I recently attended Jim Wallis’ book reading at Powell’s Bookstore on his latest book, “Rediscovering Values: On Wall Street, Main Street and your street.” The premise of the book is to re-establish a moral compass in the new economy. This ties in appropriately with New Wine, New Wineskins’ upcoming conference, “Owning the Pond Together: Developing Communities through Entrepreneurship”. Both Wallis’ book and the conference explore how to do business in a way that complements, rather than competes with local business, economic sustainability and community development. They both address how to live together, not simply tolerate one another.
Wallis urged us to re-consider the concept of common grounds: sharing space and ownership and re-establishing what he termed, the “new old values”—values such as “enough is enough”, and drawing from the Native American value of measuring the impact we have today by the impact it will have seven generations from now. He challenged us to ask, “how will this crisis change us”, rather than, “when will this crisis end?”
This said economic crisis could be, if we are wise, humble and teachable, an opportunity. Yet if we close our hearts, imaginations and minds, it could be a long-term disaster, only to be repeated years later. I’m not going to pretend I am a financial or economic expert. I am a 28-year old who has been in school pretty much my whole life, and am currently living off a part-time job and school loans. My experience of the housing market is writing a rent check every month. That said, all this talk about the financial crisis makes me feel a bit oblivious. However, I do know that this crisis, regardless how much one understands the technicalities, must wake us—me–up in some capacity. As Wallis challenged, what do we do when the “invisible hand” lets go? This is a brilliant time when, as Christ followers, we have the opportunity to stand apart and offer our communities another way.
As Christians, the way we “do business”, the way we invest, what we invest in, and how we invest (be it our time, energy, money, resources, relationships) must reflect kingdom values. These values are those of solidarity, community, unity, self-sacrifice and humility—values that are sadly the opposite of what too many Christians are currently operating under in our country. I wholeheartedly believe that we must do everything with intention, because whether we realize it or not, everything we do sends a message and affects our community. We must be aware of this. Rather than looking out for our own best interest, how would our economy look today if we first looked out for the interest of the other? And isn’t that a Biblical mandate anyway?
As Wallis put well: instead of keeping up with the Jones’, we should check and see if the Jones’ are ok. This is what both Wallis and our upcoming conference on April 10th address: building community not on hand outs, charity, or quick fixes, but on costly relationships and kingdom values in which both the poor and the rich need and empower one another in Christ.
May I ask…What small steps can we take, no matter what stage, to reflect kingdom values in our day to day investments?
Wallis suggested considering switching one’s money to credit unions (which operate differently than banks. Watch a quite entertaining and–I admit biased–illustration here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cawzTSVTP2M&feature=related) and investing more in community projects (gardens etc…)
Other thoughts?
“This is what both Wallis and our upcoming conference on April 10th address: building community not on hand outs, charity, or quick fixes, but on costly relationships and kingdom values in which both the poor and the rich need and empower one another in Christ.”
I like this statement a lot….. Thanks Kelsi
Post reminds me of something: Adam Smith and Karl Marx’s analysis of capitalism was basically the same… except that Smith thought that human morality would keep the potential pitfalls from getting out of control, and Marx didn’t share the same optimism in human morality.
In that sense, despite what Glenn Beck has said recently, Jim Wallis is a close friend of capitalism. Capitalism depends on a deep sense of moral responsibility from those who have the capital towards those who aren’t the power-players.
The Presbyterian church (PC(USA)) had to repent and apologize several years ago for investing in companies in Bolivia which had exploitative labor practices. Apparently, the PC(USA) simply didn’t know that this was part of that company’s way of doing business and so were harming innocent people in an uninentional, but very real, way. I learn from this example that as a Christian I need to view taking the extra time and effort to research where I place my money as an act of worship and obedience, as a way of showing love to my creator and my neighbor. As an extension, I think we can say that we “invest” in companies any time we give them our money. So, making ethical choices in regards to what we buy and consume is also a way to reflect kingdom values in our day to day investments. It’s very difficult to avoid the patterns of the larger society, though, and I must admit that on this issue I fail so often that it’s difficult to really point to any great impact this understanding has had on my buying habits. Like the PC(USA), I too need to repent and apologize.
Thanks for bringing some light to this important issue, Kelsi!
Good point, Luke. I am by no means an economics expert…I vaguely remember my economics class in college. (Cursed memory!) But I do remember thinking how optimistic Adam Smith was. The invisible hand will guide us. How lovely! But, as Wallis asked, what happens when that hand lets go? And i think this shows how his theory really did rest–and was sustained by–an optimism in human morality. I agree capitalism and social responsibility must go hand in hand– they do not and should not cancel one another out! Empowering the poor does not necessitate communism or socialism (regardless of how one views these models), it simply necessitates moral responsibility and accountability within and among businesses.
Gretchen, I hear you on feeling a bit overwhelmed when I honestly reflect on who I am supporting and in whom/what I am investing. I think that is why it’s so important to understand our power and influence as consumers! A company’s social and ethical practices are basically determined by what the consumer demands, and I think that we often act as if it is the other way around. Thanks for the comments!
Kelsi,
Great post! The article has the feel of sheer prophecy for me. In the last twelve hours (before reading this post) I watched an hour long interview on Charlie Rose with author, Michael Lewis, who’s recent book, “The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine”, which chronicles the details of the housing crisis – this event instigated two lengthy conversations I had with my wife and with my therapist rehearsing the “carnage of the crisis” as well as the insanity that created it.
As you may know, I was personally and deeply impacted by these events; I got swept up and spit out by the “frenzy” and the “fall out”, along with several of my closest friends. In my case, the losses were devastating. Just in the last year and a half I have watched as no less a six families suffered major losses (businesses, millions of dollars in savings and investments, homes, and in several cases, their marriages) all as a result of the housing crisis and the secret sins that accompanied it. It was like a Tsunami wave that no one saw coming until it was too late, but the signs were there all along!
I feel like I’m only now starting to reflect on what went wrong and gain some sort of perspective. On that note, I want to echo Wallis’s sentiment regarding the essential concern for those of who were affected by this crisis, “How will this change us?” This is the “million dollar” question.
Thanks Kelsi,
C
The Jones’. It’s amazing to me how community development boils down to who we define as our neighbor. I used to think community development was a word that was reserved for government agencies or non profits in the inner city. As far as community development and the church, I really didn’t see the connection. We already have community, right? Huh! If you do, count yourself fortunate because I think it’s rare especially. In my experience where community is taken it for granted, it does not exist because it has a prerequisite of intentionality.
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
When I read Luke 10:29 or anytime I’m convicted concerning my own individualistic tendencies I so quickly seek justification and aim for the lowest requirement to fulfill my moral obligation. I think to myself and pray to God, “Please let me delineate my definition of my neighbor with this person that’s easy to love, please.” I’m still waiting for God on that one, but I don’t plan on hearing anything different than Luke 10:27.
Dr. Fox,
Fox is in the house and he’s breakn’ it off – If you can’t say amen, say ouch!
Seriously, that may be the best exegesis that I’ve heard on that passage and subject!
C
Thank you, Richard. I agree with Chris. That is how to make that passage sting but it is so true. We try to tweak the gospel so it doesn’t cost us a thing, or at least much. I used view community development as you did (something for non-profits or the government to take care of), and it is astonishing that really, community development is at the heart of the gospel!! Yet it took me 27 years to realize that. I think God gave the command of loving our neighbor as ourselves because he knew he needed to command it in clear, explicit language. It DOES NOT come easy or by happenstance. We have tragically boxed the definitions of “neighbor” and “love” in so much that this is why we need books and figures like Wallis (and I pray the church as a whole!) to try to wake us up back to Christ’s call.