Spotted this article courtesy of the Roxborough Missional Newsletter. Fascinating read and perhaps some insight into the US pysche on consumerism. I don't say that with a pointing finger as Australia is not far behind and a visit to a big mall like Chadstone is sufficient proof of that.
What struck me was the interwining of good and bad teachings which are suggestive of the false prophets Jesus warns us about. We have been blessed as a family and I do see those blessings as having come from God but I have to recognise that we are only custodians of things here on earth and not the ultimate owners. I also have to recognise (and remind myself pretty often) that enough is also enough lest I let my appetite for spending get out of hand.
It is easy for some groups to focus on perhaps the positive verses in the Bible about riches but we should not ignore the fact that Jesus warns us pretty clearly about money. The parable of the three servants was to explain that we should use our blessing wisely not focus on getting rich. This is further highlighted by the story of the rich man, the camel and the eye of the needle.
You know it is getting off track once the emphasis is on money rather than God and that is where the alarm bells start ringing for me. I would have to respond that greed caused the crash as it has caused many disasters big and small throughout our history. Lets keep this in check as the worlds economies begin to rebound and this doesn't mean burying our talent like the lazy servant did for fear of losing it but investing it on behalf of our master rather than to reap our own rewards.
Read the article it's worth it.
Did Christianity Cause the Crash? - The Atlantic (December 2009).
