, but some sadness

I love being in different places. However, the more I travel the more I realise that just about every city that I visit looks more or less the same. This is a shot of a city street in Buenos Aires - can you spot the Golden Arches!? I am quite pleased that they are here since this is where I am getting my free wifi to send this message!

There is some comfort in the familiarity of an urban scene. You know that you can always find something familiar, but I was also thinking that it is quite sad in some ways since one comes to different places to experience something different after all! But, as I walked early this morning I enjoyed the cool breeze, the tall buildings, the tiled streets and the wonderful people around me.

At least the language is different here! I love the Spanish twang in people's voices! I have had the privelage to visit Spain twice, and I can see how those Latin roots have been deeply placed in this South American nation.

Last night we began with a dinner for some of the delegates - it started at around 9pm (2am South African time). By the end of it I was absolutely tired! But I slept well and awoke refreshed at 5 am this morning (around 10am South African time). The 5 hours of sleep did me well.

I am sharing a room with an amazing young guy from Thailand (Phuket to be exact) - he is here to learn how he, as a hotel manager, can learn to honour and bless Christ in his everyday work. We had some great conversations.

It's a lovely day in Buenos Aires today, I am jet lagged and about to go to an economic forum meeting to discuss the global economic crisis with business and church leaders. It is a privilege to be invited to this meeting since some of the world's top Christian business leaders will be present. The aim and intention of the meeting is to see how Christians might respond with Christ's love, grace, and care in the current economic crisis that is gripping the globe. Among those in attendance will be senior business anaylists, owners and CEO's of very large enterprises, some pastors, priest, Bishops, theologians (like myself), and some government leaders from nations in Africa, the Americas and Europe.

PS. Please excuse the poor formatting of this post. I have realised that if I add formatting to the email when I send it to blogger the picture doesn't show up, but if I don't add formatting the line breaks are all wrong! Does anybody have a suggestion about how I could fix this!?

Leaving with a heavy heart. But, the sun is out, and I'll be back soon!

I have often written of how thankful I am for the lives of my children.  Our particular little struggle has been the life of our little boy Liam who was born at 27 weeks.  We thank God that he survived those first few weeks of life, and that for the largest part he is perfectly healthy.  However, he does have some special health needs and we are constantly aware of caring for him appropriately and protecting him from situations that could turn out to be quite serious because of his health.

Frequently little Liam has gone from having a cold to being hospitalized within a matter of days.  Megan and I know all the signs, and our pediatrician trusts us enough to allow us to keep a stock of antibiotics and other appropriate drugs to help him when he picks up an infection.  As such when we were given the opportunity to travel to Argentina together we knew that little Liam would have to come with us.  We could not leave him behind with just anyone.  So earlier in the month we got his passport, took him to the doctor for a checkup and ensured that he was ready to travel.  We had our regular stock of medication and we were all set for a great trip.  This week however, Liam picked up a cold and started getting all the signs we're accustomed to, spiking fever, a tight chest, light blue tinges on his fingernails and lips (which means that he is not getting enough oxygen saturation).  So we started to treat him with the nebulizer and antibiotics and took him to the doctor.

After checking him out the doctor indicated that Liam would not able to fly.  His lungs simply would not cope with the oxygen saturation of the aircraft.

So, Megie and Liam have remained behind in Somerset West.

My heart is heavy...  It is not a good thing to know that Liam is ill at the best of times, but it is even more difficult to leave him and Megie.

To change tack a little, many people have spoken to us about how we relate all of this struggle to God.  Some friends who do not believe think that we are naive to believe in a God who heals when our son is so sick.  Others who are more charismatic think that perhaps we don't have enough faith, and for that reason our son is sick.  Some more pensive friends have spoken of the complexity of theodicy (a theological study of the 'justice' of God, from the Greek Theos meaning God and the Latin dice meaning justice).  In short they question how a God who is all powerful, and is also all loving, could allow suffering.  Surely if God is all powerful and can heal any person, and God is infinitely loving, God would simply heal little Liam?  Well simplistically I guess that would be one option.  However, I have come to understand that health is certainly not a measure of wholeness.  I know many healthy people who are more fully whole because they have learned to grow and deepen their perspective on life, love, God's grace, and the wonder of human community, through their understanding of suffering.

What I can tell you with certainty is that we know that God loves us, and God loves Liam and Courtney.  We are certain that God's heart breaks when our hearts are broken, and that God gives us both courage and strength to cope with the vicissitudes of life.  An overseas trip could never cause me to doubt my faith in a God who willingly took suffering upon himself so that I could be free to truly live.  I find comfort in Christ's suffering, and even his death, and yes of course I find great hope in his resurrection to eternal life.

There is a sense in which God is not the owner of 'Disney world' where everything has a shine and veneer of happiness, yet it lacks true depth and joy.  Rather, the God I love and know deals with real life, life that is disappointing and messy, but also filled with the miracles of life and love, and that God brings wholeness in spite of health, and blessing in spite of struggle.

Please do spare a prayer for little Liam, for Megie, for Courts and I.

help a hacker dot com... seriously consider helping this hacker's son

The MySQL community -- who create, maintain and support the leading free database -- are raising funds for Andrii Nikitin, a MySQL support engineer in Ukraine whose little boy, Ivan, needs a $400,000 bone-barrow transplant.

"My family got bad news - doctors said allogenic bone marrow transplantation is the only chance for my son Ivan.

"8 months of heavy and expensive immune suppression brought some positive results so we hoped that recovering is just question of time.

"Ivan is very brave boy - not every human meets so much suffering during whole life, like Ivan already met in his 2,5 years. But long road is still in front of us to get full recover - we are ready to come it through.

"Ukrainian clinics have no technical possibility to do such complex operation, so we need 150-250K EUR for Israel or European or US clinic. The final decision will be made considering amount we able to find. Perhaps my family is able to get ~60% of that by selling the flat where parents leave and some other goods, but we still require external help."

He'll get a few dollars from me.

Donate to help Andrii Nikitin's son Ivan (Thanks, Danny!) reposted from boingboing

God may just be a little bit lonely...

Whenever I am in London I am always struck by the incredible diversity of people that live that glorious city! Just a few minutes on the London underground, or walking down Oxford street, and you soon come to realise that the world is filled with so many different people!

This quote from the book of Psalms is one of my favourites (I'm not sure that one should have 'favourite' quotes from the Bible, or should one!? Somehow I have a sneaking suspission that one should either NOT proof text particular verses, or that the whole of the message of scripture should hang together as one glorious 'favourite'...)

The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it.
- Psalm 24:1

This verse, in conjunction with the quote below, made me think about this nonsensical issue - the fact that God may just get lonely at times!

I often say to myself that, in our religion, God must feel very much alone: for is there anyone besides God who believes in the salvation of the world? God seeks among us sons and daughters who resemble him enough, who love the world enough so that he could send them into the world to save it.

- Louis Evely, In the Christian Spirit


There's that old joke about the guy who goes to heaven. When he gets to the pearly gates he is met by St Peter. St Peter is having a slow day and so he decides to give him a little tour of heaven. They walk past huge stadiums of rejoicing people, Peter points out that those are the Baptists having a prayer rally. Next they walk past the largest Cathedral the man has ever seen, in it are a throng of people praising God in the most beautiful liturgy ever heard, St Peter points out that those are the Catholics... This goes on as they pass one community of rejoicing believers after another. Eventually however, they get to a very large building with a large perimiter around it, pasted on the outside are large signs emploring the paserby to remain silent. When the man asked St Peter why they had to keep quiet when passing that particular Church he replied, "Oh, those are the Methodists... They think they're the only ones up here!"

I thought that was quite funny, but also quite telling! Oh, and before any Methodists get upset, remember I am a Methodist, and I use my own denomination as the example in the joke because I wouldn't want to make fund of anyone but myself!

Break my heart for what breaks yours... Changing gears

On the 2007 Hillsong Album, Saviour and King, there is a song that has the line 'Lord, break my heart for what breaks Yours, everything I have for your Kingdom's cause'

From the first time that this concept penetrated my mind it has left a significant impact upon my actions, and my moment by moment awareness.  A friend, Lloyd Reeb, who wrote the book 'Success to significance' made the statement that a Christian will never find his or her passion and purpose unless they are open to experiencing what it is that breaks God's heart.

Have you ever considered what makes God weep when God looks upon your area, your community, the persons, places and activities that you encounter in your life?  Perhaps it is the hunger of a vulnerable and neglected child, or the bruised and broken body of a woman who lives with an abusive husband.... Perhaps it is the suffering of those whose country has been occupied by a conquering force?  

I think it is likely that God's heart will break over similar things that cause your heart to break - in God's omniscience, I believe that God can see both more joy, but also more sorrow, than we can see.

What I've found is that when I operate within that area, where my passion aligns with God's passion, then it is like changing gears - more speed with less effort.  Somehow I find it easier to work towards bringing about God's will and purpose when I feel passion and a strong emotional connection to the issue, or person, in focus.

My friend Alan Storey is one of those who has taught me most in this regard.  Alan leads frequent retreats for his congregation called 'A pilgrimage of pain and hope'.  He takes groups of persons to encounter the brokenness and hurt in the world, some of which is all around them all the time.  The realisation is that we become to hardened to the struggle and hurt of others that we no longer notice it - the children who live on our streets, the unemployed begging for money at the traffic lights etc.  It is a spiritual discipline to be carefully guided to have your heart broken by the brokenness of others.  In this you can find the opportunity and grace to act to change some of these situations.

When last was your heart broken for what breaks God's heart?  I am praying today 'Lord, break my heart for what breaks yours - everything I have for your Kingdom's cause'.

Love, peace, and proverbs...

A thought for today from Sojourners....

Whoever winks the eye causes trouble, but the one who rebukes boldly makes peace. The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. - Proverbs 10:10-12

Love is not a doctrine. Peace is not an international agreement. Love and Peace are beings who live as possibilities within us. - Mary Caroline Richards, Centering

Bono's comment on the US bailout.

I thought this was a fairly pertinent observation... Why can we find the money to bail out the rich, yet not find the money to care for the poor!?

It's extraordinary to me that the United States can find $700 billion to save Wall Street and the entire G8 can't find $25 billion dollars to saved 25,000 children who die every day from preventable diseases.

- Bono, rock star and anti-poverty activist.

I am challenged by this!

How can one define the great social forces of our time?

Here's a remarkable quote, it struck a chord within me - my individual efforts, when added to the good will and good work of others, have the capacity to be part of something great!

Great social forces are the mere accumulation of individual actions. Let the future say of our generation that we sent forth mighty currents of hope, and that we worked together to heal the world.

- Jeffrey Sachs
The End of Poverty

I wonder how many Churches (and individual Christians) considered this?

The world is undergoing some fairly significant shaking with the collapse of some of the most significant financial institutions.

I was wondering how this affects the collective psyche of a world in which so many people base their security and worth on wealth.  I certainly wonder what the worth of my money in the bank is - surely there must be something must more stable and significant to base one's identity and security on?  Of course, that is the person of Christ who created and re-creates the whole world, moment by moment  (Col 1:16-17).

I was wondering how many individual Christians and Churches see this as an area to offer ministry?  Have we considered how we could bring peace and comfort in such uncertain times?  I walked past the London Stock exchange this week - there was a sign pasted on the door that said 'Closed until further notice'.  I'm not sure that this was the main building, but it was certainly a wake up call to me!  The world's richest nation is being humbled, and there is a realization that wealth is not something that guards one against struggle and hardship.  Surely this must make people uncertain and worried?  I'm quite sure that in a situation like this God's desire is to love and care for those who struggle.  How do we do that in the most tangible and effective manner?

This was just a thought...  I'll certainly be thinking about creative and loving ways to care for and assure individuals and groups that are feeling uncertain in these harrowing times!