Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Christians Living in Elite Neighborhoods
This has really been bothering me lately - Do Christians have any business living in expensive gated communities, and luxury homes with the rich and elite of society. I've had disagreements with other Christians about this subject. My gut feeling is that Christians living with the elite have somewhat missed the boat on what Christianity is about. Maybe they've just been caught up in the American Christianity ideals of God financially rewarding his servants. "Hey, if we've earned the money, we have the right to spend it how we see fit. God has blessed us." Some would say that we need to minister to everyone, and that means the affluent as well as the poor. Maybe that's true, but I have a hard time seeing Jesus fitting in so peacefully with the rich and powerful of his day. He just seemed so counter-cultural. Like it or not, our culture is big into wealth and status and we are all effected by it. We must continually fight against these cultural ideals, or we get swept along in the tide and end up being a hero of our secular culture.
OK, so many of you will probably think that I am judging others and in that I am wrong. Point taken, maybe I am.
Also, even a modest lifestyle anywhere in the U.S. is luxurious for many countries. Is that relevent? Maybe. So the standard that I generally use is where someone is at in relation to their community - the people that they live with and interact with. Living near the top rung of the societal ladder that you happen to be in would mean different things in a big city, a small town, a rich country, a poor country, and at different times, etc. Are there guidlines about where we should be on that ladder?
One last thought; I think the story of the rich young ruler comes down to this - You should be living your life in such a way that you could throw all of that material stuff away at any point, and it just wouldn't be that big of a deal to you. The more stuff you have, the harder it becomes to not have it matter to you anymore.
OK, so many of you will probably think that I am judging others and in that I am wrong. Point taken, maybe I am.
Also, even a modest lifestyle anywhere in the U.S. is luxurious for many countries. Is that relevent? Maybe. So the standard that I generally use is where someone is at in relation to their community - the people that they live with and interact with. Living near the top rung of the societal ladder that you happen to be in would mean different things in a big city, a small town, a rich country, a poor country, and at different times, etc. Are there guidlines about where we should be on that ladder?
One last thought; I think the story of the rich young ruler comes down to this - You should be living your life in such a way that you could throw all of that material stuff away at any point, and it just wouldn't be that big of a deal to you. The more stuff you have, the harder it becomes to not have it matter to you anymore.
# posted by Ray @ 3:07 PM 
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Personally, I wouldn't feel right living in an elite neighborhood. But I don't judge the Christians who do. I think it would be bad for me, too easy to forget who I am and fixate on material possessions. But can I say that all Christians should agree with me on this? No. We have one car, a Saturn, and most days you drive it to school/work. If I need to go out, I coordinate with Mom and borrow her car. She has a very expensive and fancy car, one typically driven by elites. I am grateful that she lets me borrow it so often, but I am always embarassed to be seen in it, and I want to say, "Hey, this isn't my car! And if I had enough money to buy one of these, I still wouldn't!" I just don't want to appear that way. I am not one of the elite. But is there something to be said for safety? For quality? For making so much money that you can be very philanthropic and still afford a fancy house and car? Not for me, not for the extreme I think you're getting at. But I know a lot of Christians who DO drive fancy cars and live in elite neighborhoods. These people are good people. They give of their time and money to help others. They're not snobbish or self-centered as far as I can tell. Maybe some just have more of a gift for good stewardship than we do, and that's why it seems like a bad idea for us. I don't know. There are so many roads to go down with this discussion! And you know, if I had lots of money to spend on something, I would travel the world...would it be wrong to take awesome vacations if we had the money? I guess I'm getting around to saying that it's an issue where you need to follow what's right for you, but not judge others on it. That sounds like relative garbage! But I think it's one case where it applies. Your life should be lived in a way that shows Christ living in you. It's an issue of the heart, not one of concrete dollars or lists of Christian-appropriate neighborhoods.
# posted by 
: 9:32 PM, February 08, 2006
: 9:32 PM, February 08, 2006
I think God has His people in every neighborhood,including elite ones.There's nothing intrinsically wrong with having money and possessions,as long as they do not have us.As you said...we should be ready to give it all up immediately if that's what the Lord tells us to do.
I must admit to questioning the motives and integrity of certain famous tv evangelists who own huge mansions and drive expensive cars,ostensibly paid for by the sacrificial gifts of their followers.
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I must admit to questioning the motives and integrity of certain famous tv evangelists who own huge mansions and drive expensive cars,ostensibly paid for by the sacrificial gifts of their followers.
# posted by : 11:23 PM, February 25, 2006
: 11:23 PM, February 25, 2006 << Home
