To what degree are apathy and triviality the besetting sins of wealth, leisure, and the pursuit of pleasure?
Also, it seems to me that the 'attention economy' we've created forms and requires both. We need just enough attention to direct, trigger, and reinforce certain behaviors (buying, voting, sharing), but not enough to warrant reflection, questioning, or challenge. How do you think our attention economy relates to the observations you're making above?
I'm struck by your conversation with campus ministers (being one ;-). It seems to me one of the challenges is a lack of (or a lack of awareness of) genuinely inspiring (dare I say 'authentic') Christians. The heroes of American Christianity have died or fallen. Are the 'rising voices' of Christian faith sufficiently different from 'influencers' to inspire holiness? Where are the saints whose lives are so full of love for God and neighbor, that they pray for 3 hours a day? Where are the Christians who can look at the churn of our culture with engaged indifference? It seems to me, to disagree with the chapel speaker, that their question was possibly misdirected? Rather than ask young people why they aren't giving themselves to a vision of Christian discipleship that requires something of them, perhaps we should ask why our embodiment of Christian discipleship is so dull and uninspired. What do you think?
"Perhaps we should ask why our embodiment of Christian discipleship is so dull and uninspired." I think you and this particular chapel speaker would agree more than you think, given that he began with Perpetua and Polycarp. This speaker registered genuine surprise at how few contemporary American Christians know the stories of Christian martyrs. These are the kinds of stories we need, the kinds of stories to genuinely inspire! And given what you've noted about the consumerism of American Christianity (yes, yes, yes), I wonder if we won't also find more inspiring examples of faith among the poor and powerless? I have started the most recently released biography of MLK Jr., and it strikes me how much I have to learn from the stories of black Christians who have persevered in faith. (The biography opens with an inspiring story of courage and faith demonstrated by MLK's grandmother.) I'm also reading Thomas Merton's autobiography, and he talks about this very faithful old Catholic couple whose ordinary, humble piety deeply influenced him as a child. Are we losing our appetite to live like this? To follow those who live like this? I think so, though I'm not at all sure that our craven appetities (for fame, power, glory) are all that new. Jumbled thoughts in response to your very trenchant questions.
Yes — I have finally started going through a slow read of a book of church history. And I keep thinking how helpful, clarifying, and motivating it is to read about the history of the church and the life of Christians in the early church, martyrs certainly included. I need those stories and frameworks of faith that are much more ancient (and really, across all times and places).
Thoughts that came to mind at this point were that I think the threats to us have changed. When what we fear is death (violent or at a young age) then the stories of how believers have dealt with that that is inspiring. But the things I fear are things like dementia or a debilitating old age in a care home. I need a different kind of testimony for that.
The songs and sermons I hear are about Christians being confident in the face of death - when I think the death bit is the easy bit, it's the long dying before that that is frightening.
I think I am apathetic because I see a long grind of working into old age, and then living with half or less of my faculties, wheras a couple of hundred years ago they didn't have to face that.
Apathy is there because I just don't have the energy to deal with the long haul with enthusiasm.
This is an interesting take - and one that is very real for me as my mother has Alzheimer’s. I need to think on this more! I am struck by some of the research that suggests people of faith choose more life-extending measures than the general population. Why is this? Can we accept death?
This topic reminds me of Paul's words to the Colossian church: "For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me." He knew that his efforts were being empowered by Christ and that ultimately it would be Christ in the Colossians (not Paul in the Colossians) that would be their hope of glory. And so he put forth the effort that was required of him in partnership with God.
I've been working a lot on some goal-setting in the last few days, and one thing that keeps convicting me is that the question "what do I want my life to look like" doesn't keep in sight the question of what does God want my life to look like. I'm trying to work through the tension of believing that He does use our desires to move and motivate us but also that building a life to suit myself isn't my whole duty. I find myself straying into triviality when triviality should be the accents if anything, not making up the substance of my life. But it's so, so true that our culture (and myself, as part of it) makes trivialities so important. Anyway, good food for thought, thank you!
This post pairs well with all that I've been thinking about in the wake of Aleksei Navalny's death. So far as I can tell, he was a follower of Jesus, and that is what enabled him to live dauntlessly, fearlessly, joyfully, hopefully in the face of persecution and death in the gulags. I have been so convicted by his present day example of courage and faith-- someone who counted all things as loss, someone who understood that he was looking towards a better kingdom even as he kept his feet on the ground while he was living.
Great words Jennifer!
A couple questions:
To what degree are apathy and triviality the besetting sins of wealth, leisure, and the pursuit of pleasure?
Also, it seems to me that the 'attention economy' we've created forms and requires both. We need just enough attention to direct, trigger, and reinforce certain behaviors (buying, voting, sharing), but not enough to warrant reflection, questioning, or challenge. How do you think our attention economy relates to the observations you're making above?
I'm struck by your conversation with campus ministers (being one ;-). It seems to me one of the challenges is a lack of (or a lack of awareness of) genuinely inspiring (dare I say 'authentic') Christians. The heroes of American Christianity have died or fallen. Are the 'rising voices' of Christian faith sufficiently different from 'influencers' to inspire holiness? Where are the saints whose lives are so full of love for God and neighbor, that they pray for 3 hours a day? Where are the Christians who can look at the churn of our culture with engaged indifference? It seems to me, to disagree with the chapel speaker, that their question was possibly misdirected? Rather than ask young people why they aren't giving themselves to a vision of Christian discipleship that requires something of them, perhaps we should ask why our embodiment of Christian discipleship is so dull and uninspired. What do you think?
"Perhaps we should ask why our embodiment of Christian discipleship is so dull and uninspired." I think you and this particular chapel speaker would agree more than you think, given that he began with Perpetua and Polycarp. This speaker registered genuine surprise at how few contemporary American Christians know the stories of Christian martyrs. These are the kinds of stories we need, the kinds of stories to genuinely inspire! And given what you've noted about the consumerism of American Christianity (yes, yes, yes), I wonder if we won't also find more inspiring examples of faith among the poor and powerless? I have started the most recently released biography of MLK Jr., and it strikes me how much I have to learn from the stories of black Christians who have persevered in faith. (The biography opens with an inspiring story of courage and faith demonstrated by MLK's grandmother.) I'm also reading Thomas Merton's autobiography, and he talks about this very faithful old Catholic couple whose ordinary, humble piety deeply influenced him as a child. Are we losing our appetite to live like this? To follow those who live like this? I think so, though I'm not at all sure that our craven appetities (for fame, power, glory) are all that new. Jumbled thoughts in response to your very trenchant questions.
Yes — I have finally started going through a slow read of a book of church history. And I keep thinking how helpful, clarifying, and motivating it is to read about the history of the church and the life of Christians in the early church, martyrs certainly included. I need those stories and frameworks of faith that are much more ancient (and really, across all times and places).
I am seeing this on my phone, Jason. Let me get home to my computer to respond more fully. I want you to write more about this!
Thoughts that came to mind at this point were that I think the threats to us have changed. When what we fear is death (violent or at a young age) then the stories of how believers have dealt with that that is inspiring. But the things I fear are things like dementia or a debilitating old age in a care home. I need a different kind of testimony for that.
The songs and sermons I hear are about Christians being confident in the face of death - when I think the death bit is the easy bit, it's the long dying before that that is frightening.
I think I am apathetic because I see a long grind of working into old age, and then living with half or less of my faculties, wheras a couple of hundred years ago they didn't have to face that.
Apathy is there because I just don't have the energy to deal with the long haul with enthusiasm.
This is an interesting take - and one that is very real for me as my mother has Alzheimer’s. I need to think on this more! I am struck by some of the research that suggests people of faith choose more life-extending measures than the general population. Why is this? Can we accept death?
Thank you for this reminder!!!! So good.
You’re welcome!
This topic reminds me of Paul's words to the Colossian church: "For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me." He knew that his efforts were being empowered by Christ and that ultimately it would be Christ in the Colossians (not Paul in the Colossians) that would be their hope of glory. And so he put forth the effort that was required of him in partnership with God.
Yes! A perfect example!! Thanks, Michele, for sharing this!
I've been working a lot on some goal-setting in the last few days, and one thing that keeps convicting me is that the question "what do I want my life to look like" doesn't keep in sight the question of what does God want my life to look like. I'm trying to work through the tension of believing that He does use our desires to move and motivate us but also that building a life to suit myself isn't my whole duty. I find myself straying into triviality when triviality should be the accents if anything, not making up the substance of my life. But it's so, so true that our culture (and myself, as part of it) makes trivialities so important. Anyway, good food for thought, thank you!
Good thoughts! Desire is a helpful guide for us only insofar as our desires are conformed to God’s!
This post pairs well with all that I've been thinking about in the wake of Aleksei Navalny's death. So far as I can tell, he was a follower of Jesus, and that is what enabled him to live dauntlessly, fearlessly, joyfully, hopefully in the face of persecution and death in the gulags. I have been so convicted by his present day example of courage and faith-- someone who counted all things as loss, someone who understood that he was looking towards a better kingdom even as he kept his feet on the ground while he was living.
Thank you for reminding us of this very current and compelling example!
Before I knew about death
You know human life first
If you know the life of the world first
come to know one's death naturally